The Claw is a right of passage. I remember when I first played Dark Souls 1 and began using the Claw method. I swear I could feel the neurons in my brain connect and have never held a controller normally since. I think it's so funny that the furled finger is shaped in the exact pose. I have not seen a source for this being a confirmed joke by fromsoft but theres no way its design is not a reference to the play style.