Left-Handed Fighter?

Question

im left handed and i do thai-kickboxing. my school teaches me to fight right-handed. is there any advantages i have over a right-handed fighter? so therefore i havent been taught to fight left-handed. will that hurt me in the long run? maybe during a fight

Answer 1

find another school,there teaching you wrong if thier teaching you to work on 1 side.

Answer 2

Most Martial Art schools teach one how to fight with both sides on the lead, I for one am right handed but preferred the southpaw stance during sparring when I was still studying the striking arts and could switch leads when needed. But as for you, as long as you don't find it hard to go up against right handed stances then it's an advantage for you, just make sure you also train against a left handed lead like yours or you'll be in the same predicament as the right handers.

Answer 3

Only in-so-much as your opponent expects your attacks to come from their own dominant side. In other words, a right-handed fighter might expect attacks to come from the right hand, and be more open to left-handed punches.

However, a good martial arts school is very location neutral with their techniques. In other words, if you are taught to do a knife hand block, it should be taught alternating between right and left hands, so that the blow is intercepted no matter which area it comes in at.

A true martial artist works to have no preference when fighting; both sides of the body should be of equal skill in order to be fully prepared for whatever may occur. Preferences should come into play only when an opponent is in a neutral position in relation to oneself, and thus allow the predominant side to usually move faster in attacking than the other.

Answer 4

The reason you are being taught to fight right-handed is because it will be easier to get you fights. Most fighters are right-handed and they don't like to fight left-handers because it is different than the way they train and therefore more difficult to win against.

Learn to fight well right-handed, but during your fights, switch back and forth between the right and left side.

I am a natural right-hander, but I trained to switch to the left side in order to confuse my opponents.

Answer 5

Honestly, there should not be a Left or Right side fighter. You should be able to use any side, adapting to the situation instead of trying to force "sides". You should train both your sides equally but you may have an advantage if you are already capable of training your right side as most people will favor one side and ignore the other. If you train both then your fighting will become more rounded and adaptable.

Answer 6

Being left handed is a small advantage in that the other fighter has to make adjustments for that. Most good fighters can make that adujustment and it just is a harder fight or harder to get a knock out. On the other hand it is a little harder for left handed fighters (southpaws) to get fights or matches sometimes. I have seen some fighters switch back and forth and use it as a means of distracting or disrupting their opponents strategy. I would talk to them and see what their reasons are behind it.

As for actual advantages it makes it harder for the other fighter to reach you with his power shots off of the fight hand since moving counter clockwise is more natural and smoother for you with that right leg in front and fighting left handed. The other fighter has to constantly step over with his left foot to the outside of your right foot and keep you in between his legs if he wants hit you with his powerful right hand. It does make it easier for him to reach you with his jab as he steps over but jabs don't tend to knock people out as easily as that more powerful rear hand.

Answer 7

I'm a natural righty' that was trained to fight south paw at a very early age (TKD, left leg was stronger and faster, wanted me to fight power leg back; punches in TKD don't really matter) as I progressed in to kick boxing and MMA I found several things...

it is very confusing for unskilled fighters to deal with a south paw weather they are righty or south paws too; but as skill levels increase it becomes less and less of an advantage.

Once punching become more and more important, several things became very clear to me...

because, I'm naturally right handed, my right cross is much stronger, faster and more accurate then my left. My right jab and hook is faster stronger and more accurate then my left. So I would assume that you would find the opposite to be true.

the end result was that it changed the way that I fight to compensate for these differences... if I want to box on the outside use movement, speed and my jab, give up some power I'll fight south paw...when I want to bang I'll flip to righty which limits my movement, jab, lead hand hook but gives my one punch OK power in right cross and hook. which is great for slow opponests who are standing right in front of me.

Answer 8

As a thai fighter, I LOVE fighting against southpaw stance fighters. I love it because, in my opinion, the Femoral artery is easier to get a good, solid roundhouse into than the sciatic. And since my rear leg roundhouse will be coming into the inside-right of the southpaw's leg instead of the usual outside-left, it'll hit the femoral over and over. Also, I think it's easier for me to fight against a southpaw because I step in and out, instead of the boxing strategy of stepping away from the power punches. I stay in kicking distance most of the fight, choosing to fight like a true Thai fighter. I can box, don't get me wrong (I love hooks), but I would rather clinch and throw knees and exit with elbows, and I find it MUCH easier to step left, forward roundhouse to leg, rear roundhouse if they retreat or left hook feint into half-step and clinch if they come in on the kick.

But, as was stated above, if you're being taught to fight orthodox or right-handed stance, it's to get you fights. I am one of the few who loves to fight southpaws. Most of the people I trained with hated that stance, since they all stepped "out", ie. to the right, to step away from the right overhand/right hook most fighters throw after jabs. Stepping to the right against a lefty is asking for their overhand left to come shooting in, and as well, most righties aren't used to their own femoral artery getting socked with good kicks.

I say make it a point to train, at least on your own if they won't train you at your gym, how to throw from both stances. It will make you extremely potent in the ring. And if you ever face another lefty, you'll be used to fighting from either direction, making it easier if they are too.

Answer 9

its not being left handed that's a huge advantage, but rather being ambidextrous. that's where your training right handed will come in handy. if you Can start right handed, wear the other guy down, then switch to left handed and catch them off guard, you've got it.

it does take practice to develop this though.

Answer 10

It can be a great advantage to you if you are taught well enough to have your right side as strong as your left, b.c if you are able to switch it can throw your opponent off and it is easier to recover after throwing combos b.c you can switch to either stance.

Answer 11

i think its a great advantage because most of the populatation is right-handed..so u would most likely be fighting someone who is right handed...
hopes this helps u!