I do have a longsword but I can't really swing that around. I did have a claymore and that's the reason I won't swing the longsword around.
I actually went with that pose because most people who saw it actually liked it. The other pose was more realistic but was more the generic barbarian pose. I agree it's a ridiculous pose he has right now and I'll likely change it in the near future. I'll probably do a few drawn out concepts first and see what the verdict is on those. For now though I doubt I'll have the time to change all this.
The way he holds the sword in the run isn't something I'm a fan of either. I'll be changing that so he holds it more steady. It did look a bit stiff last time I tried but I'll give it another shot.
I also never liked the idea of having a pose that featured no weapon like the castlevania series. I suppose it might be the best way of doing it though. Still I suppose I could use the 350 pound werewolf copout, although I should really fix the look that he's been chewing on streroids a little too much

Technical demowise, that should be up in the new year. There won't be much to do other than walk around at the moment so it won't be exactly interesting.