Left foot kicker

[if15]

Hi

I'm thinking about learning Karate for the first time, but I have second thoughts being left footed kicker which will effect the way I perform. I assume everything must be done using the right i.e., doing forms and such. Is this assumption correct? Or do we have a preferable choice to which leg we can use?

Thanks!

[benjamin]

I'm left handed/footed, and I get on fine with Karate. I study shotokan, and everything we do, we practice on both sides.

Plus, if you know kicking with your right leg is your weakness, that's what you should be practicing anyway!

[Toptomcat]

You ought to be able to function fine. When doing basics you're encouraged to do an identical number of reps of a technique on both sides, and kicks are pretty rare in forms if you're not studying TKD.

[sensei8]

The martial arts will make you an ambidextrous, unless you're handicapped in some way!

You can favor to use only the right side or only the left side as a personal preference. If you've no handicap or some type of a medical issue, then favoring one side over another is risky. How so? Let's say you favor your left side for every waza. Let's now say that you've been injuried in a fight which prohibits you from using your left side. How are you going to effectively defended yourself with your unfavored and rarely used and rather unchallenged and unprepared right side? Albeit, it won't be impossible, but, it'll be very difficult!

Nonetheless, each practitioner, for one reason or another, favors one side over another. A right handed practitioner might tend to use their right side more than the left side because using the right side feels more natural across the board, and vice versa.

Example of favoring one side over another side successfully would be Bill "Superfoot" Wallace. http://superfoot.com/?page_id=2 Due to an injury he received to his right knee while doing Judo, thus he switched to karate, and in that, he kicks primarily with his left leg. His kicks with his left leg have been clocked at around 60 miles per hour. His injured right leg serves as his primary base.

Providing there's nothing medically prohibiting the use of both sides. In that, there's nothing wrong with favoring one side over another, just as long as both sides are equally effective once called upon, imho.

[KarateGeorge]

As everybody else here said...don't let left-handedness/footedness be a hindrance to taking up karate. I'm a lefty as well. It shouldn't be an issue, as was stated previously, many techniques are taught on both sides, and we're encouraged to practice both ways, so the "righties" have the same disadvantage when doing things with their left side.

[bushido_man96]

Yeah, being a southpaw is far from anything you need to worry about when practicing the MAs. Go with it and have fun! You'll probably give some righties a tougher time, being left-footed.

[benjamin]

You'll probably give some righties a tougher time, being left-footed.

This is definitely true. Being a leftie, I've come to realise I've got an advantage. And I find I pay more attention to what people are doing, because I'm alredy aware they expect me to lead with my right.

[pittbullJudoka]

you'll be fine as a southpaw. There's no written law stating one has to practise right handed only. You should train both side equally as those above have stated. I can fight either way but mostly fight from an orthodox stance but have some kicks and strikes that are better with my left than right and vise versa. You'll be fine just go out learn and have fun.

[jsteczko]

In karate you use both sides. But of course it is your choice which side you will use.

I am also a left-footer plus I am right-hander. But I train both sides. Remember that if you are weak at something this is exactly what you should train!

I heard once a story. Think about it this way: You train weight lifting. You have strong arms and weak legs. You decide to concentrate on training your arms because you know that your legs are weak. What happens soon? You will have extremely big arms but you will not be able to walk. Do you like sound of that?

This illustrates that you should keep balance and when you see that you are not good at something - you should train more that part where you are weak at.

Unfortunately most people do the opposite - they concentrate on something they are good at and ignore the worse part. But you know now that this leads to handicap...

[palerider79]

Benjamin wrote: This is definitely true. Being a leftie, I've come to realise I've got an advantage.

Absolutly right! I'm left-handed & left footed also, being a lefty in a contact sport is an advantage becausde most "righties" are accustomed to sparring with other "righties".

Another person mentioned practicing more with your weak side anyways (left OR right), I agree with this as well. Makes perfect sense.