I am left handed and 15 years ago I trained for 1 year at a kickbox gym. I've switched to orthodox because of the confusing whit other members and drills. I feel comfortable in Orthodox stance whit my movement and feel like my defence is more on point. But I fear that I am wasting my time and gonna be a one handed fighter. Now, 15 years later I've joined a boxing gym and started Orthodox but thinking about switching to southpaw. The reason that I switched to orthodox because the drills that were teaching is much easier to follow because the drills are setup for right handed fighters. And I don't have to reverse everything in my head. What is very exhausting for me every time and complicated before a new exercise or drill. Should I stay orthodox or do I make a big mistake as a left handed person not to be southpaw and having the advantage that everyone talks about. And how big deal is it that I give up my powerhand, because it's now my lead hand. I think that beeing southpaw can benefit, but you really have to have a trainer that got a lot of experience and the tools to be effective whit that stance. Don't get me wrong my trainers have a lot of knowledge. But the are orthodox trainers themselves. And it's not just reversing the exercises, but everything is different on all aspects. The attack phase, defending, infighting. Right now, I am training for 2 weeks as a southpaw. My footwork is kinda messed up, complicated drills are very confusing. But to have my strong hand in the rear feels good. I still miss mine left liver shot and left hook. Against tall opponents I suffer because I am now in the same line whit my jab hand and getting 'out jabbed'.
If you are left handed, switch to southpaw.. The reason to change because it is easier to follow is weak if you plan to have fights, sparrings etc.. You will have to follow your opponent and understand what he does, so it would be better to start doing it from the beginning, without making things easier. Also, I recommend learning both stances, not just limiting yourself to one stance.
A lot of people believe that if you box southpaw, all you have to do is step to your right and land left hands all day. It will be easy. The reality is that, with the recent proliferation of southpaw boxers, that 'advantage' gets smaller every day. And, once you start to understand boxing, the importance of you lead hand will become clearer to you. The rear hand is primarily a defensive tool, if you are fighting guys that know how to fight. A smart fighter will make you throw your right hand make you miss and counter, and he will do the same to your left hand.
I am lefthanded. When I first start Kyokushin, no one cared about that. Realized it few years after when I started boxing. Many trainers are actually incapable of working with lefthanded people. Now I'm for years southpaw, but can and do switch when I decide, it's an advantage. So go southpaw if you feel better doing it and even if not - give it a try for some time, maybe needs like a transition period, just because it's better to stay southpaw. Not too wrong if you go orthodox, you'll just loose the power of the right cross, but you'll be better with the jab and the left hook.
Funny because when I started boxing they asked me what was my power hand and since I was left handed it was my left. But trainers at that time really didnt know how to train southpaws or just didnt want to so i became an orthodox boxer with a very punishing jab BUT all my other punches were thrown awkward. So one day I switched to southpaw just to see how it would feel and everything flowed and I had a pretty good right hook. But my footwork was bad because of fighting from the orthdox stance for so long. Im pretty sure Mickey Ward should have been a southpaw as he switches on the inside to southpaw alot especially when he was young and he was very good at it. But remember at that time southpaws were not at all popular and most fighters were orthodox. I say switch to southpaw.
