Power fist lead or weak fist lead?

[VagabondMusashi]

For all those 10% sherdoggers who actually practice some martial art, and those 50% of those 10% who actually practice a standup art, and those 10% of those 50% who actually take it seriously, I have a question about your personal fighting style.

I

 

[Smigg]

It's natural for me to stand southpaw even though I'm more powerful with my right hand. But it does throw people off, they expect my left to do more damage, then I rip into them with a right hook.

 

[DeltaSigChi4]

Try posting this in the Standup subforum. There you may be a little more likely to find the 2.5% of SD'ers you're looking for.

E

 

[Kolchak]

I lead with my left (power) hand just because it's how I started. My first boxing coach was really my dad, who was a boxing prospect in the USSR in his youth and almost qualified for the olympics. He just always assumed I was right-handed... (gee, thanks for noticing, dad.)

I'm 6'7 so I have a big reach advantage on most of the people I spar with, so when I throw a jab or a straight with my left, I'm looking down and I think having my power hand available to tag really lead me to become the kind of boxer I am, which in light of last night is probably rather Salaverry-esque. My handspeed is pretty bad so I have to wait for my opponents to get inside which I prefer anyway.

I don't practice MMA just Queensberry and now some Thai boxing, so I wouldn't be able to really say how it is in an MMA situation.

 

[VagabondMusashi]

It's natural for me to stand southpaw even though I'm more powerful with my right hand. But it does throw people off, they expect my left to do more damage, then I rip into them with a right hook.

Anybody ever hear of any ambidexterous martial artist? Or boxer? That

 

[Smigg]

Semmy Schilt is someone who apparently does equal damage with both right and left.

 

[BenHulk]

It works well for me especially if I can fight on the inside against a taller fighter b/c I can use my power hand on the inside to do some short uppercuts and hooks when the other fighter is cautious of my left hand since it is in the rear. If you are powerful and accurate with both hands then it could be an advantage but if you're handspeed is a little different with different hands it could hurt you.

 

[kumite]

When I boxed and did Muay thai, my coach always had me fight orthodox since I'm a lot stronger on my right side even though I'm ambidexterous in general. When I started studying TMA, the instructor stressed learning to fight both ways. Now, I can fight either way, my lead right hook is as hard as my lead left hook, my right jab is more powerful than my left jab but a little bit slower. I've been trained and have trained with a lot of pro fighters over the years and it really screws a lot of them up if you can "switch hit". The more versatile and adaptable you can be, the better your chances of winning.

 

[TKMaxx715]

a lot of bruce lee's pupils fought orthodox contrary to bruce's teachings. Also i think bruce said that he fought southpaw due to him being a lefty when he was born but was forced to become a right-hander. Something along those lines.

 

[VagabondMusashi]

In all of Bruce

 

[zaner]

I'm a Ted Wong student via about three years of seminars and my instructor has trained with him for seven years. This means I'm right handed and fight southpaw. And with devastating affect if you don't mind me saying. I trained with Mikey Burnett once in Tulsa, a private lesson, and he didn't like that I was a RH southpaw but conceded that I hit very hard and had good speed and technique. Thanks to Sifu Wong and my instructor. The point I'm making is that it can be just as effective as orthodox. I strike mostly with my right and use footwork, head movement and my left hand to defend. If I decide to grapple, gouge, grab, my strong hand is right there to do it.
However, I found that in boxing I have trouble. I cant use my feet to close the distance or hurt or distract. My strong hand is a bit hindered by their left hand being right there in the way and so its a battle of rear hands. And I don't do as well.

 

[zaner]

a lot of bruce lee's pupils fought orthodox contrary to bruce's teachings. Also i think bruce said that he fought southpaw due to him being a lefty when he was born but was forced to become a right-hander. Something along those lines.

Bruce fought strong side forward specifically because he thought it was the most efficient way to hurt someone. JKD is a self defence style, not sport, and there is no such thing as feeling out your opponent in that situation. You just put your strongest, fastest, most accurate, coordinated limb close to your opponent hit him "often, hard, and straight."
Alot of Bruce's students were transplanted from other styles. Inosanto, Bustillo etc. were black belts when they came to Bruce because they saw that what he was doing was efficient. Bruce didn't "unteach them" he just added as best he could to what they had. If a guy came in off the street it was strong side forward all the time.

 

[Mav3rick]

I am a Bruce fanatic as well. I fight with my lead hand forward for the same reason. I just adopted that because of what Bruce thought was right, but now it feels natural to me. I train both sides equally because I would like to be as versatile both ways, not quite up to par with power side rear but closing the gap.

I also find that in sparring, being able to fight from both sides is pretty usefull. You can really upset your opponents rythm and countering techniques from switching leads often. If I confuse the hell out of my holder on focus mits I'm sure it can do the same on my opponents.

 

[Marvin Covar]

i practice orthodox. i make people think my right is stronger, but it's my left hook that really makes em eat dirt.

 

[scorcho]

Semmy Schilt is someone who apparently does equal damage with both right and left.

I have trained with Sem before, and he is a lefty, but he fights orthodox, because that is the way all of the kata in Ashihara Karate are laid out. It is amazing to watch him KO people with his front hand and front Mae Geri (front kick).

 

[moodymikey]

I've only been training in Muay Thai for 5 months now, and i havent even tried standing unorthodox yet. I think i'll give it ago next time im sparring and see how my opponent reacts to it.

 

[randomg1t]

i have an orthodox stance and i rely mostly on my left hook, but not in terms of power, rather in terms of speed. if i changed stances i think i'd get fucked up pretty bad since my right isn't as fast as my left. its heavier, but slower. i just do the usual setting up my powershots with my left and firing the actual powershots with my right. when someone bullrushes on me, i just sidestep to the left and throw the left hook, you get the fuck out of the way and they usually nail themselves on the fist.

im sure your way works just as well, its just a matter of preference. if you can do it both, so much better since you can adapt to any kind of an opponent. depends on what you're doing too, in a boxing match i think you'd be in trouble, in an mma fight it might suite you better.

 

[VagabondMusashi]

Great input, good to hear about your personal preferences.

 

[Billy_H]

I'm right handed and have always felt more comfortable standing south-paw. I'm trying to train my left hand now since I feel like I've been neglecting it and just don't feel "right" when I throw a solid punch with it.

 

[Orsyn]

I usually start off Orth since I had some boxing training when I was younger, but I find myself changing up a lot and being able to do either. I guess I feel more comfortable in an Orth stance, but often times during sparing I will switch it up. I also agree that my left is a little faster than my right, but my right has the power.