Southpaw Strikers

[willieshatner]

Originally Posted by blah

who is actually a natural southpaw in mma? i think one way to guess is the power of their punches. guys like lawler and sanchez i believe are natural orthodox fighters who fight southpaw, based on the fact that they are noted for their right hooks, lawler especially. how about someone like jens pulver, who has the famous left hook? is he then a natural southpaw?

I know Mirko is a natural lefty. I'd be shocked if Rich Franklin wasn't as well

[Salvy_Mic]

Typically, if you're a natural righty, you'll practically always fight orthodox. It's easier to teach you that way. You have to have a prodigious amoung of talent to fight southpaw if you're a righty. Lefties, though, have always been made to fight orthodox, because they get more fights like that. Early in a fighter's career, the trainers/managers don't want their fighters to fight southpaws, because of how awkward it is to fight one, like Apollo Creed's trainer said "They do everything backwards."

There are very few fighters, boxing or MMA, that have gained a multitude of success by being able to fight both ways. Marvin Hagler is the first to come to mind (a natural lefty, trained to fight orthodox, but would switch in the ring depending on the situation, part of the reason he was so dominant).
While the whole "backwards" thing may seem like an advantage, the reason you don't see as many southpaws as you would think is simply that most people don't want to fight them. And if they can't get fights, they can't get famous.

[Beatts35]

I agree you see alot of dominate strikers who fight southpaw. MMA is much more open to southpaws than boxing.

I am a righty but i prefer to stand southpaw. My first karate teacher is a lefty. we always trained doing both but would always start out with the right foot foward. i'm 6'4'' so i like to stand rightfoot foward becasue i usually have a reach advantage and like to lead with my power hand. but as i'm sparing if people pick up on my timing i switch to leftfoot foward and really throw them off. i like to switch fight. i think one of the most basic issues with boxing as a whole is that most seem to only ever train orthodoux or southpaw.

[blah]

ttt

[2mcgrath]

god this thread is old,why did you bump this thread? lol

[killerinstinct]

If you're a southpaw generally speaking a straight right hand is your cryptonite. That's why typically lefties are either tough brawlers or good counter strikers. Which either way lends itself to be successful in mma. Plus lefties have the edge, because they aren't something you see everyday.

(Also if you're going to bump a thread that's really old at the very least do it with a meaningful post. Don't just write in ttt.)

[blah]

okay, are either spencer fisher or anderson silva natural southpaws? with evidence/sources/reasoning please. i tend to think that neither of them are, they dont seem to favour their left hands, and fisher seems to have a good right hook.

[Ramma]

Originally Posted by willieshatner

IMO, being a lefty is an advantage in the striking game. I think it makes sense, most lefties are used to fighting righties and most righties are also used to fighting righties. my own (limited) experience as a counterpuncher also supports this. I'm not sure it's all related to experience either, most lefties I've sparred with and watched fight (I've never actually fought a lefty)have particularly strong, snappy and accurate strikes, which has nothing to do with who they are used to fighting.

It does have to do with what they are used to fighting actually. That is a big part of it.

Luckily, even though I am a south paw, I am ambedextrious, so I can punch/kick at pretty equal speed/power/technique with either side.

When we are working on combinations and such in Muay Thai, without Thai Pads or Focus mitts, I usually have to go orthodox because people get all screwed up by punches coming from predominately the left (my right) side. If I throw a 1 3 combination, they are all over the place, unless they have been doing martial arts for years and years.

As soon as I switch over, they seem to be in better shape. Their parries and catches are less jumbled and they are back in their own comfortable area.

The truth is, it is actually a level playing field because both sides are open to the same attacks, we are just USED to fighting that way. My brother doesn't get so jumbled going against a south paw because he practices with me all the time.


As for lefties having a natural ability at being more technically sound.. it is possible, I am not sure it is true, but possible.

For example, bowlers who bowl left handed have a "natural curve".. it is in the wrist. They learn/develop it faster than righties do and have to do less to make it work. It is a fact.




P.S. I agree with killer, that was a strange way to bump this 3 month old thread lol

[valheruking]

Originally Posted by Ramma

P.S. I agree with killer, that was a strange way to bump this 3 month old thread lol

Try 15 months lol, epic bump.