Ambidextrous training worth it?

Robocok

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Is it worthwhile to spend time working on training both southpaw and orthodox or better just to spend that time in your preferred stance? Sometimes I try switching but question if that time would be better spent training where I feel more natural.
 
Always done in Karate. Is useful IMO.
 
Is it worthwhile to spend time working on training both southpaw and orthodox or better just to spend that time in your preferred stance? Sometimes I try switching but question if that time would be better spent training where I feel more natural.
Train your preferred side, then transfer it over to the other side. Otherwise you'll be training really slow.
 
Depending on the style, and instructor you will have no choice but to train both sides as far as drilling goes.

When you fight I wouldn't risk it unless you were very comfortable. I wouldn't force myself to fight in a way that didn't feel natural and pay the consequences because of that.
 
I do it and I love it. You get more options and that's never a bad idea. Pick a SP weapon like the rear body kick. Now find a way to tie it into a combination eg. Jab cross lead hook (change stance on retraction of hook) SP lead hook rear body kick

You can also just be fluid with it once you get the weapons down. Then it isn't really a static ortho or SP it's a flowing ever changing stance
 
Train southpaw and orthodox. You will be ready to fight in different stances during fights, and be ready to adjust to your opponent.
 
It's a question of time and tools. You only have so much time to train so the time you spend in another stance means time not spent in your primary stance. So, accept that you won't get as good in your primary stance as you could if you train both.

Arts like karate train you in both from the beginning. But, and it's a big but, karate only trains in you a handful of techniques this way. So, you can become extremely proficient in 2 different stances because your goal is mastery of set number of techniques with both hands. You can throw a front kick with either leg proficiently but most people don't execute jumping side kicks with either leg equally well.

So, like someone else said - you should have a handful of things you do well from either stance. But, imo, not much point in devoting more time to it than that.
 
Is it worthwhile to spend time working on training both southpaw and orthodox or better just to spend that time in your preferred stance? Sometimes I try switching but question if that time would be better spent training where I feel more natural.

short answer: yes.

long answer: of course it is a benefit to be able to fight from both stances. During a fight, specifically with a kicking combat sport, you are guaranteed to end up in a opposite stance at some point or another. Best know how to at the very least protect yourself from that poisition when you end up there. Ideally be able to fight confidently from both stances. Fighting both stances opens up a ton of angles and adds alot of tricks to the game.

When should you start learning it? My personal opinion is theres 2 ways to go about it. You can either train both stances from the start, which will benefit in the long run, but be a more difficult and longer road initially. Or you can train one stance until you become proficient in that one and then start learning the other. I am orthodox, I can do things southpaw, but not as good as orthodox. You will eventually come to a point that training the opposite stance will provide more benefits IMO than training your regular stance. There will always be things you can work on and improve, I can always continue to train and get better at things in my stance, however I personally feel that being able to fight both stances, will add more benefit than improving something in my orthodox. Not that improving my orthodox is not good, but I see a greater benefit in getting better at southpaw. I have recently been focusing on my southpaw quite a bit.

My suggestion to you, would be stick to your orthodox stance.
 
It is good to study all situations of struggle and all the blows. For during the fight you hurt the front leg and have to put the leg down to freight.
The good is prepared for everything.
 
offence in the opposite stance is relatively easy to learn, but it takes a lot to become proficient with defence in both stances. for this reason switching is generally frowned on in boxing. if your kickboxing it's slightly different as the southpaw stance opens up the left body kick, one of the most damaging and frequently used attacks in muay thai. it still takes a lot to learn defence in both stances thought.
 
No.

Most guys who ask this question are so new that they should dedicate more time and effort into actually listening to their coaches rather than finding a newer, easier way to suck.
 
Absofuckinglutely!
My first kids Judo program taught both sides from 12 to 20, when I started TKD at 21 they focused on one side. After "playing around" after class with my Sabu nim with the puny self defense takedown techniques and respectfully reversing him at will, classes started including drilling on both sides. Two of my best techniques were lead leg question mark kick and close distance back leg, step rear leg spin jump hook. Spoiler I'm a lefty who trained orthodox so my dexterity has always been in my lead side.
My last Judo school didn't, but I kept the discipline up anyway cause it's so ingrained and I'll keep it up at my new one.
 

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