should i fight southpaw?

[FLYINGxGOGO]

Hey guys im going to start boxing for mma and hopefully ill get a few amateur fights. Iv been wrestling since I was a freshman so for 3 years and you wrestle with your right foot forward. Im naturaly right handed and right legged.
Iv boxed with my older brother for many years because he used to be an amateur kick boxer. Iv always boxed orthodox with him and done decent. But I hated switching stances from wrestling to boxing so I tried boxing southpaw and felt like I was signifcally more comfortable because that's how I wrestle. I could parry significantly easier as well.
So im going to start boxing training at the gym and I was wondering if I should stay southpaw... im 6 foot 1 and wrestle at 135 when I cut weight so I have a big reach advantage. Iv hear being a southpaw nullifies the jab which is a tall mans main tool so im wondering if southpaw wud hurt my reach advantage in that respect?
so should I box southpaw because that's what im comfortable with due to wrestling and jiu jitsu? And will boxing southpaw hurt or work towards my reach advantage?
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[jlagman]

Switching to and becoming a good southpaw requires a lot of time, effort and a good trainer. If you have those going for you, you'll still have to start from scratch and relearn everything backwards; if you think that's worth it, then by all means.

 

[Higus]

You'd be better off learning to strike orthodox and learning how to wrestle for MMA by setting up your takedowns off your left foot or closing the distance and clinching. In the clinch, your stance isn't as important at that range. Especially in your case, a tall guy like you should take advantage of your jab. I'd guess that >95% of all natural right handed wrestlers in MMA fight this way.

 

[Boxer123]

You'd be better off learning to strike orthodox and learning how to wrestle for MMA by setting up your takedowns off your left foot or closing the distance and clinching. In the clinch, your stance isn't as important at that range. Especially in your case, a tall guy like you should take advantage of your jab. I'd guess that >95% of all natural right handed wrestlers in MMA fight this way.

I agree completely about learning your shot with your left foot forward. It would probably be much easier than having to learn all of your striking "backwards". I am a southpaw btw (naturally left handed).

 

[Logan M]

Iv hear being a southpaw nullifies the jab which is a tall mans main tool so im wondering if southpaw wud hurt my reach advantage in that respect?
so should I box southpaw because that's what im comfortable with due to wrestling and jiu jitsu?[/size]

Especially in your case, a tall guy like you should take advantage of your jab. I'd guess that >95% of all natural right handed wrestlers in MMA fight this way.

If you are naturally right handed and you box southpaw it will make your jab stronger since your right arm will be the one throwing it. I don't know why you would be told that being a southpaw nullifies your jab. A southpaw with a good jab will give most orthodox fighters fits especially if you are the rangier fighter.

 

[McPunchy]

I would stay southpaw if I it feels more natural.
Make you jab and your right hook sharp, keep working with that left to make it strong, and you'll be fine.
Good luck.

 

[KylePulley]

You'd be better off learning to strike orthodox and learning how to wrestle for MMA by setting up your takedowns off your left foot or closing the distance and clinching. In the clinch, your stance isn't as important at that range. Especially in your case, a tall guy like you should take advantage of your jab. I'd guess that >95% of all natural right handed wrestlers in MMA fight this way.

I disagree in this case.

The way I read the post it sounds like you have no started striking yet?

In that case..

Fight southpaw, instead of relearning years of wrestling. This is good for mma because you wont need to change stance to shoot (makes it telegraphed) you will feel more comfertable.

Watch jarome lebanner, he is a natural righthand. fighting as a south paw.

You main weapon will be lead hook. Just drill cross's (left) till it feels good.

Most of the guys on here train JUST standup, and don't understand how striking in your natural grappling stance has huge advantages.

Once again, go to youtube, watch jarome le banner.

 

[KylePulley]

also, if your going to a mauy thai or boxing gym, don't tell them your right handed and want to fight south paw...it will be a big argument...Just say your left handed with a good lead hook.

 

[hughes fan]

I toyed with going southpaw as well but it was because every time I moved out the way of a jab or straight I dropped my left and moved left.
In southpaw I didn't do this and instead kept it up and progressed. I recently started moving more efficiently though. The key to it is simple. Move unpredictably, don't move in straight lines or have a rhythm.
This will throw people off and make them think you may have just moved out of stance temporarily which allows for you to shoot from a preferred wrestling stance.

 

[DoctorTaco]

if southpaws more comfortable, then that's the way to go. be sure to change levels and throw the 2 to the body once in a while to keep them from slipping your long jab too often and moving in.

 

[Higus]

Fight southpaw, instead of relearning years of wrestling. This is good for mma because you wont need to change stance to shoot (makes it telegraphed) you will feel more comfertable.

A big part of his problem is that most of the opponent's he's going to face people standing in orthodox anyway. His wrestling will have to adapt to the fact that his opponents are switching stance from what he's used to.

 

[jadeskull]

Iv hear being a southpaw nullifies the jab which is a tall mans main tool Posted via Mobile Device

Where did you hear that? If anything, your jab will be much more powerful, and so will your lead hook.
The only thing I could see is that your cross and rear roundhouse kick would suffer, but you can always switch stance or switch-step when you want to throw those.

 

[jlagman]

Where did you hear that? If anything, your jab will be much more powerful, and so will your lead hook.

A southpaw's jab and a orthodox fighter's jab often cross paths, hence all the "nullifying the jab" talk you've heard.

The only thing I could see is that your cross and rear roundhouse kick would suffer, but you can always switch stance or switch-step when you want to throw those.

So basically you're taking about fighting one handed...

 

[jadeskull]

I would think a taller person wouldn't have a big issue with the jab crossing paths. They go over most of the arm unless they're thrown exactly at the same time, if anything he would nullify the jab of the smaller guy.

And I'm not saying he should fight one-handed, I'm just stating that if he finds he's really lacking power in his rear strikes (when he really wants to finish a fight), he could work both stances... if not he could still work southpaw, and just have a little less power in those hits, just like orthodox has more power in the cross.

 

[barnowl]

Upside of fighting South paw, alot fighters don't know how to deal with one, including other southpaws. down side you hang your liver out front for every body to tee off on and you split you power between both hands. In orhtodox you have a weaker jab but you have doubled up the power on your crosses, when shifting to southpaw, you move the strong arm in front for a stronger jab, but shift your weak arm to the rear resulting in a cross that is only about half as strong.

 

[Doctor Venture]

Personally, I'd go with whatever you're better with. If you wrestle better than you strike, don't let striking get in the way of it. No point in messing with your bread and butter, especially if you're new to striking.

 

[Vil7]

I disagree in this case.

The way I read the post it sounds like you have no started striking yet?

In that case..

Fight southpaw, instead of relearning years of wrestling. This is good for mma because you wont need to change stance to shoot (makes it telegraphed) you will feel more comfertable.

Watch jarome lebanner, he is a natural righthand. fighting as a south paw.

You main weapon will be lead hook. Just drill cross's (left) till it feels good.

Most of the guys on here train JUST standup, and don't understand how striking in your natural grappling stance has huge advantages.

Once again, go to youtube, watch jarome le banner.

The way I read the post it sounds like you have no started striking yet?

I can't believe you have the audacity to make that statement after posting those lousy shadowboxing in an abandoned mall and bagwork videos. Keep pulling the "I'm a grappler" card and do the running man dance with knees all the way back to the grappling forum.

 

[KylePulley]

A southpaw's jab and a orthodox fighter's jab often cross paths, hence all the "nullifying the jab" talk you've heard.



So basically you're taking about fighting one handed...

always get a kick when people say this...

Wouldnt a person who has their strong hand in the back power position, and their weak hand in the front less powerful postion be "fighting one handed" more then someone who has their weaker hand in the power position and the strong one in the weak?

tons of right handed fights develop a good left hook. why can't a right handed southpaw develop a deadly cross or uppercut or anything?

yes, your jabs often cross paths...their are ways around it though.

 

[KylePulley]

The way I read the post it sounds like you have no started striking yet?

I can't believe you have the audacity to make that statement after posting those lousy shadowboxing in an abandoned mall and bagwork videos. Keep pulling the "I'm a grappler" card and do the running man dance with knees all the way back to the grappling forum.

grappling is a dominent aspect of fighting...its just the truth.. take a pure grappler and a pure striker...and well ufc 1 shows us what happens.

What I said makes perfect sense, and is great advice. Regardless of if I liked to wear make up and wear dill pickles in my ears. That doesn't change my advice and the statement i say, if you want to prove im wrong, come up with something that proves my statement is wrong, not just some random garbage that is irrelevant. So heres some friendly advice, grow up.

 

[jlagman]

Wouldnt a person who has their strong hand in the back power position, and their weak hand in the front less powerful postion be "fighting one handed" more then someone who has their weaker hand in the power position and the strong one in the weak?

No, because jabs are the most frequently thrown strike.

tons of right handed fights develop a good left hook. why can't a right handed southpaw develop a deadly cross or uppercut or anything?

Right handed orthodox fighters don't have to learn everything else backwards.

yes, your jabs often cross paths...their are ways around it though.

Yes there are.