HTH is the only spec that requires both hands free (other than for ironhands). This doesn't seem fair given that all other specs may use their 1-h spec skills with their main hand no matter what they're wielding in the offhand. Moreover HTH seems thematically very much like "rough" boxing style fighting rather than martial arts (which could well be said to require free hands - yet assassins are really the martial artists in CF, and they have no such limitations for any of their moves).

So how about allowing HTH specs to e.g. wear a shield (or whatever) for some additional defense, and still be able to use vital area, stun and crushing blow with their free main hand (or offhand when it's free, if they've got Balance of the sisters)? Pummel would naturally still require both hands (just like double thrust, pincer, and the like). I don't see how this would be OP, it would just put HTH on more equal footing with regard to the other specs (HTH specs are also at a disadvantage from not getting any weapon +dam/vuln exploits/etc.). At the very least, have this ability as an edge, though again, that wouldn't be fair given that the other specs get it for free.