# Facing center line serious question



## hma123 (Apr 2, 2013)

Hello this has been on my mind for a while now about the concept of facing the centerline........I have been taught by numerous trainers since day one to always be "bladed" giving them the lead shoulder,and NOT be square. But there's a huge thread on another forum about the complete opposite and having your foot and body face the centerline.
Here's the thread im talking about:
http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/f11/facing-center-line-2408841/

Not only learning and being around boxing have I not seen this in advanced guys but nor in any world champs today atleast I dont think I see any of the fighting with their lead foot and body facing their opponents center.
My question is why? Im bringing this up now also because Ive seen another quick post of someone saying the same thing, the insert Ill type here from another website is:
*
--The final important aspect of stance is the positioning of the lead foot. To best defend against punches, the lead foot, and likewise the lead hand, should point at the centerline of the opponent's body. This ensures that you are always properly facing him--in position to hit him without being hit yourself. Next time you watch a boxing match, or any other high level striking exhibition, take note of the "most boring" moments. Watch the fighters' feet as they constantly make tiny adjustments, jockeying for dominant position on one another. This is the invisible battle of positioning that makes a fighter truly dangerous to any opponent.--*

After seeing that for the 2nd time I had to post this to a website like here to see what everyone thinks of this, and is right/wrong, should I change my stance Ive been with for years because of this new hype? 
Is it REALLY qorth it? I like to stand bladed and give them that lead shoulder, I find my presence hard to hit by not giving them openings, but if this is worth adding than I will. 
Better if anyone could support their anwser with video-examples.
Thoughts?

BTW specifically towards boxing thanks


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## Tony Dismukes (Apr 2, 2013)

I think you are misunderstanding the concept being talked about.  Having your lead foot pointing towards your opponent's centerline does *not *mean you are square to your opponent.
This would be easy to explain if I could demonstrate or draw a diagram, but let me see if I can do it with words.
Take pencil and paper and draw a bird's eye view of yourself and your opponent as stick figures.  You can represent each of you as a short line segment (representing your shoulders as seen from above) with your feet at the ends sticking out perpendicular to the line of your shoulders.  With me so far?
First draw those two stick figures facing each other square.  The lines are parallel and centered on each other.  The feet of one figure are pointing directly towards the feet of the other figure.  This could represent two Wing Chun practitioners doing a simplified static chi sao drill (as opposed to a version of the drill where they use footwork to gain angle advantage).
Next rotate the stick figures 90 degrees, so their sholders are in the same line, with their feet pointing out to the side.  This is the way many TKD and sport karate guys spar.
Now rotate the stick figures just a little bit back towards center so that the lead feet are pointing towards each other.  Now adjust the relative positions of the figures so that the lead feet point towards the opponents center.  This is your boxing position.  Think about it - when you throw a jab, cross, or hook, your lead foot needs to be pointed at your target.  If you aren't already lined up for that, then you need to adjust your feet first.
For a video example, look at this fight with Darrin Van Horn. 



  (I choose him because he's one of my workout partners in jiu-jitsu.)  If you pause the video at 4:11 you can see perfectly how having his lead foot lined up with his opponent's center line allows him to land a beautiful clean punch.  In fact, he has that alignment almost every time he lands a good punch.  If you don't know what to watch for, it can be easy to miss because the fighters are constantly moving and trying to establish the superior angle, but if you pause the video each time Van Horn lands a punch, you can see the position of the lead foot.  You'll also notice that this does not mean Van Horn is squared up.
Hope this helps.


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## hma123 (Apr 2, 2013)

Tony Dismukes said:


> This is your boxing position.  Think about it - when you throw a jab, cross, or hook, your lead foot needs to be pointed at your target.  If you aren't already lined up for that, then you need to adjust your feet first.



As I understand the rest of your post and agree but this part Id have to disagree. Ive seen and done on many occasions land a jab,cross,and hook with my feet bladed and not facing my opponents center. 

So far my theory is and the whole point of facing the opponent center is to give them a direct thread with your lead foot,hip,and shoulder. 
I am not positive yet inwhich its more of a pyschological or physical thing.....that's what Im trying to figure out now also


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## Tony Dismukes (Apr 2, 2013)

hma123 said:


> As I understand the rest of your post and agree but this part Id have to disagree. Ive seen and done on many occasions land a jab,cross,and hook with my feet bladed and not facing my opponents center.
> 
> So far my theory is and the whole point of facing the opponent center is to give them a direct thread with your lead foot,hip,and shoulder.
> I am not positive yet inwhich its more of a pyschological or physical thing.....that's what Im trying to figure out now also



Do you have any pictures or video showing the way you are talking about landing your punches?  Because unless I'm misunderstanding what you are describing, that just sounds wrong to me based on my training and my experience.  If your lead foot is significantly angled away from the line of your punch it  will rob you of both power and mobility.  Maybe I'm just not getting what you are talking about.


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## Cyriacus (Apr 2, 2013)

Tony Dismukes said:


> Do you have any pictures or video showing the way you are talking about landing your punches?  Because unless I'm misunderstanding what you are describing, that just sounds wrong to me based on my training and my experience.  If your lead foot is significantly angled away from the line of your punch it  will rob you of both power and mobility.  Maybe I'm just not getting what you are talking about.



I may be wrong, but from what i know that can be the case with people who favor their lead hand as their power hand. They dont drill in (as in, hit deep with) their rear hand, and since their hip doesnt rotate as much as a result, and their legs dont turn at much, it works more like a chamber for the lead hand. So, the feet dont move much.

Im taking a wild guess here, and guessing that when hma123 says hook, he means a lead hook.

In answer to
"_So far my theory is and the whole point of facing the opponent center is to give them a direct thread with your lead foot,hip,and shoulder. _
_I am not positive yet inwhich its more of a pyschological or physical thing.....that's what Im trying to figure out now also"
_My answer is simply that a squared stance offers a ton of benefits. So do less squared stances. Youre looking at it too black and white. In a less squared stance, you can be thrown like a ragdoll by some numbskull who grabs your shoulders. Not so much with a squared stance, unless its off a charge. At least, from a shoulder based hold, anyway. It all depends on what youre doing, or learning.

In the context of boxing, standing off to an angle and narrow has some benefits, and is taught by some people. Standing squared up and wide has some benefits, and is taught by some people. Im not calling this a rule, but people who use more angular strikes (straights that arent straight, for example) tend to favor wider stances, and they use the things well.


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## mook jong man (Apr 2, 2013)

Don't know anything about boxing , but in Chinese boxing (Wing Chun) we are in a squared stance always facing the opponents centerline.
When executing a step and punch ' if the step is directed forward and slightly toward the center , that punch will be significantly more powerful than if the step was made just directly forward.
Has to do with the force vectors being better lined up.

That may or may not be applicable to what you do I don't know.


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## martial sparrer (Apr 4, 2013)

you should never be square to your opponent.....although you will be at times when moving around....if you are square to your opponent they have more of you to hit.....I wouldn't pay too much attention to sherdoggers......I don't think many of them train as well as watch ufc!  as with set up I like vertical punches, circling.....I like the technique of pressing.....[


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## Tony Dismukes (Apr 4, 2013)

martial sparrer said:


> you should never be square to your opponent.....although you will be at times when moving around....if you are square to your opponent they have more of you to hit.....I wouldn't pay too much attention to sherdoggers......I don't think many of them train as well as watch ufc!  as with set up I like vertical punches, circling.....I like the technique of pressing.....[



As I pointed out in my earlier reply, pointing the lead foot at your opponent's centerline does not mean you are square to your opponent.


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## Cyriacus (Apr 4, 2013)

martial sparrer said:


> you should never be square to your opponent.....although you will be at times when moving around....if you are square to your opponent they have more of you to hit.....I wouldn't pay too much attention to sherdoggers......I don't think many of them train as well as watch ufc!  as with set up I like vertical punches, circling.....I like the technique of pressing.....[



Yeah, they have more of you to hit. And its easier for you to hit them. Its a tradeoff, really.


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