I've heard stories from my Uncle Kenny, who flew C-47's in WWII. He said that putting one's feet on the dashboard and pulling with your legs and back were perfectly acceptable, and sometimes necessary if the plane was loaded tail heavy and they ran out of trim. Try that in a 757.....

Otherwise, I suppose pulling back to go up is just The Way It's Done. You can set your radio up any way you want, if it feels natural to you and works for you, then whatever. You'll just have to get used to maidening your own planes, and will have trouble if you want to buddy box someone. But if it works for you, then go for it.

Andy