Kickboxing Stance for Dominant Hands

The positioning of the feet in a kickboxer's stance may not seem like an important detail to a casual observer. If you plan to take your training seriously, however, you need to put almost as much consideration into your fighting stance as your technique. The difference between winning and losing a kickboxing match often comes down to minute details. Explore the advantages and disadvantages of the orthodox and southpaw stances to decide which is right for you.

  1. Orthodox Stance

    • Fighters who stand with their right foot and hand in back are called orthodox fighters because the majority of people are right-handed. If you are right-handed, the orthodox stance puts your power hand in back, allowing you to put a good deal of power into your right cross and uppercut. If you train a solid left-hand jab, it can open up a knockout shot with either your right hand or right foot.

    Southpaw Stance

    • Southpaw fighters stand with their right hand and foot in front. They tend to less common than orthodox fighters, though they can be difficult to fight. When a southpaw fighter squares off with an orthodox fighter -- both having their dominant hands in back -- it puts both fighters at risk of getting clocked by a dominant-hand cross, which could spell the end of the fight in a flash.

    Dominant-Forward Stance

    • Generally, boxing trainers and experts will tell you to stand with your dominant hand and foot in back, but it isn't as black and white as you might think. There are more southpaw fighters relative to orthodox fighters than there are left-handed people to right-handed people. Standing with your dominant hand in front might lessen your chances of getting a knockout, but your speed hand will land first and your jab will pack more power than the average fighter who stands with his right hand in back. Some kickboxers find it advantageous to stand with their dominant foot in front because they can better balance on the dominant leg to throw the opposite-side kick.

    Switching Stances

    • Switching stances in the middle of a live sparring match or a full contact fight isn't encouraged by kickboxing fundamentalists, but it can throw off your opponent and open up targets you wouldn't get a chance to hit by sticking to one stance. Striking matches often come down to which fighter lands the power shot first, so switching up your stance can confuse your opponent and open up opportunities for you.