Your opinion on the side stance in MMA?

[PirateTetra]

Hi guys!

I have recently started experimenting a bit with the side stance since I'm a huge fan of the side kick and I like how my jab becomes a bit longer (I already have pretty good reach)

But what do you guys think about it? I know that checking leg kicks is harder but what other "weaknesses" does this stance have?

This (Look at Rory) is what i mean by a "side stance". Not exactly like the TKD-stance but i know how threads like these often end up with people arguing about what a side stance really is so i thought that it would be smart to include a picture of what I'm talking about

I hope you guys can help me figure this stance out!

 

[a guy]

Including a picture is absolutely the smartest thing you could have done.

About the leg kicks, good call picking Rory:

 

[fluffball]

It's a lot like boxing where you stand sideways at range and square up as the distance closes. If you're at "karate distance", side stance is extremely strong. You just can't camp it.

Even Machida squares up as the distance closes.

 

[Da Speeit]

It works really well if you make a game around minimal mobility on the inside. Not something a wrestler could pull off.

 

[PirateTetra]

Including a picture is absolutely the smartest thing you could have done.

About the leg kicks, good call picking Rory:

What other ways would you say is effective against defending the leg kick? I usually just take a step backwards and jump out of the way. What other good ways of defending exist?

It's a lot like boxing where you stand sideways at range and square up as the distance closes. If you're at "karate distance", side stance is extremely strong. You just can't camp it.

Even Machida squares up as the distance closes.

I'm watching a lot of footage of Rory right now but I'll make sure to start watching Machida as well!

It works really well if you make a game around minimal mobility on the inside. Not something a wrestler could pull off.

Could you/someone else please explain this a little more?

 

[nostradumbass]

It's fine from far away for jabs/sidekicks but you can't throw combinations unless your opponent is too slow to see a strike coming from all the way on the other side of your body.

 

[fluffball]

It's fine from far away for jabs/sidekicks but you can't throw combinations unless your opponent is too slow to see a strike coming from all the way on the other side of your body.

Why is a sideways stance the default boxing stance then? I don't agree with you.

 

[a guy]

Some big concerns with having the lead foot turned so far in is it's easier for an opponent to get outside that foot, and you can't throw a good left hook from there without stepping the left foot out to the left first. I personally think you're better off having the foot pointing more forward.

 

[Discipulus]

Why is a sideways stance the default boxing stance then? I don't agree with you.

It's not. There's no such thing as a default boxing stance.

What other ways would you say is effective against defending the leg kick? I usually just take a step backwards and jump out of the way. What other good ways of defending exist?

I'm watching a lot of footage of Rory right now but I'll make sure to start watching Machida as well!

Could you/someone else please explain this a little more?

You could counter leg kicks with kicks of your own. If you do like the side kick, it makes a nice counter to off-balance a kicking opponent, and the side kick to the knee makes for a nice deterrent.

 

[fluffball]

It's not. There's no such thing as a default boxing stance.

Bah! You know what I mean. If you walk in to a boxing gym as a complete newb, the coach will put you in a heavily bladed stance at first. Some people move out of it because they like to infight, but all newbs get put in a side stance.

Also my original point was that you can land combos from a side stance because many/most non-mexican boxers fight out of one.

 

[Babba]

It's not. There's no such thing as a default boxing stance.



You could counter leg kicks with kicks of your own. If you do like the side kick, it makes a nice counter to off-balance a kicking opponent, and the side kick to the knee makes for a nice deterrent.

tell that to the head trainer of a gym i went to briefly.

he looked at how i moved and came up to me and said "stand like a boxer". "what do you mean stand like a boxer, like this?" "no, stand like a boxer" "....".

one of the most retarded conversations i've ever had. there's definitely people out there that believe there's a BOXING stance.

 

[a guy]

What other ways would you say is effective against defending the leg kick? I usually just take a step backwards and jump out of the way. What other good ways of defending exist?

My favorite is the catch and straight right, because you don't even need good timing if your knees are bent and you have decently long arms. It's possible to get your leg kicked out from under you and still manage to snag their leg, stumble forward and end up on top of them.

You can counter it with other kicks, you can move back, you can take it and talk shit when it lands, whatever. The most important thing is to punish the guy for throwing it. The first thing everyone thinks when they see that leg turned in is that they wanna kick it, you need to convince them that's a bad idea as soon as possible.

 

[Frode Falch]

The last UFC fight night in sweden there was a young kid from ATT who used a sidestance alot.

Also Anderson Silva against Belfort (that made him land on his ass after a head kick)

 

[fluffball]

tell that to the head trainer of a gym i went to briefly.

he looked at how i moved and came up to me and said "stand like a boxer". "what do you mean stand like a boxer, like this?" "no, stand like a boxer" "....".

one of the most retarded conversations i've ever had. there's definitely people out there that believe there's a BOXING stance.

If you told 100 fighters if they understood the difference between standing like a wrestler and standing like a boxer, 100 of them would know what you meant. You were probably standing like a typical MMA or MT fighter, no? He wanted you to be more bladed.

 

[Big Nasty Edison]

"Stances" have to be dynamic. They can't be static. A side stance is used at or just outside of kicking range. Checking a kick might be harder, but checking isn't the only method of kick defense. Good timing and distance management might be better. Anticipating the kick coming at you and dashing back to make it miss, or dashing forward to choke the kick up are just other examples of how to defeat the low round kick in a side stance. Then as distance changes, you have to be ready to change the side stance and move on. Distance, strategy and so forth should determine your "stance". The early American kickboxers were chewed up by leg kicks not only because they couldn't check them but also because they wouldn't abandon the side stance when in too close of range which severely limited their offense and defense both.

 

[PirateTetra]

My favorite is the catch and straight right, because you don't even need good timing if your knees are bent and you have decently long arms. It's possible to get your leg kicked out from under you and still manage to snag their leg, stumble forward and end up on top of them.

You can counter it with other kicks, you can move back, you can take it and talk shit when it lands, whatever. The most important thing is to punish the guy for throwing it. The first thing everyone thinks when they see that leg turned in is that they wanna kick it, you need to convince them that's a bad idea as soon as possible.

lol I like that one!

I'll try to use some of these techniques in training and maybe try to get someone to record it so I can post it here for more input! I like the idea of using the side kick as a counter when they try to kick.

 

[PirateTetra]

The last UFC fight night in sweden there was a young kid from ATT who used a sidestance alot.

Also Anderson Silva against Belfort (that made him land on his ass after a head kick)

I'll check it out!

 

[Frode Falch]

I think it was Dennis Siver vs Charles Rosa

 

[Big Nasty Edison]

I think it was Dennis Siver vs Charles Rosa

I'm watching this fight now and I find it hard to believe that Charles Rosa doesn't have a TMA background. I swear at 0:10 seconds left in in the first round he blocks a punch using a TMA high block.

Just finished the fight, I dunno about the 30-27. The first two rounds were razor close.

 

[nostradumbass]

Why is a sideways stance the default boxing stance then? I don't agree with you.

I guess I don't know what you mean by sideways stance. Everyone keeps one foot in front so assumed you meant with your shoulder pointed at opponents chest and feet pointed 90 degrees away from your opponent, like Erick Silva sometimes does.