Your Stance

[Forgottoduck]

Hopefully a MOD can put a poll in here.

What stance do you use? Orthodox or Southpaw/Unorthodox

Quite interested as I'm training in a club with quite a large pool of fighters and I'm the only southpaw so wondering how common it is :icon_chee

 

[MisterT]

I'm orthodox, and so is 98% of the ppl in my Muay Thai class.

Training with orthodox fighters is very beneficial for southpaws since, if you decide to compete, most of your opponents will probably be orthodox.

At the same time, if you really want to surprise your opponent, you can always practice becoming a "coverted southpaw" (a southpaw who fights orthodox). This will give you a stronger jab as well as a stronger lead hook. My current sparring partner is a converted southpaw and his jabs/hooks are devastating (in fact, in his first muay thai match, he knocked his opponent out with a double jab).

 

[justkidin]

Hopefully a MOD can put a poll in here.

What stance do you use? Orthodox or Southpaw/Unorthodox

Quite interested as I'm training in a club with quite a large pool of fighters and I'm the only southpaw so wondering how common it is :icon_chee

I personally fight from both. It depends on the situation. From wrestling I kind of naturally switch stance to whatever side I'm circling to, which since I'm naturally right handed makes lead hooks a powerful deterent. But my stand up coach is big into flexibility. He says there isn't one answer to all situations so I need to be able to do it all. I often tie one hand behind my back and throw 100 of every punch from both stances. Then I switch arms. And then I have to do the same with kicks.

 

[LilMountain]

Well, coming from a kung fu background I always felt comfortable either way, not to mention I'm right handed but left footed, so I don't feel significantly weaker on one side or the other either

 

[mjw1]

Orthodox though I sometimes change it up in sparring as I go it's good to know how to fight out of both.....

 

[Frode Falch]

Orthodox. But i might use south-paw when i land there after a combination or kick.

 

[Logan M]

I mostly fight southpaw. I switch to orthodox sometimes but I'm not nearly as effective in that stance. I think I'm the only southpaw at my gym though I haven't met everyone that trains there.

 

[SteelHammer]

 

[thirteen]

^^^lmao remind me not to f*ck with you dude lol (jk)
Orthodox. Deep boxing stance.

 

[SpineBreaker]

I do Shotokan, so we don't think of it that way. One of my sides probably isn't as good but we switch so much, I don't think it would matter. I'd just react to the current situation and do what feels right.

 

[Boxer123]

I'm a southpaw (naturally left handed, write left handed) but when I first started training everyone was orthodox and me being a noob I just trained like they did, two years into my training I said, what a minute i'm left handed lol so for the last 4 years i've been training southpaw but the upside is now I have a solid ass jab/lead hook/lead leg kick and can fight from both sides (still only go southpaw though, I don't like switching back and forth).

 

[Smw]

I use both, but most often orthodox.

I don't understand how punching with your dominant hand is anymore powerful. The mechanics of the punch determine the power. Basically my left hook from orthodox is the same power and speed as my right hook from southpaw. If anything my left hook from orthodox is more powerful due to a more natural foot placement. My right jab is also no more powerful than my left, and if it was I would take a look at my mechanics.

Just my two pennies

 

[Shulom1***]

I go orthodox, and southpaw. It screws with peoples brains when you do a roundhouse kick and change stances instead of twirling around ala muay thai. You can deliver on round house and then go for a full thai roundhouse of savate oblique kick that way. Gotta think about kicks like boxing combos.

 

[Lionidas]

I use both, but most often orthodox.

I don't understand how punching with your dominant hand is anymore powerful. The mechanics of the punch determine the power. Basically my left hook from orthodox is the same power and speed as my right hook from southpaw. If anything my left hook from orthodox is more powerful due to a more natural foot placement. My right jab is also no more powerful than my left, and if it was I would take a look at my mechanics.

Just my two pennies

Same here. My left hook is extremely powerful, maybe my strongest punch even.

p.s. I use an MMA Orthodox stance TS.

 

[SAAMAG]

I use both, but most often orthodox.

I don't understand how punching with your dominant hand is anymore powerful. The mechanics of the punch determine the power. Basically my left hook from orthodox is the same power and speed as my right hook from southpaw. If anything my left hook from orthodox is more powerful due to a more natural foot placement. My right jab is also no more powerful than my left, and if it was I would take a look at my mechanics.

Just my two pennies

Muscle memory. If you're more used to doing something on one side, then you should be able to it better then the other side. Your dominant hand also tends to have more development over your recessive hand.

 

[Smw]

Muscle memory. If you're more used to doing something on one side, then you should be able to it better then the other side. Your dominant hand also tends to have more development over your recessive hand.

None of this explains why a right jab or hook is more powerful than a left jab or hook.

Try standing square and throwing a right straight, then left straight. Or right hook, then left hook. I'm willing to bet they are more or less the same power...

I guess my point is that your dominant hand shouldn't be your stronger punch just for the fact that it is your dominant hand..

 

[...El Ray]

Orthodox (Left foot/right hand dominant though).

I switch to southpaw for certain things, but >90% orthodox.

 

[EasternWind]

None of this explains why a right jab or hook is more powerful than a left jab or hook.

Try standing square and throwing a right straight, then left straight. Or right hook, then left hook. I'm willing to bet they are more or less the same power...

I guess my point is that your dominant hand shouldn't be your stronger punch just for the fact that it is your dominant hand..

Just starting out, I'd agree that the dominant hand would be much more powerful than the recessive due to more muscle developement over the other hand. However, as training goes on both hands more than likely will eventually be on equal footing considering equal mechanics. You'll generate more power with a cross than with your jab simply because of the mechanics and that is probably where people get confused.

I feel stronger with my right jab than my left simply because I use it more often. Opposite is true for my cross. Hooks from either side are about equal.

BTW I fight Southpaw

 

[SAAMAG]

None of this explains why a right jab or hook is more powerful than a left jab or hook.

Try standing square and throwing a right straight, then left straight. Or right hook, then left hook. I'm willing to bet they are more or less the same power...

I guess my point is that your dominant hand shouldn't be your stronger punch just for the fact that it is your dominant hand..

I wouldn't bet on it if I were you, because my punches are not equal.

The problem with your assessment is that typical evidence points to the contrary. That's why people have a "good side" and a "bad side". If it didn't matter which side you use, then we wouldn't have coined those ideas of even having a good or bad side, or stronger or weaker punch, kick, knee, etc.

I've got plenty of students who have shown an affinity to one side or the other, but most of the variance in power lied in which side they were better at, which goes back to the muscle memory and skill development...and which supports my previous answer to you.

You can believe anything you want, but what does the evidence around you tell you?

 

[Smw]

Muscle memory and skill development have nothing to do with dominant recessive. Assuming equal mechanics from both stances the power should be the same.

I'll say it again.

If your left hook/right hook mechanics are equally sound, the punch will be equally powerful (and fast).

To me it was being said in the tread that a lefty, throwing a left hook from orthdox, would gain an advantage in power over standing southpaw. And I simply don't believe it.

I wouldn't bet on it if I were you, because my punches are not equal.

Then you have more powerful muscles up a whole side of your body. Or your mechanics or are wonky.

I've got plenty of students who have shown an affinity to one side or the other, but most of the variance in power lied in which side they were better at, which goes back to the muscle memory and skill development...and which supports my previous answer to you.

Of course they have a better side, their mechanics from the stance opposite their natural placement aren't developed, so why would it bee any different?