Orthodox stance

Last updated

Kurt Prenzel, boxer of the 1920s, displaying orthodox stance with left hand and left foot to the fore Adolf Grohs Boxer Kurt Prenzel Bildseite (cropped).jpg
Kurt Prenzel, boxer of the 1920s, displaying orthodox stance with left hand and left foot to the fore

In combat sports such as boxing and MMA, an orthodox stance, also known as a northpaw stance, is one in which the fighter places their left foot in front, thus placing their left side closer to the opponent. [1] Because it places the right side (the stronger side for most people) in the rear, the orthodox stance can allow for more rotation and distance to accelerate right sided strikes, in turn generating more power. [2] This makes it the most common stance in boxing, [3] as well as MMA, [4] and primarily used by right-handed fighters.

Contents

Usage

Orthodox stance is the most common stance in boxing [3] and MMA [4] due to its superior power generation for right-handed fighters. The stance also finds usage from some left-handed individuals, however, owing to some of the advantages it has in general, as well as for left-handed individuals in particular.

General advantages

The orthodox stance has two major advantages for all practitioners: its ubiquity and its placement of the lead hand and foot closer to the right side of the opponent. Since it is the most common stance, high quality training in the stance is more widely available. Furthermore, most of the opponents any fighter trains with will use orthodox, building greater familiarity with the stance. [5]

Additionally, because the left side is forward, the left hand and foot are quite close to the opponent's right side. [6] This is particularly useful as the liver is a highly vulnerable target; various fighters such as Stipe Miocic have KO'd other fighters through liver shots. [7]

Advantages for right-handers

Placing the right hand in the rear allows for the most powerful punches from right-handed fighters. Since the more powerful right side is in the rear, there is more time and rotation of the body between launching the punch and impact, allowing for more power generation. [8]

Advantages for left-handers

For left-handed fighters, the orthodox stance provides the benefit of placing the more powerful hand in the front. This provides more power to the quicker punches of the lead hand, such as the jab and lead hook. [8]

MMA considerations

The same power advantages of punches described above also apply to kicks for the respective dominant sides. Further, for right-side dominant fighters, having the stronger foot in the rear allows for more stability when defending takedown attempts. [4]

Statistical advantage

Statistically, orthodox fighters are not more likely than other fighters to win, but regardless of their stance, fighters are more likely to beat orthodox opponents. [9]

Examples

Right-handed orthodox fighters

Since the orthodox stance is so common, especially as pertains to right-handed individuals, there is a quite extensive list of prominent right-handed orthodox fighters. Some of the most famous include Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather, Sugar Ray Robinson, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Left-handed orthodox fighters

While this stance is predominantly associated with right-handed fighters, there is a notable contingent of left-handed orthodox fighters, including such prominent figures as Oscar De La Hoya, Sonny Liston, Miguel Angel Cotto, Gerry Cooney, Mike Tyson, Sean Strickland, Michael Bisping, Renan Barao, and Marco Antonio Barrera.

Alternative stances

American boxer Al McCoy standing in the southpaw stance AlMcCoy boxer.jpg
American boxer Al McCoy standing in the southpaw stance

The opposite stance to orthodox is southpaw. It is a mirror image of the orthodox stance. A southpaw fighter stands with their right foot forward, with their left side farther from the opponent. Some famous boxers who use the southpaw stance are Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Victor Ortiz, Sultan Ibragimov, Naseem Hamed, Joe Calzaghe, Manny Pacquiao, and Lucian Bute. Famous MMA southpaws include Nick and Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor and Anderson Silva.

Notably, many fighters such as Francisco Palacios, Andre Ward, Jon Jones, and Terence Crawford normally fight as orthodox, but occasionally switch to a southpaw stance. Hagler was the opposite, normally fighting southpaw but sometimes switching to orthodox.

While southpaw is generally associated with left-handed fighters, there are some right-handed individuals who favor the stance over orthodox, such as Vasiliy Lomachenko, Oleksandr Usyk, Shakur Stevenson, and Nate Diaz.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boxing</span> Full contact combat sport and martial art

Boxing is a combat sport and a martial art in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kickboxing</span> Full-contact hybrid martial art and combat sport

Kickboxing is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and bare feet to favor the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or for competition. Some styles of kickboxing include: full contact karate, Muay Thai, Japanese kickboxing, Lethwei, Sanda, and Savate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knockout</span> Fight-ending, winning criterion in certain full-contact combat sports

A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, as well as fighting-based video games. A full knockout is considered any legal strike or combination thereof that renders an opponent unable to continue fighting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pankration</span> Martial art in ancient Greek festivals

Pankration was an unarmed combat sport introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as kicking, holds, joint locks, and chokes on the ground, making it similar to modern mixed martial arts. The term comes from the Ancient Greek word παγκράτιον (pankrátion), meaning "all of power".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvelous Marvin Hagler</span> American boxer (1954–2021)

Marvelous Marvin Hagler was an American professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1973 to 1987 and reigned as the undisputed champion of the middleweight division from 1980 to 1987, making twelve successful title defenses, all but one by knockout. Hagler also holds the highest knockout percentage of all undisputed middleweight champions at 78 percent. His undisputed middleweight championship reign of six years and seven months is the second-longest active reign of the 20th century. He holds the record for the sixth longest reign as champion in middleweight history. Nicknamed "Marvelous" and annoyed that network announcers often did not refer to him as such, Hagler legally changed his name to "Marvelous Marvin Hagler" in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar Ray Leonard</span> American boxer

Ray Charles Leonard, best known as Sugar Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning world titles in five weight classes; the lineal championship in three weight classes; as well as the undisputed welterweight championship. Leonard was part of the "Four Kings", a group of boxers who all fought each other throughout the 1980s, consisting of Leonard, Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler. As an amateur, Leonard won a light welterweight gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well. When referring to objects, the term indicates that the object is equally suitable for right-handed and left-handed people. When referring to humans, it indicates that a person has no marked preference for the use of the right or left hand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jab</span> Type of punch

A jab is a type of punch used in martial arts. Several variations of the jab exist, but every jab shares these characteristics: while in a fighting stance, the lead fist is thrown straight ahead and the arm is fully extended from the side of the torso. This process also involves a quick turn of the torso. It is an overhand punch; at the moment of impact, the pronated fist is generally held in a horizontal orientation with the palm facing the ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross (boxing)</span> Type of punch found in boxing

In boxing, a straight or cross are punches usually thrown with the dominant hand and are power punches like the uppercut and hook. Compubox, a computerized punch scoring system, counts the straight and cross as power punches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns</span> Boxing competition

Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns, was a world middleweight championship boxing match between undisputed champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler and challenger Thomas Hearns, the WBC super welterweight champion, who had gone up in weight for the bout. Won by Hagler by third-round knockout, the fight is considered by some to be the greatest three rounds in boxing history, due to its constant action, drama, and violent back-and-forth exchanges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Footwork (martial arts)</span> Concept in martial arts

Footwork is a martial arts and combat sports term for the general usage of the legs and feet in stand-up fighting. Footwork involves keeping balance, closing or furthering the distance, controlling spatial positioning, and/or creating additional momentum for strikes.

Tyrone "Butterfly" Crawley was a former professional boxer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Peek-a-boo is a boxing style which received its common name for the defensive hand position, which are normally placed in front of the face, like in the baby's game of the same name. The technique is thought to offer extra protection to the face while making it easier to jab the opponent's face. The fighter holds their gloves close to their cheeks and pulls their arms tight against their torso. A major proponent of the style was trainer Cus D'Amato, who didn't use the term peek-a-boo and instead referred to it as a "tight defense." The style was criticized by some because it was believed that an efficient attack could not be launched from it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boxing styles and technique</span>

Throughout the history of gloved boxing styles, techniques and strategies have changed to varying degrees. Ring conditions, promoter demands, teaching techniques, and the influence of successful boxers are some of the reasons styles and strategies have fluctuated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southpaw stance</span> Hand-to-hand combat terminology

In boxing and some other sports, a southpaw stance is where the boxer has the right hand and the right foot forward, leading with right jabs, and following with a left cross right hook. It is the normal stance for a left-handed boxer. The corresponding boxing designation for a right-handed boxer is the orthodox stance, which is generally a mirror-image of the southpaw stance. In American English, "southpaw" generally refers to a person who is left-handed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slipping</span> Boxing technique

Slipping is a technique used in boxing that is similar to bobbing. It is considered one of the four basic defensive strategies, along with blocking, holding, and clinching. It is performed by moving the head to either side so that the opponent's punches "slip" by the boxer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior dos Santos</span> Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter

Junior dos Santos is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA Heavyweight Champion. As a professional wrestler, dos Santos made appearances for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a member of the American Top Team stable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stipe Miocic</span> American mixed martial artist (born 1982)

Stipe Miocic is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two time UFC Heavyweight Champion. As of May 14, 2024, he is #6 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Ngannou</span> Cameroonian mixed martial artist and boxer (born 1986)

Francis Zavier Ngannou is a Cameroonian and French professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer who is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He also competed in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion at the time of his departure from the promotion. Known for his punching power, Ngannou was widely viewed as the most destructive pure puncher in the UFC's heavyweight division; he ended seven of his fourteen UFC fights by knockout before the two-minute mark in the first round.

The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated is an installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. Tryouts were announced on November 16, scheduled for 26 days later. This season will feature undefeated featherweights and lightweights. The coaches for this season were announced on January 26, pitting current UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic against current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier. The cast was officially announced on the same day.

References

  1. Lissenden, Hilary (8 January 2015). The Complete Guide to Boxing Fitness: A non-contact boxing training manual. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 33–52. ISBN   978-1-4729-0281-8.
  2. "Deciding Between Orthodox or Southpaw". How to Box | ExpertBoxing. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 boxingtimmy (20 October 2023). "Boxing Stances: Explained - Boxing Daily" . Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Spartacus (20 January 2023). "Maximize Your MMA Skills with the Right Fighting Stance". Spartacus MMA. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  5. Peters, Andrew (28 June 2022). "What Is the Difference Between Orthodox And Southpaw?". The Boxx Method. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  6. "Which Is the Best Fighting Stance: Southpaw or Orthodox?". 21 June 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  7. "UFC 252: Inside the moment Stipe Miocic discovered how to beat Daniel Cormier". ESPN.com. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Deciding Between Orthodox or Southpaw". How to Box | ExpertBoxing. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  9. Sorokowski, Piotr; Sabiniewicz, Agnieszka; Wacewicz, Sławomir (20 December 2014). "The influence of the boxing stance on performance in professional boxers". Anthropological Review. 77 (3): 347–353. doi: 10.2478/anre-2014-0025 . ISSN   2083-4594.