Do you train in the opposite stance?

[Bossony]

It’s a good idea to train in the reverse guard somewhere around 10% of the time, maybe up to 20% for some drills.

You can’t avoid it, since any combat situation - contests or street - will see you ‘the wrong way round’ some of the time, so it has to be trained for.

On the other hand, when you get into multi-opponent fighting, you can be out of position a lot of the time, maybe even most of the time, so it pays to be familiar with that: reversed or with opponents at assorted angles.

Defence
The critical issue is defensive capability: can you defend exactly the same off each side? Can you defend just as fast, just as well, just as effectively out of your reverse guard?

Because most people can’t, and they can’t be trained to, either.

Like anything it works against dummies. For most of us, the reverse guard works about 90% as well as ortho. The missing 10% doesn’t matter versus less competent opposition; versus an expert, you might find a 10% handicap leads to defeat.

Boxing
Do some bagwork wrong way round as a start. At least you’ll find it easier to step right (to his outside), from the right guard (right hand, right foot forward), which is what you mostly need to do anyway.

You can jab off the left, the back hand, some of the time - project the left shoulder forward for that. Then come in with right hook. Another combo that comes off easily wrong way round is a right jab - left long downward hook.

For defence, use a lot more evasion then usual - duck, slip, weave - because it’s hard to get the hands right for parrying and the arms right for blocking when everything’s the wrong way round. So jink and move more than normal.

It can pay to get in closer when in the wrong guard, as distance boxing needs slick defence with a mix of slip, parry and block; if you can close up a bit, the incoming attacks don’t have the same mix of straights and hooks. There tend to be more hooks and so simple covers and ducks can be used more. Watch for the uppercut.

Thai boxing
OP: you’re a Thai-style fighter, so you’ll have a 6 foot bag as well.

The left low kick and body kick can be more powerful as they now come from the back, and the right hook off the front has some uses. Jabbing off the right feels a bit weird at first though. The front foot thrust kick off the right might not work for you so use the left as normal; it just comes from the back now, not off the front leg https://heartmateii.com/strictionbp-...sults-or-scam/ .

Watch out for:

His right body kick. You’re open on the inside to it now, and it hurts.
His front low kick on the outside of your right (front) leg.
His right hand coming square into your face.
If you get disorientated then close in and clinch up.

Defence
The defence is more important than the offence because you can have some holes there when you’re reversed. One of the main reasons we keep to one-sided guard is that the defence gets much better if you concentrate on left foot forward.

So the next step is to have a partner do attack & defence drills with you. Now you need to evade/block/jam/absorb & counter [1], from the opposite side to normal. This is probably the most important part of being in reverse guard. And don’t cheat and slip back to normal halfway through the drills.

[Dr. Z]

If you have a weak right hand but strong left, Switching at times can make sense.

[Rockin']

When I'm working in the mirror I appear to be.......Rockin'

[4truth]

For no particular reason I often work on my right jab. I’m sure it’s more powerful but it lacks the velocity of my left. Fighting from that stance though, my left hand would be virtually useless as a weapon.

I’m not sure just anyone can do it. Just like not everyone is capable of batting from both sides of the plate. I think it’s just how your brain is wired

[Rockin']

The best switch up fighter that I ever threw fists with was Anthoney "baby" Jones. I worked twice with him. They were wars each time. Anthoney was fast and worked from both sides, his power was formidable. The 2nd time I don't even remember getting out of the ring or taking my gloves off let alone driving myself home after. I wake up the next morning and the last thing that I remember about the day before was sparring. That guy could fight. Watch him against Rosario........Rockin'

[Blond Beast]

Originally Posted by TheReadyTimeBoy

This is one of the best posts ive ever read on this site. SO. ****ING TRUE. WAY too many fighters are switching nowadays. It has become the it thing to do. You are so damn right, with everything you said.

Ill add that when switching, you're turning into an imposter. A fake southpaw (or orthodox) who has not spent years having punches fly at him while in that stance. BAD MOVE.

Sure considering the precedent in professional boxing, but every fighter has tried it at sum point in training and there’s nothing wrong with that. You need to find out if it’s anything for you. You could break a hand for example. But mostly if anyone is not trying to be a pro fighter then just have fun with it. It’s nice to be able to have a stance where you can still make rapid improvements in. If you’re looking for just a boxing workout, then switching might give you some added interest now and then. I remember how awkward it was to switch at first but then making improvements was really fun. Every pro should work on it at times, cause that’s what being a professional is all about. Getting better at everything. Any good coach will only let you dedicate so much time to it depending on its effectiveness. But I’ll say for anybody boxing training for fun, then yeah switch stance and trying to improve that also when you feel like it. It will just add to the length of your workout and not cut into it. Especially when you see the rare guy who can do it well in the pros, it will always make you want to try it. Nothing wrong with that. We’ve all had fun throwing a football around with our opposite hand. I mean Erik switched against Manny in the 12th and got tagged, still it was neat.

[TheBoxGod]

Yes I do but not in the sense to box out of that position more so to increase my mind muscle connection with my left hand. For Instance, I practice throwing power shots out of the south paw stance and it definitely has increased the amount of torque and force I am able to produce out of the left hand than I was able to do prior.