Used to do this geen kune do class, and in there they teach you to have your best hand/ foot in front because it's quicker. So, I got used to sparring everybody who's southpaw. Started this MMA gym now (it's a lot of boxing mainly though), and there all conventional. Thing I never really learned...Exactly how to fight a conventional guy. I understand this much: 1. Your jabs are across from eachother so not many jabs are going to land. 2. The only punch from the lead hand that is basically going to land is a hook around the gloves/ to the ribs. 3. Cross is probably the most important weapon. About my only moves that I do well against a conventional fighter....I'll land the occasion backfist (I can do that at this MMA place), I fake the jab, and come around with the right hook to the head. My thing is I can fight conventional, and southpaw, but my biggest weakness southpaw is my straight left is to slow for it to HAVE to be one of my most used weapons. Since the jab don't work you have to throw that straight, and most straight rights (people that are right handed) are going to beat my straight left (when i'm right handed naturally). I switch up A LOT, but find myself landing twice the amount of punches conventional. I probably plan to at least start fighting 80% in conventional...At least against these guys, but just wanted some tips of what exactly I should be doing when I'm southpaw, and there conventional....
straight left is very good as well work on strengthening that up. and always keep your right foot on the outside of their left foot.
FYI, when fighting with your left hand as a lead hand in the boxing world its refered to Orthodox stance (conventional just sounds strange), I dont mean to be anal about it mate sorry if thats the way it came across.
Yeah, but they use the word "unorthodox" to usually describe a fighter who doesn't fight with normal tecnique, or normal stance....Unorthodox doesn't always mean southpaw for instance. Orthodox is a fine term though. As for my straight left it seems fine whenever I'm hitting the bag, or mits, etc. I can fight both almost as equally.....Whenever I spar though I feel unnatural with that left. Not sure if it's because the way there standing across from me, or the fact I haven't been sparring many orthodox fighters the last 6 months or so, but I just feel slow with it, and unnatural.
i dont agree with this, im a southpaw and i injured my left hand, still i did some sparring with my lead hand and i think any punch is easy to land if you set them up properly.
How exactly did you set them up then? BTW: What's your size, and what's your opponents size? In my case I'm pretty short (5'6), and all these guys I'm fighting are taller than me...If not way taller than me. Maybe if I had a much longer right jab, or something I could do better, but in my case it just doesn't seem to go well.
All of my sparring partners are taller and heavier than me. Hooks and uppercuts work well if you throw a jab first, to disturb your opponents vision. Slipping to your right when your opponent throws a jab is a great way to set up a right uppercut. One thing that i also do is that when my opponent throws a jab, i "sweep" it down with my right and immediately throw my own right jab. Keep your right hand always high so its easier to pick your opponents shots with it.
