Boxing Positions or Stances

Boxing is not all about using the best equipment. It is a sport which you can’t practice perfectly unless you know all about it. There are many things other than boxing equipment or gear which you must know about if you want to become a pro. Boxing includes not only gear, but also strategies, training, styles and stances. There are two main boxing stances. One is orthodox and the other is southpaw. The first thing that you need to decide is what stance you want to fight in. And for that purpose, you must know all about these two stances.

Orthodox Stance

This stance is normally adopted by right-handed fighters. It is a traditional stance used in combat sports like boxing, karate, mixed martial arts and kickboxing. It is a stance in which the fighter places his left foot and left hand in front of his right foot and right hand. This stance includes left handed jabs and

Southpaw Stance

It is the mirror image of orthodox stance. It is mostly used by left-handed fighters. In this stance, the fighters place their right, instead of left, foot and hand forward and keep the left foot and hand behind. In both of these stances, the weaker part of body is kept forward and the stronger one is kept behind for maximum use of power and energy.

Orthodox vs. Southpaw

Orthodox stance is recommended for right-handed fighters whereas Southpaw stance is recommended for left-handed fighters. It can’t be said that one of the stances is better than the other. If you have command over both of them, you will be able to change your position during a fight which can easily turn the tables of a fight. If you are badly losing a fight, all you need to do is believe in yourself, don’t fade away, change your stance, confuse your opponent, fight like you mean it, knock your opponent down and win the fight.

Renowned Boxers

Here are a few famous orthodox and southpaw boxers. You can watch how they fight in the ring to learn more about the two stances.

Orthodox

Floyd Mayweather Jr. - He was an expert American boxer. He possesses a track record of 49-0 with 26 knockouts.

Gennady Golovkin - He is a renowned boxer from Kazakhstan. He holds a track record of 34-0 with 31 knockouts.

Danny Green - He is a famous Australian boxer. He has fought in 39 bouts and won 34 of them. He has knocked out his opponents 28 times.

Southpaw

Manny Pacquiao - He is a world-class boxer from Philippines. He has a track record of 57-6-2 with 38 knockouts.

Victor Ortiz - He is a popular American boxer. He has taken part in 37 fights till now. He has won 30 and lost only 5 of them. 2 of his fights ended as a draw. He has knocked out 23 of his opponents.

Vic Darchinyan - This famous Australian boxer possesses a track record of 41-8-1 with 30 knockouts.

These are the two stances adopted in boxing. If you are a right-handed boxer, you should adopt orthodox position. Once you get total command over it, you should also learn to fight in the southpaw stance. If you are a left-handed boxer, you should adopt the reverse method. First get command over the southpaw and then learn the orthodox stance.

How To Clean Your Mouthguard

Mouth guards are essential for the safety of your smile and mouth during training sessions and fights. These guards are always used during boxing fights for the assurance of protection and their significance cannot be denied by anyone. But the regular use of the guard makes it unclean and you need to make sure that you clean it at least once or twice a week. It is recommended that you clean your guard every time you use it. Cleaning the guard is not a difficult task but it must be done in an appropriate way using appropriate tools. If you want to clean your mouth guard in a proper manner, all you need to do is follow some few simple steps and use some easy methods which have been mentioned below.

1 – Use Cleaning Tablets

 

Mouthguard cleaning tablets and powders are widely available in the market at reasonable rates. Buy good quality tablets or powder and mix them in water. The quantity of tablets or powder and water to be used is usually written on the packing of the cleaning powder or tablets. Now stir the solution and then soak the guard in it. Place it there for some time (Preferably a few hours). The time may be mentioned on the packing. After soaking, dry it out completely.

2 – Use Soap

Take a good quality cleaning soap and place it in water for a few minutes. When the solution is ready, soak the guard into it for a few hours and then let it dry out completely. Try cleaning it with a towel afterwards.

3 – Visit A Dentist

Go to a professional dentist and let him do the cleaning for you. Dentists know better how to protect your mouth from bacteria and other germs. They also have some devices which are certainly built for cleaning mouth protectors.

4 – Use Natural Items

Using natural items like bleach, vinegar and lemon solution to clean your guard is also an effective method. The procedure of this method is no different than the above mentioned soaking methods.

5 – Use Toothpaste Or Mouthwash

Apply toothpaste on a toothbrush and use it for cleaning your guard. Toothpaste contains all the necessary ingredients for the safety of your mouth. It also keeps your moth fresh. That is why using it to clean your mouth guard is not a bad idea at all.

How to Size a Mouth Guard

If you are a pro mixed martial artist or want to become one, you need to get ready for the fight in a suitable way. The equipment you use for fighting, practicing and training must be durable and made using top quality material. One of the most important gear that you use during fights are your MMA gloves and protective gear especially mouth guards. Talking about mouth guards, if you want maximum protection for your mouth, the guard you wear must be perfectly sized and shaped. The task of sizing and shaping is not that easy and simple as everyone needs a certain size and shape of mouth guard for himself. Following a few easy steps mentioned below, you can get your guard appropriately sized and shaped.

Step 1 – Select a Suitable, Durable Mouth Guard

Find yourself a good quality MMA mouth guard available widely in the markets and online stores. Try buying one of the best mouth guards for MMA, not caring for the price. Make sure that you compare at least three different branded guards before buying one and then select the best one for you.

Step 2 – Get the Necessary Equipment

To size the guard, you’ll need a pair of scissors, a good quality mouth guard, boiled water, a towel and cold water.

Step 3 – Trim the Mouth Guard

Trim the guard with scissors so that it becomes comfortable for you. If it is already comfortable, skip this step.

Step 4 – Boil Water

Get some water and boil it. Make sure that after this process you have enough water that the guard completely submerges into it.

Step 5 – Place the Guard inside Hot Water

Now place the guard into the boiled water such that it completely submerges into it. Keep it inside for almost one minute (not more than that).

Step 6 – Fix the Guard in Your Mouth

Now carefully remove the guard with the towel and then fit it inside your mouth, it won’t be too hot. Don’t chew it. Adjust it on your upper teeth tightly so that it gets the exact impression of your teeth.

Step 7 – Place the Guard inside Cold Water

Now remove the guard from your mouth and then quickly place it into cold water. Keep it there for a couple of minutes. That’s all you need to perfectly size your mouth guard.