Bad left side

[Iskrax]

Hello all! I'm 7th KYU on karate doing it for almost 2 years. I'm going to attend championship of my country. I'm pretty good for 7th KYU (other karatekas in my dojo think I should be 3rd-4th KYU). All kick and other techniques are fine (Not best but good enough to work).

My problem is that I'm not feeling comfortable or good when I'm sparring on my left side. I mean my left kicks and punches are good but the stance is bad. I feel very uncomfortable moving on the left.

What to do? How can I improve my stance and make my brain work when I''m on the left.

[sensei8]

Sometimes, being ambidextrous isn't always a great thing. Many MAists dominate while using one side only; it's either a personal choice or a medical choice.

Neither is a bad way, imho! Sure, the ideology of the MA is to be ambidextrous for many various reasons.

Have you sought out your instructor with your concerns? He/she is your first contact in any MA matter.

Are you right-handed? Are you left-handed? Sometimes, people favor, out of muscle memory, their dominate side because it's so natural for them to do so; automatic.

If there's no medical reason(s), then I say, work through it. Force your left side to be the dominate one during practice, and while on the floor. Convince your brain that your left side works just fine.

But, while it's frustrating, I wouldn't allow it to be the focus. Just keep working your left side, keeping to the fact that you're executing said technique on your left side as you've been taught!!

[wildbourgman]

Practice, practice, practice!

There are things you can do if you want to get used to using your left side. Boxers have used techniques for years in order to train left handed fighters to fight comfortably in an orthodox boxing stance (right handed). With boxers lefties had trouble getting good fights against quality orthodox fighters because it can make a good fight look ugly due to clenching, head clashes and distance issues.

I'm trying to find some exercises on the web for you but my searches come up empty.

I'm actually a lefty that fights more right handed and kicks better with my right leg. In the last five years or so I've hurt my left side a few times and I've now my left hand is not quite as dominate. Trust me that's not a good thing.

Watch the movie "Rocky 2"

[Zaine]

Practice! My instructor used to tell us not to forget that our body as two side. Every time we do something with our dominate side, we should do it with the other side twice. Martial Arts takes dedication. Do get good at something you have to put in the time. We have all been there and I'm confident that you will overcome this bump as we all did.

[DWx]

It's one of those things you have to force yourself to do until you can do it better. Try to do 1 minute rounds on the bag just using your left side. Or next time you spar someone who might not be as good as you exclusively spar left side only. Not only does this give them a chance, it forces you to work harder.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I'd recommend during training focus on training your left hand side.

I've trained for 14 years and still train my left side because I admittedly haven't been so strict on my training of it which i highly regret.

[jaypo]

In JKD, Bruce Lee trained his students to fight in the opposite stance. If the student was right handed, he'd have them fight in a lefty stance. Reason being, the strong hand was the lead hand, so a jab would be more effective, a front leg attack would be more effective, etc.

Different perspective, but interesting nonetheless.

[wayneshin]

It has already been said but if you are uncomfortable fighting southpaw then don’t, especially in your upcoming competition. The majority of top level fighters have one clearly dominant side and rarely if ever switch.

Many people have the capacity as you have stated to punch well with both hands and kick well with both feet but the ability to move well in the opposite stance is far more rare.

You may like to keep training it in class. It is a certainly worthwhile skill but not a crucial one.

[vaporman]

One of the rules is to do everything both sides,The rule of the body, we are bi pedal..balance is how you stand up would you limp on one leg all day? it will create imbalances, problems,pains,loss of overall strength..

[Hawkmoon]

hello Iskrax,

I'd work on the stances more than anything.

You say yourself "I'm not feeling comfortable" & "I feel very uncomfortable moving on the left", the reason for this is its because your stances are bad and feel wrong so you don't feel right!

(Blunt sorry for that its the simplest way to say it!)

..so I say work on the stances more than anything, be happy with them feel comfortable in them, your fighting will follow on its own accord simply because to stand on that 'other' side in a stance feels good...punches and kicks etc will flow as a result!

All fighters have a good and bad side, some focus on developing the good side and to quote Sensei8 they 'dominate while using one side only'

likewise to quote wildbourgman - practice practice practice.

it was and will always be practice, be that both sides of just the good side.

Me as an example, I do kyokushin, full contact combat (we call it knockdown) we fight bear knuckle, we work hard on power, speed and conditioning.

As we fight we are aware that the guy in front has worked as hard as we have so the fight tends to be more a battle of spirit and attrition (to wear the other guy down) to get the win.

Now an absolute give away would be to swap stance in a fight and stay on that side, the other fighter will see the swap and even feel you hit harder from that side!

Why is this important?

A good fighter will see this as a sign of fatigue, you are starting to falter you have switched to your default mode, you have little left to offer the fight!

So I say work on your stances, be a better fighter on that 'weak' side and so have more options open to you in a fight!