Doing Your Techniques On Both Sides

[MJS]

This is a topic that often comes up in the Kenpo circles, but I thought I'd post it here, so other arts can comment as well.

When you're doing your self defense techniques, do you also train them on the opposite side?

For myself, I originally began doing this on my own, as I found that it helped when teaching students. Rather than standing along side of someone, trying to get them to follow my movements, I'd stand in front of them and perform the technique opposite. Basically, all the student had to do, was mirror my movements.

Most recently, I've been doing more of this work, partly because I feel that its giving more options, and also because its a requirement at the school I attend.

Mike

 

[CoryKS]

I do some of them. I ask my instructor about it if I'm learning a technique that looks like it could go both ways, and sometimes he says that doing the reversal will be required at BB but if I want to get a start on it, go ahead - at home.

My initial concern when exploring this was that the technique required an opponent to come at me from one side, and I wanted an option in case he didn't do "what he was supposed to do" I'm finding out as I go that there are other techniques that respond to the reverse, so I'm not as diligent about doing both sides.

 

[SHINOBI SHUGENDO]

I agree with this philosophy of using both sides. You must need to be balanced. Just think what if you got you strong arm cut off or you break your strong foot. What will you do if your weak side has no power?

 

[zDom]

In Moo Sul Kwan hapkido, under black belt rank all 25 wrist and 25 clothes techniques are done from an attacker grabbing with right hand.

One of the most exciting things about reaching black belt is that I now get learn and practice those 25 techniques from a LEFT grab (as that is part of my requirements to go to 2nd dan)!

WOOT!

(sure does feel STRANGE though! )

 

[Bigshadow]

What follows is my opinions...

I don't believe it is necessary to train both sides the same amount, unless someone is looking to compete in forms competitions or some demo team, etc. It has been my experience that training the strong side is good and to occasionally train the weak side. What I have found is that my weak side isn't that much different than my strong side. I can do both sides with efficiency. Just the strong side has a little more finess.

I believe that the brain can replicate motion from one side to another with very little change in quality. The caveat is that one has to have truly learned it on the strong side. Just my opinions.

Imagine brushing your teeth with the weak side. How difficult would that be?

 

[hemi]

This is a topic that often comes up in the Kenpo circles, but I thought I'd post it here, so other arts can comment as well.

When you're doing your self defense techniques, do you also train them on the opposite side?

For myself, I originally began doing this on my own, as I found that it helped when teaching students. Rather than standing along side of someone, trying to get them to follow my movements, I'd stand in front of them and perform the technique opposite. Basically, all the student had to do, was mirror my movements.

Most recently, I've been doing more of this work, partly because I feel that its giving more options, and also because its a requirement at the school I attend.

Mike

That’s a question I asked a while back as well, and the responses I received from those for and against were strong arguments on both sides of the issue.

For me I do train some tech’s on both sides granted I don’t have that many yet but of those I do have I pick and choose then work both side of those. My two issues of working both sides are, #1 most of the defenses I learn from a right handed attack have a defense that is totally different than a left handed attack and both work great on their own. #2 I take time away from working on the primary defense I learned for each attack to work both sides of each tech.

So the world may never know the right answer but that is my .02


Great Question

 

[charyuop]

After Sensei shows the technique we get on the mat and Uke attacks for times then he becomes Nage for 4 times and keep alternating like that. Of those 4 times we practice twice the right side and twice the left.

By nature we all have a side which is weaker and not all of us have the same side. You can't expect that in a fight the opponent attacks you always on the strong side, thus I think it is good to train both sides.

 

[Moogong]

I try to work both sides equally. One of my tricks in BJJ is getting side control on left. It's common for people who only work one side to have to think for a second before mounting a defense.

 

[CuongNhuka]

Most of the time. There are a few drills we really only do for, well, fun. Those ones we don't really stress doing both sides. And the Judo throws we teach are only taught on one side, as far as I'm aware. It used to be required, however, to do kata on both sides. What we call ebb and flow kata. But that is slightly off topic.

 

[Dave Leverich]

I definitely try to do both sides, in fact when I'm working on self-defense scenarios I almost always will switch sides so that the opponent will get used to using them techniques from that other angle. You _can_ use a different set of moves of course, simply using strong side and adapting to grabs/strikes etc, but I like to force them out of the comfort zone and get them to have some familiarity with the other half.

I'm guessing... about 80/20 or 90/10 emphasis, so not huge, but enough the wet the pallet.

 

[mdamignani]

During a test I am expected to perform the technique on both sides, during normal training we practice both sides. During my solo training I usually do the techniques twice as much on my weak side because I want to be as equal as possible on both sides.
Matthew Damignani

 

[searcher]

I train both sides as do my students. I feel even stronger on this after one of my students broke his arm. He was very restricted in what he did for about 12 weeks and he performed all techniques with his weak side. After he was released his strong side techniques were amazingly more co-ordinated. We feel that he gained this through the training of his week side. Training the weak side not only helps with that side, but it also helps qwith the strong side. IMO.

 

[KempoFlow]

I feel that training both sides is important. It gives me a better understanding of how the moves work. Of course I need to have the move completely understood on one side before training it on the other.

 

[masherdong]

Yes, I need to learn to do this too.

 

[ares]

:mst: I my dojo, Shihan expects you to learn both ways once you recieve your Blue Belt. Until then, he wants you to learn it properly on one side. He doesn't stop you from learning that on your own if you wish, but in class it's one side for a while

 

[Last Fearner]

When you're doing your self defense techniques, do you also train them on the opposite side?

What is the "opposite side?"

When you walk, what side do you walk on? Do you walk on the "opposite side?" If you have two working legs, do you not use them both to walk?

Can a person learn to walk with only one leg? Yes. Can a person learn to fight on only one dominant side? yes. "Superfoot" Bill Wallace did, and was very successful in the ring, but that was under certain rules, and due to a knee injury. Would it be the best for self defense in the street? One advantage he had (besides amazing speed and flexibility) was that the one leg he used was his left. This is awkward to defend against for most people who fight "right-handed."

In Boxing, the left side is often called a "South-Paw Fighter." A "right-handed fighter" often has to adjust when facing someone who fights on the left side, just like a right-handed pitcher in baseball has to adjust when pitching to a left-handed batter (also called a "South-Paw hitter"). However, Wallace stood the same as a right-handed fighter, he just used the left front leg to an exceptional ability, rather than the power hits of the right, rear leg that most right-handed fighters prefer.

Therefore, it is not only an issue of what kinds of techniques you can do with the one side of your body that is your dominant side, but what kind of an affect will it have on your opponent. In the Taekwondo training that I have encountered all my life, we always learn every technique on both sides. When I fight, I will comfortably and naturally switch from one side to the other, as though I were born ambidextrous. I believe it is also done in downhill snow-boarding, or even skate-boarding, where either foot is placed in the front position, and frequently switched as they go. This is done in order to encounter and negotiate obstacles from either direction, quickly, effortlessly, and without hesitation or awkwardness.

Think of the gunfighters in the the old west of America's frontier. Some were fast on the draw, and accurate with their aim, but I believe the best of the best (and the most dangerous) were those who wore two guns (one on each hip) and could draw and shoot equally as well with either, or both at the same time. There is an excellent Western gunslinger movie that displays this talent very well. It was called "The Quick and the Dead." It starred Gene Hackman, Russel Crowe, Sharon Stone, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

In one scene, John Herod (Hackman's character) is about to have a gunfight with a self-proclaimed expert gunfighter named "Ace" Hanlon - a tall figure with long hair, and dressed all in black. As they step into the street, Herod says "Mr. Hanlon, I wanted to ask you about Indian Wells. Did that fight really take place?" Ace replies "Sure did." Herod says, "Then its true that you gunned down four men." Ace brags "Two with my right hand; two with my left. You see, the truth is, that I am just as good with either." Herod says, "You must be the fastest gun in the west.... that or the biggest liar!" Ace says, "It's a pity you weren't there to find out."

Herod grins and chuckles, "Oh, but I was Ace. You see, I was the one who really killed the Terrence brothers. And I doubt that a lying little chicken-**** like you was even in the same state. Ace's smiling face turns to fear as he attempts to out-draw his opponent, but Herod draws his right pistol faster and shoots Ace's right thumb off just as his gun clears the holster. Herod replaces his right pistol in its holster and asks, "How about that left hand, Ace?" Herod calmly places a cigar in his mouth, and as he strikes a match off the side of his belt with his right hand, he asks "How about that left-handed draw?" Herod slowly moves the lit match up to the cigar as his left hand hangs near his left pistol. Ace attempts to draw left-handed, but again, Herod beats him to it and blasts a hole through the back of Ace's left hand. Herod then re-draws his right pistol and fires both guns into Ace's chest which propels him to his back - dead.

I love that movie! I also believe, while training on both sides is not absolutely necessary for success, it gives me an advantage over someone who is not prepared for both sides, and I like to be prepared for anything! I don't consider it a waste of time which takes away from anything because I have plenty of time to train both sides equally as well.

That's just my opinion on the subject :ultracool
CM D.J. Eisenhart

 

[morph4me]

I like to train both sides, I like knowing that if something were to happen to my strong side, I can depend on my other strong side

 

[Kacey]

I agree with Last Fearner here - TKD trains both sides equally. In patterns, at least the ones I learned as an ITF/Ch'ang Hon stylist, especially at the gup ranks, most techniques repeat on each side, if not immediately, then in symmetric sets. In line drills, all techniques are performed on both sides - whether they are performed on both sides in the pattern or not. Students often begin sparring with a preferred side forward, but are quickly taught to switch sides to increase their range and confuse their opponents, and so they can fight people who lead with either side.

 

[MJS]

I try to work both sides equally. One of my tricks in BJJ is getting side control on left. It's common for people who only work one side to have to think for a second before mounting a defense.

Good points! I was doing some grappling the other day, nothing too heavy, just working position to position. Every time I transitioned from one to the other, I always tried to work on the opposite side, as you mentioned. Certainly makes things well rounded.

Mike

 

[MJS]

Great replies all around!:ultracool

Usually the opposite side training comes into play when the student has some time in. I certainly do not expect a white belt to be able to do a new tech. opposite. They have enough to worry about getting it correct the standard way, letalone trying to work it opposite.

Many MA systems, and I'll use Kenpo as a reference, already has techniques in it to deal with the left side. In addition, there are a few katas in the upper ranks, that have the opposite sides of the techs. already built into them. That being said, many in the art say that doing them opposite is not necessary, for the reasons mentioned.

In any case, its something to play around with.

Mike