MMA Random Thoughts: Fighting Southpaws

I'm not sure why I was thinking about it today, but I was thinking of different ways to attack and defend against a southpaw fighter. I got very creative (because I was in a very boring business class). A lot of the stuff I thought of are techniques I've never seen, heard of, or even tried. So, I have some experimental moves and strategies to play around with. In line with this, I wanted to share some basic knowledge about fighting against southpaws. To clarify, when I say southpaw I mean right leg forward, while an orthodox stance would be left leg forward. (Everything is reverse if you use an unorthodox stance and your right leg is forward).

First, you generally want to circle to your left away from your opponents left cross (or in the Philippines, left straight). I say generally because the left cross is usually more powerful than your opponent's right hook. However, some fighters have deadly lead hooks. In this case, your movement would change. For the purpose of this blog entry though, I will assume that your opponent's left cross is more dangerous. So, as I mentioned, you want to circle left and continually make your opponent chase/turn after you. This will make your opponent reach for you if he wants to land a left cross, which will be telegraphic and less powerful. Also, by actively circling to your left, you are controlling the fight and can close the gap between you and your opponent easier--so you can land some punches or kicks.

Second, use your right hand. Your right cross is a deadly weapon against a southpaw. If you are leading (meaning you are controlling the fight by constantly moving away from your opponent's left hand), your opponent has no choice but to follow when he tries to attack. As a result, when you throw your cross, there is a good chance that your right fist and your opponents face will meet in the middle, like a head on car collision. Basically, your cross will have more impact and power behind it because your opponent will move into your cross.

Third, look at your opponents lead leg (right leg) and realize that your left leg is forward and you have a great opportunity to execute a great shot or single leg if you continue to circle to the left and close the distance.

Fourth, don't get too comfortable with throwing a right kick while you are circling and after some punches. For Muay Thai it's ok, but for MMA, it's riskier. Why? In general, you never want to throw a kick when someone is moving forward and toward you. Anyone who knows Muay Thai well should know that a great counter to a round kick is to counter it by "stepping in" with a punch. Without getting into all the details, stepping in "jams" an opponent's kick, allowing the fighter who stepped in to counter with a hard punch, etc. Going back to the southpaw situation, if I continue to circle to my left, my opponent will continually turn towards me and follow me. In other words, my opponent is moving forward. Let's say I throw a left jab while circling and decide to follow up with a right kick. There's a good chance that a skilled opponent will be waiting and will rush in with a left cross.

These are some basics you should normally think of when fighting southpaws. Situations will change and you will need to adapt accordingly. However, if you've never really thought about fighting people with unorthodox stances, this is a good start. I wish I had some time to post some pictures and/or video to make the descriptions above easier to understand. Unfortunately, I had a busy day and it's still going. In any case, if you have questions, feel free to comment and I'll get back to you.

Tags: mixed martial arts, striking, fighting, southpaw, unorthodox, stance