JKD and southpaws

A lot of the people I've sparred with are uncomfortable fighting people with opposite leads, but I'm a southpaw and and under Grand JKD Law I'm supposed to lead with my left, so I'm squared up against most people.

Lately I've been putting a lot of effort into fighting with a right lead and being able to switch quickly when I need to.

Anyone else have experience with this? A lot of techniques are a world more effective with a right lead but it's still really awkward for me.

I would personally recommend sticking with one lead for a least a couple of years before you start experimenting with switching back and forth. It takes long enough to develop REAL ability in one lead, never mind two.



-John

John right. The best thing for you to do is work with whats comfortable for you. the techniques arent any more effective simply because they come from the right or left, its still the same technique. Learn whats comfortable first, and make it effective then worry about switching later.

Well, Sifu Dan Inosanto likes to have us practice all the techniques in left and right lead.

Of course Sifu Yori, who teaches level 1 & 2 only does right lead.

Personally, if you can, I'd practice both. Thought that may be my old Eskrima stuff coming up, as wewould try to train for ambidexterity.

Also a good idea to learn to spar against unmatched leads. One piece of advice when unmatched is to keep your lead leg "outside" of his, and throw low hook kicks to his outside lead leg. You can also throw inverted hook kicks under his lead arm (hard to see).