Is there a side advantage?

[Ti]

When sparring, does it matter if you and you opponent are facing the same side vs diff sides?

IE.

Being either right or left handed with left of right for forward.

Nomally people are tight handed, left foot front and when they face eachother, they are at opposing sides.

So what if a right handed person was right foot forward and they both faced the same side.

Advantage of any kind?

[bushido_man96]

I don't really think there is a side advantage. I am right handed, and I always lead with my right. I can switch sides if I like, but usually start out leading with the right.

When someone gives an opposite stance, like fighting southpaw, it changes the game, depending on the rules. Like for my TKD sparring, if they are leading left, and I lead right, my options are back leg kick to the body or head, or front leg kick to the head, or attack the body with punches, because the back is not a legal target. It also changes my defense a little, and whether I counter a front leg or back leg attack.

I think it is mostly a matter of familiarizing yourself with fighting from both sides, and facing someone fighting from each side. The main advantage comes from lack of experience with facing the unorthodox.

[Ti]

It made me think.

If both opponents are right handed/legged.

And one leads with the right foot while the other leds in the usual left foot.

it opens your stomach side to their right leg.(back leg) where as normally it would be your back to the right leg.

[bushido_man96]

Yep, that's right. And if you know the opponent likes to throw a back leg round kick to the stomach, then you give them a target. You can bait them, and counter with a spin side kick.

[Belasko]

there are definate openings created depending how you and your opponent are faced off. when chest to chest there are certain techniques or counters that I can use that are either not available or as easy to use if we both face the same direction. I think the best option you have is to have a lot of tools that you can use from both spots and learn more.

[Jiffy]

The only difference is distance. If you are opposing sides, your lead hands are closer and your cross hands are further apart than if you are in the same stance. Not that it really makes a lot of advantage or disadvantage as such, because you are both in the same situation. I try to use both.

[Zorbasan]

unless you really know your opponent, there is no real advantage. if you know how they prefer to attack/defend, get in the stance that is less condusive to what they want to do.

[lordtariel]

It really depends on the opponent. If you're facing a beginner, they may not know what to do when their opponent is reversed like that. They'll have to change their stance before they do anything. For the first five months or so I was like that since most of our drills were done with same leg facing forward. If someone switched stances I didn't know what to do unless I switched as well. I've been forcing myself to learn to fight from different stances to deal with this issue.

[bushido_man96]

It really depends on the opponent. If you're facing a beginner, they may not know what to do when their opponent is reversed like that. They'll have to change their stance before they do anything. For the first five months or so I was like that since most of our drills were done with same leg facing forward. If someone switched stances I didn't know what to do unless I switched as well. I've been forcing myself to learn to fight from different stances to deal with this issue.

You can really tell when you are flustering someone with the side you are fighting with. If you switch sides, and then they switch, and then you switch again, and they switch again, then you know you can get them flustered.

[elbows_and_knees]

wow... I'm surprised to see what I see here. there are some advantages, if your footwork is right. For example, if you and your opponent are opposite lead (one is orthodox and one is southpaw) you want to try and keep your foot outside of his. that gives you both a mobility advantage and the advantage of having your hands and feet outside of his, allowing you to kick his outer leg and punch over his arm. you can punch him, while his punch will miss you. Try this:

from the opposite leads, have your feet alligned evenly - both of you throw a reverse punch - you will hit eachother. Now, place your foot outside of his and repeat - yours will land and his will miss.