History Main / BareHandedBladeBlock

* One of the common things to do with a [[RuleOfCool stunt]] in ''Tabletopgame/{{Exalted}}'' and often one of the most low-level [[FunctionalMagic fighting powers]] available to most characters.

* Parodied like so many other things in ''Manga/{{Keijo}}'' When IaijutsuPractitioner Saya attacks Kaya ''with her breasts'', Kaya counters with a [[JustForPun Bare Breasted Boob Block]].

** Saitama once caught a kunai thrown by [[SuperSpeed "Speed-O'-Sound" Sonic]] between his fingers. In another instance, Sonic tried a sword slash and Saitama caught (and broke) it with his ''teeth''.

BulletCatch and PunchCatch are counterparts for JustForFun/{{gun|Counterpart}} and GoodOldFisticuffs respectively, as this trope is roughly "Sword Catch". ArrowCatch and BulletCatch are the counterparts for ranged combat. Also compare PointThatSomewhereElse and FingerInABarrel.

* "Wario Kendo", one of the late-level microgames in ''VideoGame/WarioWare: Mega Microgames'', asks you to do exactly this. On the easiest difficulty level, you have to catch a ''daikon radish''. On its hardest difficulty level, the ''bokken''-wielding {{samurai}} accidentally lets his blade slip, and you have to catch the falling sword before it bops Wario in the nose.
* One of the "Reaction" abilities of the Samurai class in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', Shirahadori (original translated as "Blade Grasp"), allows you to stop any physical attack in this manner. That includes swords, axes, bashing with a blunt object, and (courtesy of a programming error) ''arrows and bullets''. Depending on a character's Bravery stat, this could have as much as a '''97% chance of success'''[[labelnote:*]]If the character's Bravery is at 100 for the fight, this gives a 100% success rate, but also means enemies won't even bother trying; 97 is the maximum ''permanent'' Bravery stat and more than sufficient for normal use[[/labelnote]], though only for the first swing in an attack round (meaning a dual-wielding enemy can bypass it).
** Considering that magic is really lack-luster in this game (it's fairly easy to become completely immune to it), this ability is absurdly broken. Note that most special abilities are physical (including the magical physical abilities) and yes, Blade Grasp have a near 100% chance to block those too.
** ''Tactics Advance'' had Strikeback, which allowed you to block a basic attack and counter attack. For some reason, Tactics A2 changes the animation to have the character do a spinning dodge rather than stopping it with their hands.
** The Samurai class in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' (from which ''Tactics'' had its job system modeled) had a similar ability, called "Blade Grasp" or "Shirahadori" depending on the translation.

** Happens to Nero in [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 the 4th game]] when he first confronts Agnus.
*** On the note of ''4'', Gloria executes a Bare THIGH Blade Catch.

* Mega Man.EXE does this twice to [=ProtoMan.EXE=] in the ''Anime/MegaManNTWarrior'' {{Manga}} (volume 4).

* ''Manga/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind''. Lord Yupa does this to prevent a slaughter aboard a ship, taking a sword point in the forearm, through his armor. Despite Yupa's calm, unflinching demeanor, Nausicaa is the only one who notices the blood dripping from the hilt, and the shudder of pain in Yupa's body, showing the extent Yupa will go to to keep the peace. In the film, he does this to block [[BewareTheNiceOnes Nausicaa's sword thrust]] when she's going on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge [[spoiler: against the Torumekian soldiers who invaded her home and murdered her father]]. The visual imagery and basic EstablishingCharacterMoment are still the same, just in a different context, since it's this action and the sight of the blood that calms Nausicaa down.

* In ''Dead Man's Hand'' crossover, ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} managed this on a knife-wielding [[ComicBook/ThePunisher Punisher]]. The Punisher, an experienced knife-fighter, then whipped the knife out with a slight twist, leaving DD with two handfuls of blood.
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' once blocked a katana between the foreheads of two {{ninja}} that he had rolled up into a carpet.

* In ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' comics:
** While depowered by red sunlight in "[[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 Breaking the Chain]]", ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} catches Cassandra Cain's katana... only for Cass to kick her down.

* In ''ComicBook/DetectiveComics'' #589, Franchise/{{Batman}} does this with a ''battleaxe.''

* ''Film/ThreeHundred'' have this occuring when the Uber Immortal (a GiantMook version of an already formidable enemy) fights King Leonidas, the latter slashing his sword only for the Immortal to grab it by the blade. And yank it off. The Immortal's hand is clearly bleeding from the cut, but it FeelsNoPain.

* ComicBook/{{Blade}} does this in ''Film/BladeII''. At quite some length. He is, however, [[{{Dhampyr}} half-vampire]]. Earlier in the same film, a reaper (super vampire) does this with Snowman's katana. He simply pulls it away, injuring the reaper's hands.

** ComicBook/CaptainAmerica in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' catches the blade of a Chitauri polearm/rifle-bayonet while defending Manhattan.
** [[Characters/TheMightyThorGiants Hela]] in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' blocks Gungnir's strike with the back of both her hands effortlessly.
** In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', [[Characters/MarvelComicsThanos Thanos]] blocks ComicBook/DoctorStrange's [[SpontaneousWeaponCreation conjured sword strike]] one-handed. Thanos does the same thing in an earlier scene during the confrontation in the Collector's vault, blocking [[Characters/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyModern Gamora]]'s sword single-handedly and breaking it to half, but Gamora managed to use the broken sword to stab and kill Thanos. [[spoiler: And then a moment later, all that was revealed to be an illusion caused by Thanos and his newly-obtained Reality Stone]]...

* Stabbing variation in ''WesternAnimation/{{Castlevania}}'' when Alucard lunges across and pins his father {{Dracula}} to wall with his CoolSword, Dracula is shown to have caught the sword [[NoSell between his fingers]] harmlessly then still holding onto the blade he literally pushes Alucard back as he walks forward.

* ''Manga/{{Basilisk}}'' features an unconventional example when Akeginu tries to kill Josuke at the Iga clan's compound. Akeginu uses her ability to [[BloodyMurder manipulate her own blood]] to conceal herself in mist, getting the drop on Josuke and cutting his head with her sword. Her satisfaction at apparently killing him turns to consternation when it becomes clear that Josuke--who is a combination of {{Acrofatic}}, RubberMan, and {{Kevlard}}--has safely caught the blade between two rolls of fat on his cheek!

* Ichika pulls this off against Houki's wooden katana in ''LightNovel/InfiniteStratos''. It's played more for laughs, than for awesome.

* In ''LightNovel/IsThisAZombie'', Ayumu catches Kyoko's katana with one hand, and then breaks it.

* An entire episode of ''Anime/VoltesV'' was devoted to TheHero of the FiveManBand learning this when the eponymous {{Super Robot|Genre}} was fighting against an enlarged swordsman. He doesn't take very well to the training for the technique, so he decides to modify the process by doing a ''bullet'' catch using a pair of rocks.

[[caption-width-right:254:[-Stopping a razor-sharp blade requires only your hands... at least in a cartoon.-]]]

*** [[spoiler: The Herald Ishar]] does this casually, combining it with PointThatSomewhereElse. A Windrunner attempts to stab him from behind with a Shardblade in a five-on-one duel, but he twists around and ''pushes'' the [[AbsurdlySharpBlade absurdly]] [[SoulCuttingBlade soul-cutting]] sword aside with a ''single finger'' on the flat of the blade. And he's describes as an ''only average'' duellist among his peers.

*** [[spoile: The Herald Ishar]] does this casually, combining it with PointThatSomewhereElse. A Windrunner attempts to stab him from behind with a Shardblade in a five-on-one duel, but he twists around and ''pushes'' the [[AbsurdlySharpBlade absurdly]] [[SoulCuttingBlade soul-cutting]] sword aside with a ''single finger'' on the flat of the blade. And he's describes as an ''only average'' duellist among his peers.

*** [[The Herald Ishar]] does this casually, combining it with YouShouldPointThatSomewhereElse. A Windrunner attempts to stab him from behind with a Shardblade in a five-on-one duel, but he twists around and ''pushes'' the [[AbsurdlySharpBlade absurdly]] [[SoulCuttingBlade soul-cutting]] sword aside with a ''single finger''. And he's describes as an ''only average'' duelist among his peers.

* ''NovolandEagleFlag'': An enemy brings a ''massive'' axe/sword down on Asule's shoulder. Asule grabs it and holds it away. In real life grabbing it would have been useless and the force of that blow would have cut off his arm and probably half of his ribs too. In the series Asule's shoulder is cut, but his hands aren't hurt.

* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Auron]] is brainwashed by Hades into a one on one fight to the death with WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}. At the climax of the fight, Auron swings his BFS and Hercules catches it. Slight subversion in that Hercules probably would not have won the struggle if Sora hadn't subsequently broken Hades's spell on Auron.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'':

* ''LightNovel/FateZero'' does this with Berserker catching [[ActionGirl Saber´s]] ''invisible sword'' barehanded. [[spoiler:It's a hint to his identity as [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Lancelot]], as it shows that he knows the exact shape and length of the blade despite it being invisible.]]

* ''Manga/InuYasha'':
** In the third [[TheMovie movie]], ''Swords of an Honorable Ruler'', the title character's AloofBigBrother Sesshoumaru does the trope one better by ''punching'' his opponent's blade out of his way.
** During the series, [=InuYasha=]'s SuperpoweredEvilSide does the same thing to Sesshoumaru's sword. But due to the special properties of the sword, not only his fist but his entire forearm is sliced up in the process.

* Shana pulled this one off in the ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'' {{backstory}} episode when she awakens to her abilities.

* ''LightNovel/TheTestamentOfSisterNewDevil'': Chisato Hasegawa demonstrates her power by catching Basara's {{BFS}} with one hand and crushing it.