Fencing Lefty

[Zepp]

I'm finally back in a fencing class after a long while, but I've decided to do things a little differently. In an effort to build up the left side of my body (I'm right handed) I'm going to fence lefty. I may switch back to my right hand on some days, but for the most part, everything I do in class will be the opposite of what I've done before. (This is with foil by the way.) My hope is that doing this will increase my coordination on the left side of my body.

So far, attacking doesn't seem much harder, but parrying is much more difficult.

My question: is there a reason why this could be a bad idea or why it may not work?

 

[Samurai]

Due to an injury I have started using my rapier in a left lead. It really changed some things for me.

The good news is that "most" people have a hard time defending against a lefty and the right hand is the dominate hand in most people. This is a great advantage to you.
thanks
Jeremy Bays

 

[Despairbear]

Wow how luck are you! Now you can use the most coveted line in fencing!


"But I'm not left handed!"


grin.



Despair Bear

 

[Samurai]

"He is just MOSTLY dead"........"T R U E L O V E"

Two other great lines

--Grave Pirate Jeremy

 

[moromoro]

i write with either hand and also use my left all the time in eskrima
but i think you will never ever have your left or weak hand as strong as your good hand

anyone know of research on this

thanks

terry

 

[Zepp]

Just thought I'd add, for anyone who's interested that fencing left-handed seems to be working out pretty well for me.

I'm almost tempted to switch back to my right hand and compare the two, but I'm worried that it might throw me off at this stage.

It's great to hear my classmates complain about fencing a lefty everytime their paired with me. (Especially since most of them don't know I'm really right-handed.)

 

[moromoro]

 

[Samurai]

I recall Bill "Superfoot" Wallace said he is righthanded, but due to a car wreack he was forced to train his left side. Now he fast one of the fastest left side kicks around.

--jeremy bays

 

[moromoro]

one of the fastest left side kicks around.

wow!

 

[arnisador]

I was surprised to learn you could choose--I had always figured everyone would be forced to fence right-handed no matter what their preference was, for uniformity!

 

[don bohrer]

I'm a lefty who's trapped in a righty world! Kenpo has forced me to work my right side extensively, but with good success. Zepp, I have found my off hand will perform better at certain things. Guess it's just practice. I can change up and fight either side.

 

[arnisador]

In Modern Arnis we were always forced to work both hands by our left-handed founder.

I must confess to a certain laziness about this since his passing.

 

[Nightingale]

handedness is mostly a matter of choice rather than genetics...

small muscle control is developed gradually and can be learned in either hand, but sometimes more easily on one side than the other. We are seeing more and more ambidextrous kids in schools now, primarily because of computers and video games requiring small muscle control in both hands.

I had to learn how to write left handed when I had an injury to my right thumb and had to have it in a brace for something like three months.

I've always fenced left handed, because the person who taught me was left handed, so it was easier for her to show me and easier for me to copy if I fenced lefty too, so I did and the epee has stayed in my left hand ever since. don't do it regularly anymore, though. my teacher moved back to new york.

 

[arnisador]

Thread moved.

-Arnisador
-MT Admin-