LH vs RH Forward

[Karate_John]

I'm left handed and fight primarily LH forward. But I'll switch sides based on how my opponent is fighting. This seems to always throw someone new to sparing me off balance.

[sensei8]

We've all our preference as to which one, right or left. I'm more of a lefty due to injure to my right knee when I was a teenager. Oh, it's healed fine, yet, I became a lefty. I write right handed...I throw right handed...

However, as I've grown older, I've become quite an ambidextrous; not favoring one side over another; just utilizing whatever must be needed for the immediate moment.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Most people will usually have their Left Foot in Front as they then can have their Right Hand ready to fire a Gyaku Tsuki (Back Hand Punch) as it is usuallly stronger. Which is the case for me, but I normally fight with quite a short stance to bring people in for me to strike.

When I do kumite I am not restricting myself to keeping the same foot in front. Normally I have 70% left foot in front and 30% right foot in front, but often I go vice versa.

This is so I can have stronger technique and movement off my left side (I'm right handed). So the more I can train it the better that I can get

[Luther unleashed]

Well, I'm left handed so I fight left hand back, the way a box or would. I switch often however, switching my feet to disrupt any potential rhythm that my opponent could gather from my striking. In Jeet Kune Do the concept is strong side forward and I can certainly respect that stands as I practice the art some, but my right side, which is my weak side is way too fast do not use it as a lead attack.

In class whether it be Taekwondo or karate I was always taught to practice from both sides so so in essence that is what I will try to do is attack from both sides. I injured my knee about 2 months ago doing a kick and it's just not healing the way I'd like to see it, it happens to be the leg that I predominantly used for kicking so I'm a bit stressed out about it as I'm sure everybody would understand, it has forced me to accept that I need to use it as a base leg for now and use my left leg much more. The bad news is I can't kick as well with it, the good news is I can't kick as well with it lol. What I mean is if I keep getting with it it should become my good leg. Being injured on one of my good striking sides really makes me think to put emphasis on the fact that you should practice both sides.

[bushido_man96]

Its good to train both, and it takes time to get used to fighting with the strong side forward. Bruce Lee was a fan of it. I started out my training sparring orthodox, but then got to a point that when I stepped back, I always stepped back southpaw, and did that for a lot of years. Eventually, it became pretty natural, and I made it a point to switch around when sparring. Now that I've been in law enforcement, I try to make myself step back more orthodox, since I carry my gun on the right side, and its good practice to have the gun side back in LE defensive tactics.

That all said, invest the time to make your right hand lead stance, footwork, and combinations as good as your left hand lead. You'll be glad you did.

[sensei8]

Having the ability to use either side with equally effectiveness serves for the good. If one side is injured, the other side can continue to attack/defend through the situation.

[ShoriKid]

We've all our preference as to which one, right or left. I'm more of a lefty due to injure to my right knee when I was a teenager. Oh, it's healed fine, yet, I became a lefty. I write right handed...I throw right handed...

However, as I've grown older, I've become quite an ambidextrous; not favoring one side over another; just utilizing whatever must be needed for the immediate moment.

You sir have the unfair advantage of being highly skilled!

When I started training my right was so weak I fought out of an orthodox stance so I could generate good power. Which let me put together a good lead jab, hook and lead side kick. Now, I worked my right side and it's gotten better, still not great. But I switch up to southpaw, sometimes against skilled opponents because it throws them off and forces me to work on it. And it happens naturally during the course of sparring, so you learn to work with where you are so it's harder to be forced out of position/stance be someone. Most of my guys pay a little more attention now when I switch up to southpaw, knowing that I've loaded up the power hand.

[JR 137]

I'm right handed, and stand left handed in sparring. I thought it would be a disadvantage because my strong side is forward, but paying close attention to, I don't stand right hand forward all the time; throwing combinations and backing someone up, it's like I'm walking forward and alternating which hand and foot are forward. Keep me of hard to describe.

I've tried to stay left foot forward, but I'm slower and don't move nearly as well. I guess I'm pretty much ambidextrous and ambi-foot-rous. My right sets up my left, which leads to my right. I rarely throw less than 3 techniques in a combo.

It works for me. Or at least it does in my possibly delusional world.

I hate quoting myself...

I guess it was a delusional world. Had an epiphany, as in another thread.