Confused about stances?

[KarateKicked]

o.k my coach was teaching us some basic stand up and and takedowns from the clinch in my mma class yesterday. when he was showing us stances he mentioned something about bruce lees theory about using your strong hand to work the jab (having 2 missles as he put it) basically it went like i put my right foot pointed foward and my right hand leading and protecting my face and my left kept back and used for the cross.(both elbows kept in). anyways i went over to go work on the bags during open mat and i man ive never met before started showing me how to box differently. he had me lead with my left foot and jab with the left. also he had me keep my right hand high and close to my head while the left was low and more outward. i left confused after being taught conflicting stand up stances. which of these is the right stance to have? i know i should go with what my coach showed me but im thinking the other guy might have been showing me a strictly boxing stance while the coach was showing me a stance for mma. any thoughts on this?

[mindsedgeblade]

Why do they have to be conflicting? The way I've learned; you learn from everyone, and create your own personal "style." Take what works for you and your body type/ fighting personality and use it. Unless it's more standardized, like a kata, isn't the idea to make you a better fighter?

[ElbowTKO]

the boxing hands would be similar to the kicking boxing one in terms of uses. Although they are not comepltly the same.

[AikiGuy]

In my style of Karate, we practice fighting left and right handed leads. In boxing and kickboxing, most fighters only work on one side to perfect that side. Both are good ideas in different ways. If you are fairly new to this style, I suggest working the way the instructor recommends as a primary focus. After all, he's the teacher. Once you get comfortable with one way, I personally see nothing wrong with trying alternative approaches. If the instructor prefers to see his way practiced in class, just do your other approaches at home. But learning both at once, is usually confusing and takes longer to develop proper habits.

[elbows_and_knees]

What he's talking about isn't a stance issue really, but a philosophy issue. JKD believes in having the strongest limbs closer to the target. this does two things:

1. gives you a strong leading attack

2. gives you a strong rear attack by giving the weaker limb more room to generate momentum

The problem here (if you view it as one) is KO power. the weak hand may now hit harder, but it may not be enough to KO someone. The lead hand will not be either. Now, with the boxing stance, the weak side is forward. This gives you a weaker, yet usually faster jab, and it gives you tremendous power in the rear, because the already strong hand now has room to generate momentum.

[Ben Martin]

in my KB class we train on both sides i usually fight with my left as a lead but sometimes i like to switch up usually once in a round to just throw the other fighter off.

[JMP MT]

in my KB class we train on both sides i usually fight with my left as a lead but sometimes i like to switch up usually once in a round to just throw the other fighter off.

I agree with this I think for any martial art it is good to practice both left and right stances equally, it makes you better able to adapt whether in competion or on the street, especially on the street because of the unpredictability of the encounters. For me it was a must, because I am narturally a south paw, left hand back, but most of the others in my class are orthodox, right hand back, so when I work with a partner we stand orthodox for half and southpaw for half so it is fair to us both, it has really helped me develop my right side strength coordination, balance and a load of other things, and I am now equally good with both sides.

[Infrazael]

I am training in both sides, Orthodox in MMA class, Southpaw in my free time, and both when doing Kung Fu.

It is VERY vital to Kung Fu because of the angular attack positions and footwork presented. . . . . differnet biomechanics and positiong shifts when attacking, counterattacking, and retreating.

Many times, the footwork involves stepping INTO the opposite stance.

But depends on what you wanna do. If you're gonna train both, you need to train about twice as much IMO.

For example, when I'm doing Southpaw my Cross is much, much weaker, which is why I'm train to work the hell out of it right now.

[Ben Martin]

in my KB class we train on both sides i usually fight with my left as a lead but sometimes i like to switch up usually once in a round to just throw the other fighter off.

I agree with this I think for any martial art it is good to practice both left and right stances equally, it makes you better able to adapt whether in competion or on the street, especially on the street because of the unpredictability of the encounters. For me it was a must, because I am narturally a south paw, left hand back, but most of the others in my class are orthodox, right hand back, so when I work with a partner we stand orthodox for half and southpaw for half so it is fair to us both, it has really helped me develop my right side strength coordination, balance and a load of other things, and I am now equally good with both sides.

when im fighting orthodox i like to fight against a southpaw i find it easire to step in and hit which is weird because it seems like most right hand fighters dont like to fight lefties.

[elbows_and_knees]

It is VERY vital to Kung Fu because of the angular attack positions and footwork presented. . . . . differnet biomechanics and positiong shifts when attacking, counterattacking, and retreating.

Many times, the footwork involves stepping INTO the opposite stance.

western boxing footwork is very angular. There is a philosophical difference here, more than anything. As a boxer / thai boxer:

1. you always want your strongest weapon in the back

2. If I step into you in the manner that TMA do, I am bringing myself closer to you than I want to be, as this makes it easier for you to hit me. It also causes my weak hand to be in the rear, which effectively lessens the effectiveness of my power shot.

From a TMA point of view, by stepping in, I may be able to set up for a throw or lock.

For example, when I'm doing Southpaw my Cross is much, much weaker, which is why I'm train to work the hell out of it right now.

exactly.