comment: >
  
  And a southpaw boxing stance is similar to a right handed wrestling stance (although I never switch my feet), making it even more confusing
context: This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.
  Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!"
  (For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, please read this page.)
  Rule-breaking posts may result in bans. >
  
  It has unique drawbacks as well. A southpaw boxer or kickboxer has their right side, and thus their liver (a critical weak spot in the torso) closer to the opponent. There are other strategies that work uniquely against southpaws, and high level fighters will not neglect to prepare for the adjustment. However, broadly speaking, against regular old sparring partners and in low to middle level competitions, the advantage you speak of does exist. >
  
  This guy fights >
  
  I’m a badminton player and while higher levels can adjust against lefties, they sometimes forget in the heat of a rally giving me that slight advantage.
  A slight hesitation or simply forgetting which hand is my dominant hand during a fast rally is enough in badminton. >
  
  I used to fence, and other teams hated going up against me, a southpaw. >
  
  Is a southpaw fencer stanced the same as an orthodox boxer?
  A boxer stands so his dominant hand is the power hand, and his off-hand is the lead hand. From what I understand, doesn't a fencer stand with his dominant hand in the lead? Therefore, both a southpaw fencer and orthodox boxer would stand left-leg forward? >
  
  A fencer who stood with his dominant hand not in the lead would be at quite some disadvantage. Unless their name is Westley. >
  
  They'd have to use Bonetti's defense, considering the rocky terrain. >
  
  That would be fitting, but then one would expect the enemy to attack with Capo Ferro >
  
  Naturally. But I find Thibault cancels out Capo Ferro, don't you? >
  
  Yes, unless the enemy has, ah, studied his Agrippa. (Source: I have) >
  
  It only works briefly until the opponent adjusts. For example in badminton or table tennis, there might be a chance to win the first few shots before the stronger right handed opponent adjusts to take advantage of their overall strength. But in a bar fight, it definitely is worth that first one or two shots to knock them down early. >
  
  I seem to remember reading that this is why battle forts and castles had their staircases going a specific direction. Right handers col fight coming down but not going up, so lefties we're at an advantage attacking but not defending. >
  
  This is a great and classic story, but apparently a myth, sadly. >
  
  Makes sense. If it’s gotten to the point where attackers are actually inside the walls of the castle the battle is probably over already and the lord/king/etc is going to surrender. >
  
  Yes. And apparently in reality there are plenty of medieval spiral staircases that run in the other direction anyway. >
  
  When I took fencing in college, I was one of two lefties in the class. The instructor always made us duel each other, while the right-handers switched partners each class session. 
  This was bad for the lefties and the righties. The left-handers never got to practice against the  type of opponent they were most likely to face if they took the sport further, and the right-handers were denied the chance to practice against left-handers. >
  
  I would have loved another lefty in my fencing club.  Partner's practice would have been simpler. 
  My brain melts if I face a same handed fencer. At least all the righty fencers got to practice with a lefty, not me though. 
  Balance on all things. Trading occasionally would have been better for you. >
  
  I would have liked to have switched opponents with each class, like all the rest of the students did. >
  
  I once entered an amateur fencing tournament after a few months of training. Smoked everyone until the semi-finals and got my ass handed to me by the first southpaw I'd ever faced. I had no idea what to do, was just totally lost out there. >
  
  It's better to be left-handed in many sports as well.
  Take tennis for example, lefty players (like myself) have a unique advantage on serving to the ad-side, the crucial side. A lefty can slice the serve way out wide on that side into a right-handed players backhand. Making it very difficult to return it. I assume it's the same for left batters/pitchers/bowlers. Most people are used to playing against right-handed players, finding a lefty training partner is a lot more difficult since only 1:10 people are left-handed. >
  
  There’s also the crosscourt forehand-to-backhand rallies that give you an advantage >
  
  I’ve fenced and boxed and this is true. Until two lefties bout eachother. Then we’re both confused. >
  
  As I said elsewhere.  My brain melts.
  All the rightys just watch and laugh! >
  
  How are there 43 comments and none of them are a Princess Bride reference? >
  
  I did muay Thai for a while. 
  All the students hated me bc they couldn't adapt. The coach loved me bc he got to (had to) change things up a bit. >
  
  People may laugh, but this is basically the plot of Cinderella Man. >
  
  And Rocky >
  
  jinx >
  
  Majority of Muay Thai fighters fight southpaw.  The positives are way too much not to.  Liver is always open, back hand drops and that head kick is right there.  One of my favorites is a stepback hook since the lead hand isn't guarding. >
  
  I remember learning that this is why it evolved over time.
  We were all right handed since that makes sense anatomically. The right brain hemisphere is responsible for fine movement and delicate gestures.
  And as more and more people started living together and infighting became a thing, people with the rare left hand mutation had an advantage so it remained. >
  
  I've heard this theory as well, it's a compelling one.
  Despite being an advantage, it remains fairly rare, because if it became dominant then it would no longer be an advantage, as the theory goes. Pretty cool. >
  
  In a fist fight maybe, in a modern urban war not so much.  There are only 2 flanks so only 2 soldiers in a squad/platoon will be outermost on the flanks.  The outermost flanking positions are the most dangerous.  The chances of a leftie being sent to a flanking position are higher than those of a righty simply because there are fewer lefties.  It is a historical fact (established in WWII) that lefties die in slightly higher proportions than righties, in modern urban combat because they are always on the left flank while righties get to interchange so may or may not be on the right flank. >
  
  That's pretty normal for a right-handed fighter >
  
  Against me which hand is dominant gives no advantage. I don’t know how to fight either. >
  
  Works when pitching too.  My coaches all loved me because I was left handed. >
  
  I’d argue it depends on the type of fighting, but I also offer that left handers have had to live in a righties world, so there’s more awareness and comfort using the right side, where righties are usually just righties. >
  
  I used to fence in the SCA and I was taught to do so right-handed, but I've always been pretty ambidextrous so I would sometimes go left-handed just to mess people up.  But what really messed them up is swapping hands mid-fight - I'd start out with the blade in my right hand with my right shoulder back and my left hand out front to deflect, then lunge and transition the blade to my left (forward) hand in one move and suddenly have much more reach than my opponent expected.  As long as I only ever did it very occasionally it got 'em every time.  Sneaky tricks like that were the only way I could win at all with my regular fencing partner who was 6'7" and had ALL the reach. >
  
  Also to a certain extent Tennis. I believe Nadal is left handed. I'm not great at tennis but playing against a leftie was more difficult since all the shots you'd expect are backwards >
  
  A lefty fights against many right-handed in his life and adapt, but a right-handed rarely fights against a lefty. >
  
  Holds true until you fight a grappler. 
  At that point it won’t matter which hand you tap out with.