Practicing Both Sides

[Kung Fu Wang]

Two strong sides are always going to be better than one.

To develop 2 strong sides will take twice as much time. To make both legs equal strong will double the training time.

Most of Bill Wallace's kicks are on his left side.

Most of Ronda Rousey's throws are on her left side.

 

[Flying Crane]

Make your own decisions for yourself on this. This is one of those arguments where people believe what they believe, and don't change their minds.

I'll say this, tho. Comparing it to sports, tennis, writing, etc. is apples to oranges. Those activities are done in an arena where you are able to choose to do it on your dominant side. In combat or self defense, you may not have the luxury of that choice.

 

[Drose427]

To develop 2 strong sides will take twice as much time. To make both legs equal strong will double the training time.

Most of Bill Wallace's kicks are on his left side.

Most of Ronda Rousey's throws are on her left side.

Superfoot was only capable of kicking with one leg because of a football injury, he most likely would have trained them both.

Benny the Jet kicked with both legs, hes nearly as iconic as Superfoot in kickboxing


As for rousey, im sure she trains both sides. Everyone just has a preference, that doesnt mean one should just limit themselves based on time.

 

[Flying Crane]

I'll make Another comment here. This thread is in the Kenpo forum and this is a debate among the Kenpo folks for a long time. The Parker-derived lineages tend to structure their curriculum in a way that is somewhat different from how many other systems do it. They have lists of "self defense techniques" that are kinda like little bunkais in that they give a sequence to practice a defense against a specific attack. These are stand-alone techniques, and the belt curriculum and ranking promotions tend to be based on learning them. And there are a lot of them. The lineages closest to Mr. Parker at his death tend to haves total of 150 or so. The lineage in which I trained is Tracy, we had a total of some 380, plus many variations. Some lineages have more, some are streamlining and have fewer.

Personally, I found this approach to a curriculum to be very cumbersome and for me, not useful or functional. That is why I no longer train Kenpo. Other people feel it works. To each his own.

However, this debate makes more sense in the Kenpo context because it is about practicing these hundreds of self-defense combos on both sides. When you've got a list that goes on forever, adding the other side does add to the workload and the time needed, tremendously.

For this debate, context does matter. And yes, when I did train Kenpo, I did practice both sides. I did it from day one and was shocked to discover others were not doing the same.

 

[Touch Of Death]

TE="Tez3, post: 1697993, member: 10553"]My karate style and my TSD has always trained everything on both sides, we've always practised all kicks off both front and back leg, both sides as well. I don't think it's hard work particularly but then I've never known any different.[/QUOTE]
Assuming you are right handed, yo

I'll make Another comment here. This thread is in the Kenpo forum and this is a debate among the Kenpo folks for a long time. The Parker-derived lineages tend to structure their curriculum in a way that is somewhat different from how many other systems do it. They have lists of "self defense techniques" that are kinda like little bunkais in that they give a sequence to practice a defense against a specific attack. These are stand-alone techniques, and the belt curriculum and ranking promotions tend to be based on learning them. And there are a lot of them. The lineages closest to Mr. Parker at his death tend to haves total of 150 or so. The lineage in which I trained is Tracy, we had a total of some 380, plus many variations. Some lineages have more, some are streamlining and have fewer.

Personally, I found this approach to a curriculum to be very cumbersome and for me, not useful or functional. That is why I no longer train Kenpo. Other people feel it works. To each his own.

However, this debate makes more sense in the Kenpo context because it is about practicing these hundreds of self-defense combos on both sides. When you've got a list that goes on forever, adding the other side does add to the workload and the time needed, tremendously.

For this debate, context does matter. And yes, when I did train Kenpo, I did practice both sides. I did it from day one and was shocked to discover others were not doing the same.

To be honest, I don't even remember which side is the correct side anymore, when doing the techs, but I am a southpaw, and should consider fighting southpaw.

 

[Flying Crane]

TE="Tez3, post: 1697993, member: 10553"]My karate style and my TSD has always trained everything on both sides, we've always practised all kicks off both front and back leg, both sides as well. I don't think it's hard work particularly but then I've never known any different.

Assuming you are right handed, yo
To be honest, I don't even remember which side is the correct side anymore, when doing the techs, but I am a southpaw, and should consider fighting southpaw.

Yeah, they'd name a tech to show and if I was running thru without a partner I'd just do it on whatever side. They would look at me funny and tell me I did it on the wrong side, it's against a LEFT punch, not a right. I just shrugged and kept on practicing both sides. These were my own instructors. I figured, it was against a punch, period. It could be executed on either side, depending on which punch the bad guy threw at you.

I gotta say tho, when the lists run into the hundreds, there are a lot of stupid ones, bad ideas in there. Somebody needed to stop building the lists, but couldn't seem to stop. There are simply NOT more than 75 good ways to defend against a punch of some sort. There are some good ideas in there and then the good ideas run out and they become more and more silly. And from what I hear, in my lineage the lists are still growing. Good gawd.

 

[chrstnkenpoist]

My karate style and my TSD has always trained everything on both sides, we've always practised all kicks off both front and back leg, both sides as well. I don't think it's hard work particularly but then I've never known any different.

In my training beginning inTracy/ Chinese Kenpo into Parker/Planas American Kenpo . I have been trained in the basics, see kicks etc, on both sides of the body, front/back. What I was saying, refers to all the "particular" self defense techniques, and forms, of the Parker System of American Kenpo. As was already alluded to, the system does train both the right and left sides through this technique or that form, but not ALL the techniques, and forms. I didn't mean to suggest otherwise.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Yeah, they'd name a tech to show and if I was running thru without a partner I'd just do it on whatever side. They would look at me funny and tell me I did it on the wrong side, it's against a LEFT punch, not a right. I just shrugged and kept on practicing both sides. These were my own instructors. I figured, it was against a punch, period. It could be executed on either side, depending on which punch the bad guy threw at you.

I gotta say tho, when the lists run into the hundreds, there are a lot of stupid ones, bad ideas in there. Somebody needed to stop building the lists, but couldn't seem to stop. There are simply NOT more than 75 good ways to defend against a punch of some sort. There are some good ideas in there and then the good ideas run out and they become more and more silly. And from what I hear, in my lineage the lists are still growing. Good gawd.

It's really only a couple few options, every time, and the business model of your lineage says differently. LOL There is good dope in there, though.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Yeah, they'd name a tech to show and if I was running thru without a partner I'd just do it on whatever side. They would look at me funny and tell me I did it on the wrong side, it's against a LEFT punch, not a right. I just shrugged and kept on practicing both sides. These were my own instructors. I figured, it was against a punch, period. It could be executed on either side, depending on which punch the bad guy threw at you.

I gotta say tho, when the lists run into the hundreds, there are a lot of stupid ones, bad ideas in there. Somebody needed to stop building the lists, but couldn't seem to stop. There are simply NOT more than 75 good ways to defend against a punch of some sort. There are some good ideas in there and then the good ideas run out and they become more and more silly. And from what I hear, in my lineage the lists are still growing. Good gawd.

Consider this small point. When doing tech on you opposite side, it would be natural to look for ways to switch sides, safely, but when doing them, on your strong side, you aren't exactly looking for ways to become weak.

 

[Flying Crane]

It's really only a couple few options, every time, and the business model of your lineage says differently. LOL There is good dope in there, though.

Business model can certainly ruin things.

 

[Flying Crane]

I don't even know what it means to fight right handed or left handed. There are arguments to be made for having weak side forward or strong side forward or neither. Some of these distinctions are kinda ridiculous.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I don't even know what it means to fight right handed or left handed. There are arguments to be made for having weak side forward or strong side forward or neither. Some of these distinctions are kinda ridiculous.

Your best side is having your dominant eye to the rear.

 

[Flying Crane]

Your best side is having your dominant eye to the rear.

I don't agree. Nor do I disagree.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I don't agree. Nor do I disagree.

In bowling, you want the same idea, so, your aiming eye isn't the opposite of your throwing arm.

 

[Tez3]

To develop 2 strong sides will take twice as much time. To make both legs equal strong will double the training time.

No, training takes as long as you want, if you want to become a well developed martial artists you will never stop training, there's never a point where you say 'right I've learnt this now' and pat yourself on the back, you constantly strive to become better so no, training both sides doesn't take twice as much time, it's just part of your training. If you are timing your training it may be a sign you aren't training properly.
It makes sense to have as strong a body as possible not just one side strong and the other weak.

 

[Flying Crane]

In bowling, you want the same idea, so, your aiming eye isn't the opposite of your throwing arm.

It's not as simple as that. Even if I favor my dominant side, there are some techniques I would fight dominant side forward, other techniques dominant side back, and others would be neither or it doesn't matter. But I can't count on being able to use the dominant side. Sometime you get taken by surprise and are not able to make that choice. But at any rate, when people say fight right-handed, that's a meaningless designation to me. That doesn't indicate anything done in a standard way.

 

[Touch Of Death]

It's not as simple as that. Even if I favor my dominant side, there are some techniques I would fight dominant side forward, other techniques dominant side back, and others would be neither or it doesn't matter. But I can't count on being able to use the dominant side. Sometime you get taken by surprise and are not able to make that choice. But at any rate, when people say fight right-handed, that's a meaningless designation to me. That doesn't indicate anything done in a standard way.

You still favor a side.

 

[Tez3]

You still favor a side.

The side of peace is usually the best side to favour.

 

[Touch Of Death]

It's not as simple as that. Even if I favor my dominant side, there are some techniques I would fight dominant side forward, other techniques dominant side back, and others would be neither or it doesn't matter. But I can't count on being able to use the dominant side. Sometime you get taken by surprise and are not able to make that choice. But at any rate, when people say fight right-handed, that's a meaningless designation to me. That doesn't indicate anything done in a standard way.

You, Flying Crane, are a better fighter, when you can see what you are doing, and have the foot forward, you secretly want.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

All techniques will required "enhancement" and that will require training time investment.

If you hang on the pole as shown in the following clip, you will be able to develop a strong "head lock" and strong "leg twist". Assume you have only 2 hours of your training time daily. Do you want to spend your training time on both sides or on just one side only?