Just as you have a dominant hand for writing, household tasks and sports, you will have a dominant hand in the sport of kickboxing. How you decide to use that hand will determine your kickboxing stance. This stance not only affects the power of your punch but also affects your defensive moves of avoiding punches and kicks.
Orthodox
If you fight with your left foot in the front and your right foot in back, you are fighting in an orthodox kickboxing stance. Your right hand is positioned farther back than your left, which allows it greater traveling distance for a stronger punch. This stance places your left hand in front for quick jabs. If your left hand is weaker, placing the left hand in front keeps it close to your opponent, which can result in greater accuracy for your jabs.
Southpaw
If you fight with your right foot in the front and your left foot in the back, you are fighting in a southpaw kickboxing stance. This position places your left hand farther back than your right, so if your left hand is stronger, you can generate greater power as your hand travels from the back to the front of your stance. Standing southpaw, your right hand is closer to your opponent for quick, accurate jabs that can set up your powerful left punch.
Eyes
Your dominant hand usually correlates to your dominant eye. Test for your dominant eye by forming a ring between your thumb and first finger on both hands. Extend your arms in front of your body and place the rings over top of each other. As you look through the rings, center them on an object across the room. To determine your dominant eye, close one eye at a time. The object shifts out of the rings as you close your dominant eye. Central Kickboxing recommends placing your dominant eye toward the back of your stance, which corresponds to the placement of your dominant hand.
Feet
The placement of your dominant hand toward the back of your stance allows your stronger leg to be at the back of your stance. Your front foot can then act in a similar way as your front hand. The front kicks can be a distraction until you see an opportunity to throw a stronger kick, such as a roundhouse, with your back leg. Placing more of your weight on the back leg will help you change your fighting distance more easily as you move toward and away from your opponent.
Member Comments