A directional vibration sensor based on polarization-controlled cladding-to-core recoupling is demonstrated. A compact structure in which a short section of multi-mode fiber (MMF) stub containing a weakly tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) is spliced to another single-mode fiber without any lateral offset. Multiple core modes of the MMF are coupled at the junction and appear as well defined resonances in reflection from the TFBG. Some of those resonances exhibit a strong polarization and bending dependence. Both the orientation and the amplitude of the vibrations can be determined unambiguously via dual-path power detection of the orthogonal-polarimetric lowest order LP(1n) modes. Meanwhile, the unwanted power fluctuations and temperature perturbations can be referenced out by monitoring the fundamental LP(01) mode resonance.