Help a lefty out

[Coleman]

I did a quick search and couldn't find what I was looking for so please bear with me.

I'm a lefty, trained mt for about 1.5 years when I was 14 and 15, took 3 years off and now I've been back at it for about 2 months. Actually, I've been back at bjj for about 2 months only hitting the odd mt class so my standup is very lacking to say the least.

When I was younger, my standup was a lot better than it was now. What I remember doing was throwing my left side almost all the time. I would jab a few times, step across then throw a big left kick. After that, I would set the left leg down forwards and throw a big straight left. I used to land that combo so much it wasn't even funny. I even hit my kickboxing instructor (who was a 4 time world champ) a few times with that combo. I've been trying to do that again but it doesn't seem to work. My opponents just keep stepping back and avoiding the kick completely.

What are some things I can work on as a left handed fighter? I usually throw straight lefts and right hooks but I have a HUGE problem getting in close enough to land anything. When my opponent throws a jab, I step to the outside of it and throw a straight left. If I can get in close enough, it lands and works well. I want to stop throwing this combo though because if I miss the straight left, it leaves my head WIDE OPEN to thier right.

I've heard that a good counter to a jab from a righty is to hit them with my lead hand hook (right hook). How would I go about setting this up off a jab?

And, what are some ways to get in to land some more straight lefts?

Thanks!

 

[Kamehameha]

i fight southpaw but i'm a natural right hander, due to my martial arts experience. But to answer ur question on countering an orthodox jab, a lead hook is a great way, and so is the straight left (always moving to your right to avoid their big right and set up ur left). U may be getting hit if ur moving the wrong way, as moving left (their right) will put u in perfect position for them to clock u, and yourself being in no position to do the same.

that's the whole game w/ southpaws, both are moving the same direction, trying to get away from the opponent's power hand. Watch southpaws like Pernell Whitaker or Marvin Hagler and see how they constantly move to their right, avoiding the opponents right to set up their own left. If u move to your left, u negate ur own punches while giving the opponent all the right angles to hit u. Next time u spar, pay attention to this and hopefully improving on your movement will help u.

 

[Coleman]

Thanks,

So for now I should basically focus on circling to my right like a madman and look for opertunities to throw right hooks, straight lefts and left roundhouses?

 

[zaner]

Hey I'm right handed southpaw too(JKD). The bad thing about being left handed against orthodox guys is that alot of time you find that your jab is useless and his is too cause they are in eachothers way. What is good for you and bad for me is that it becomes a battle of rear hands sometimes. If I'm boxing this sucks for me cause its my waek side vs their strong side. What I do is slip the right straight to my left and throw my left straight or liver shot. Or slip the JAB to my right and go staight left to the bdy and/or right hook high or low. I also keep moving to my right and corkscrewing my right jab over their left jab.
Kickboxing is easier because you rnd kick to the inside of their left leg or jam their movement with side kicks to the shin/knee.

 

[Kamehameha]

Hey I'm right handed southpaw too(JKD). The bad thing about being left handed against orthodox guys is that alot of time you find that your jab is useless and his is too cause they are in eachothers way. What is good for you and bad for me is that it becomes a battle of rear hands sometimes. If I'm boxing this sucks for me cause its my waek side vs their strong side. What I do is slip the right straight to my left and throw my left straight or liver shot. Or slip the JAB to my right and go staight left to the bdy and/or right hook high or low. I also keep moving to my right and corkscrewing my right jab over their left jab.
Kickboxing is easier because you rnd kick to the inside of their left leg or jam their movement with side kicks to the shin/knee.

good advice there. But if ur quick w/ the jab, then u can get it in. I'm a fast guy, so i can usually get the jab in there before they can counter, or i'll parry their jab then come right back w/ mine since i have enough speed to do so. I'm more of a counter fighter also, so i try and make them reach in, which makes them vulnerable even if they're taller, but that's how i do it.

the key is to always move away from their power right hand. What u throw means nothing if ur in a bad position. Fighters of the same stance don't have to worry about this, since they're always in position to nail each other w/ the power hand, no matter which direction they move.

 

[zaner]

good advice there. But if ur quick w/ the jab, then u can get it in. I'm a fast guy, so i can usually get the jab in there before they can counter, or i'll parry their jab then come right back w/ mine since i have enough speed to do so. I'm more of a counter fighter also, so i try and make them reach in, which makes them vulnerable even if they're taller, but that's how i do it.

the key is to always move away from their power right hand. What u throw means nothing if ur in a bad position. Fighters of the same stance don't have to worry about this, since they're always in position to nail each other w/ the power hand, no matter which direction they move.

Agreed. Another thing to do is watch Cro Cop. Love him or hate him it doesn't get much better as far as MMA southpaws.
What he does is reach with his right and paw the opponent's left hand outward, not down, and then fire a left. The reason he does that from what I gather from experimenting, is to get that left out of the way but the important tactic is pulling it out not down cause it takes longer to get it back in position when its pawed out ward than down. Try it and see what you think.

 

[DJGMuayThai]

Yea..and keep throwing those leg kicks..trust me they open up your punches like crazy!

 

[Coleman]

I've always found that leg kicks are awkward as a lefty. Should I be throwing inside leg kicks to their left (their front) with my rear leg? Since both our weak legs meet each other, its hard to throw an effective outside leg kick, to their front leg, with my front leg. I've always found the only leg kicks I can ever land are with my left (power) leg.

 

[zaner]

I shuffle in and throw the right leg round to the thigh or throw the left to the inside as it comes open.......of course thats pretty obvious, right? The rear leg is awkward at first cause its the weak one. You need a heavy bag to figure out how to throw with power and a coach to make sure your technique is good. You knew that too.......anyway I was in the same position:right side fighter only. I would'nt throw the left side to save my life. I just practiced alot and got it down.
Leg kicks with the rear leg will get checked alot and that hurts, so throw to the liver. Make sure to pull it back or it gets snatched up.
Try this to set up the rear leg.
Jab-cross-rear leg round
jab-jab-rear leg
jab-jab while circling to your right-rear leg

Almost always throw or at least fake the left hand to the head before throwing the rear leg. It's a great setup and even "Bang" Ludwig uses that technique to kind of blind them from the kick.