Question about Southpaws

[HerbM]

Thanks -- tonight at class I sometimes forgot which hand was forward -- I would just start jabbing and adding combos and have to ask myself which side I was on. Tells me that either side feels good since there is nothing to remind me I am on the 'wrong' side.

Ok, so just step forward.

Another thing I -- think that I -- like to do is to use a circle step with the back leg towards the (current) power hand side and let it slide up a little with a jab from the (old) front hand then a jab from the new front hand as the trailing leg catches up and moves back a little. The idea is to be going around the opponent during the switch.

Is this good? Bad?

[N Maiberg]

It is good, but also predictable after it's been done once or twice if your opponent is aware of it.

What I like to do is turtle up, and after they've punched my guard a little I step back with my leading leg, thus changing stance, without the opponent noticing most likely because he is too busy focusing on my guard. The trick to using this Southpaw/Orthodox switch in a match, is distraction, and making it as smooth and unnotice-able as possible. That's the only way to keep catching the opponent off guard every time.

What you're doing is good, but after two or three times of doing it, a boxer who isn't groggy would probably notice. Try changing it as the opponent steps around you instead, when I do it, it makes them feel cornered, because I'm always directly in their face never giving them a chance to circle around.

Just try and be creative, there are tons of ways to do this without the opponent noticing, and if you learn how to switch at will and you have techniques for distracting them, you can keep doing it over and over in different ways and they will be confused the entire match.