I've probably boxed around for 5-6 years now. I'm right handed, and started orthodox at first. Then I decided I'd train orthodox and southpaw equally. So, kind of the way I started out boxing for the first couple years. Did JKD for about a year, and everything is southpaw (so 90% of the time I fought southpaw). Got out of that like 2 years ago, been training ever since (mainly on my own), and I decided I'd devote all my training to fighting ORTHODOX. I at least box twice a week, and never quit in those 2 years time...Started sparring again recently & immediately went southpaw! Even when I mess around with friends I seem to do the same. I think it's because my right jab is waaay more comfortable than throwing my left jab, and anytime I want speed that's what my body picks. How do I break this??? It's not a conscious decision when I switch, it's a more spur of the moment action. I just cannot beleive you could quit fighting southpaw for 2 years, and yet your body STILL does it.
You judge a switcher on how good his conventional stance is. The left handed Andre Ward has a powerful left from the southpaw stance. Hamed was the king from both stances.
I felt I could be so much of a better fighting if I pick a stance, and pick a style. Kind of like the athletic guys in high school who play every sport know to man, and there good at all of them...Just not great enough to make it to the big times at any sport, possibly because they didn't focus on any 1 thing. I'm actually a decent southpaw fighter. I got a good, quick jab, my right hook is good, and doing JKD I can backfist with it, and throw a decent side kick to the knee (at least good for self defense). My straight left is actually alright, but I noticed in sparring when I used to fight southpaw I didn't want to throw it hardly ever. I'm 5'7, 170 and a pretty solid weight lifter. So I decided a couple years ago I was just going to fight more like a Mike Tyson. ORthodox, head movement, speed, inside game, etc. So, this is what I've really been working on, and feel like I'm pretty good at it (at least content), but like I said it seems when I want to be quick, and elusive I go right to southpaw. Plus when I use to actually box southpaw, with me being short it was hard for me to reach with that big straight right, or left hook.
You don't have to pick, it can actually be very useful to be able to switch in a fight, Micky Ward used to switch to southpaw during his fights and it is part of the reason he was so devastating to the body, you can get more power in your left hook to the body from southpaw. If you are determined to break the habit its just going to take a lot of time and concentration, basically training to fight orthodox, or rather retraining.
as long as you don't trip over yourself like an idiot... I don't see what the problem is. you see too many boxers do this and they get burned.
i'm southpaw and i'm not going to say i 'fight like tyson' but i use the peekaboo, tend to stay very low and almost only ever slip and bob, i hardly ever block or parry. so i don't see whats the problem with being southpaw and fighting like tyson. being southpaw is always good, even when you are right-handed, it confuses people.
Well if you were to actually fight both (which I used to, and can decently) would you just pick southpaw and train mainly 100% at that, or would you just train both? And if you would train both at the same time how would you organize it? Like say I throw combos on the heavy bag orthodox, do I switch and throw the same combos southpaw? If I hit the bag for 3 minutes orthodox, do I do a 2nd 3 minute round southpaw? How do you divide it of importance?
personally my trainer has told me go half my training rounds southpaw, half orothodox, for example if i shadowbox 4 rds i'll go rounds 1 and 3 southpaw, rounds 2 and 4 orthodox. but he's really into training in both stances. just a thought, training this way might help you get a grip on your stance, as you'll keep one stance for all 3 minutes and not change during rounds, which might give you bad habits.
Better question is, how are you able to get away with it with quality sparring partners? If your partners are quality and you are still able to hang and occasionally dominate doing this? It could be a plus so why stop? Boxing is about winning not orthodoxy. If you are effective? Great. Just remember, you may meet the guy who is that much better than you in your best stance. Just because he focused.
