Bad Side

**judojeff** · Posted On: 9/12/2012 9:37am

How long do you guys wait before you practice a technique on your bad side? I suddenly realized last week that I only practice throws on my good side and as such can barely throw to my left even with a good uke.

So do you wait till you get the hang of a move on your strong side before practicing on your bad side or is it a better idea to immediatly start training both sides?

**Permalost** · Posted On: 9/12/2012 11:40am

I've done styles that drill everything 50/50, and where its like 70-80% on one side. I found that even when training everything on both sides, I'd naturally spar in a more biased way. For example, right fireman's carry feels great, left one not so much. Practicing on both sides is a good way to really deconstruct technique- if its good on one side and not the other, you can study the little details that make up why. I've heard some people advocate a training bias in favor of the weaker side- training it more than the other side so that symmetry is achieved.

**Ming Loyalist** · Posted On: 9/12/2012 11:55am

there are a lot of different opinions on this. in judo many people advocate having a throw in each direction, but not necessarily having the *same* throw in every direction. the thought is that to truly get good at a throw, one has to be very dedicated to it, and shouldn't split their time between doing it lefty vs. righty.

on the other hand, especially with younger judo players who show signs of ambidexterity, some advocate learning *every* technique on both sides, right from the beginning. hard to say what will work for you. for me, i only have a couple of throws to the left, and they aren't really the same as the throws to the right, and i don't change my grips to do them.

**daishi** · Posted On: 9/12/2012 11:59am

I immediately train things on both sides, equally. I really only have a 'bad side' if I think about what side I'm doing.

**BKR** · Posted On: 9/12/2012 1:29pm

Originally Posted by judojeff

How long do you guys wait before you practice a technique on your bad side? I suddenly realized last week that I only practice throws on my good side and as such can barely throw to my left even with a good uke.

So do you wait till you get the hang of a move on your strong side before practicing on your bad side or is it a better idea to immediatly start training both sides?

I don't advocate practicing all throws on both sides. I think it is better to have a throws you can do to your "weak" side well rather than just taking a shotgun approach. Those throws should be complimentary to your main side throws. For example, I use Hiza Guruma and Sasae Tsurikomi ashi, and ashi barai techniques to my left side (I'm a righty). My left ippon seoi from a right grip is very strong,in fact, it often feels better than to the sleeve side because of the shorter grip on the collar (less slack).

If you practice your tai sabaki (turning) as a solo drill a lot to your off side, you will find that you can begin to perform the associated throws to the off side a lot better. It's doubtful you will be fluid between both sides in randori (for your major strong side throws), but it's entirely possible to be able to do them well in training, and feel comfortable doing them.

I practice tai sabaki to both sides as a warm up. Over the years, it's built up my coordination left side turning throws.

So, train both sides, but you don't have to do the same throws to both sides. I think everyone should practice a collar side ipponi seoi nage. It's one of the easiest to do and has a lot of practical application. Try Sode Tsurikomi Goshi as well to your off side.

**BKR** · Posted On: 9/12/2012 1:35pm

Originally Posted by judojeff

How long do you guys wait before you practice a technique on your bad side? I suddenly realized last week that I only practice throws on my good side and as such can barely throw to my left even with a good uke.

So do you wait till you get the hang of a move on your strong side before practicing on your bad side or is it a better idea to immediatly start training both sides?

Find complementary throws to your "off" side. That would be left if you are a righty. I'd start with Ippon Seoi Nage to the collar side, then Sode Tsurikomi Goshi. But try different basic throws from your normal strong side grip and see what works better for you. You can also work on throwing from a left grip if you are a righty as well. Again, experiement and find a turning throw you can get the feel of quickly. It's more important to get in reps with something that you can do rather than to struggle with every throw. Tsurikomi/tai sabaki for basic turning throws will overlap in application.

Develop off side ashi waza like Hiza Guruma, Sasae Tsurikomi Ashi, and ashi barai, etc. Do these from your normal strong side grip. They are complimentary in many ways to the basic strong side throws.

If you regularly do solo training for tai sabaki, do both sides for the turning throws. back turning, front turning, etc. That will help your throwing a lot, to both sides.

Ben

**DarkPhoenix** · Posted On: 9/12/2012 2:50pm

I only just started really working on my left side because there are a few players at my club who play lefty and they get a little flustered playing another lefty and I found it easier to score a throw on them when playing lefty.

**judojeff** · Posted On: 9/13/2012 7:44am

Thanks guys, I'l start working left side come practice time, hopefully il find a major throw that feels semicomfortable lefty. Also I like the idea of doing left side ashi waza to set up a major throw to the right, for some reason i had never thought of doing that.

**Vieux Normand** · Posted On: 9/13/2012 1:38pm

Us southpaws seem to be more ambilecherous.

That's a good thing, in a great many more contexts than just fighting.

**Moenstah** · Posted On: 9/13/2012 5:59pm

True that Vieux Normand, for me - a lefty - it's actuallly an advantage to learn techniques on the right side first, as I am used to mentally deconstruct it to my leftside mind, whichhelps learninthe g techniques at both sides