Are you right handed on both sides?

Discussion in 'Survival and Wilderness Skills' started by C99c, Oct 16, 2016.

  1. C99c

    C99c Member

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    And by that, I mean how ambidextrous are you?

    Why is this in the survival skills subforum? Injuries happen all of the time. Being able to perform vital tasks equally well with either hand seems like it is important enough to spend a little time planning for.

    My interest in this goes back to when I was eight or nine. We were roofing a building one summer and I fell off a ladder while carrying shingles up. Of course I put my dominant (right) hand down to catch myself when I hit and landEd hard on it. It hurt a little, but no breakage or bleeding, etc so back to work I went.
    The next morning I woke up and couldn't use it. No pain, swelling or anything else out of the ordinary, it just wouldn't hold onto things. I remember at some point that day swapping my then carried SAK over to my left pocket and how big a pain in the ass it was working without being able to grab stuff with my right hand, how awkward bathing and fishing were. After a few days it went back to normal and I forgot about it.

    Years later we hauled some hay for a guy.
    The guy's right arm had been torn off below the elbow when he was working on some machinery and a pack of cigarettes fell out of his shirt pocket and he grabbed for them.

    He said that when he finally got home from the hospital there was still a farm there that needed worked so they cut and sewed up all his right sleeves, traded his truck for an automatic (the one thing he seemed to be really upset about) and in his words "became a left handed ass hole instead of a right handed one". Plus he quit smoking.
    It was that simple for him. Crap happened and he adjusted to deal with it. I learned a lot from that guy. Mostly dirty jokes, but still...

    A decade or so ago my dominant (right) hand started to take spells where it wouldn't grip objects with full strength or at all sometimes. I saw some doctors, got a lot of tests done so that they could list a few things it might be and shrug their shoulders a lot.

    After that I made it more of a priority to be able to do everything as equally well as possible with both hands. I started ordering identical left handed set ups to my preferred holsters and practicing a lot left handed.

    I now occasionally swap everything to the opposite pocket for a week at a time. Knife, phone, wallet, everything.

    When building fires I try to always do some of it left handed. Same with using a hammer, working on cars, cleaning game, etc. I still can't write that well with my off hand, but it's legible. Usually.

    I work in a manufacturing environment and being able to use work stations set up for both righties and lefties has definitely been a plus.

    So, thoughts? Experiences? How much of a priority is this for the rest of you?
    Have you given it any thought at all?
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2016
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  2. koolaidnd

    koolaidnd Member

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    I am left handed so I'm already ahead of the game. Being left handed has forced me to learn to be ambidextrous. I'm equally proficient using power tools, knives, wrenches, etc with either hand. Writing with my right hand is terrible but I'm working on it because I'm pretty positive that my left hand will need carpal tunnel surgery in a few years. I want to be ready for it.
     
  3. FortyTwoBlades

    FortyTwoBlades Moderator Staff Member

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    I'm right hand and right eye dominant, but left foot dominant. I tend to hold two-handed tools the opposite of most righties as a result. Generally I don't have a ton of trouble adapting from right handed to left handed usage. I think the thing I struggle with most is writing or drawing lefty, but most other tasks it's fairly easy for me to switch over.
     
  4. Wisdom

    Wisdom Member

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    I think most left handed people are at an advantage in this aspect. The world is designed around using your right hand. If you don't believe this, ask any left handed person. As such, Southpaws are forced to adapt to right handiness. Try for the next week to do everything you normally do with your right hand, with your left hand. I can write, use a knife, hammer, or almost anything else with my right hand. In some cases better than with my left. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to.
     
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  5. AddictedToSteel

    AddictedToSteel Member

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    Its funny that I am right handed, but have things that I do best with my left hand. I am more comfortable swinging a baseball bat or golf club left handed. I use my IPod one handed with my left hand. Little things like that. I don't write much with my left hand.

    I have a buddy that practices shooting his pistol with his left hand. I don't but I should.
     
  6. JMJ

    JMJ Member

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    I grew up writing righthanded, but did everything else with both hands alternately. At 12 years old we found out I was left eye dominate when I was getting into competition shooting and made the switch to shooting lefthanded. Since then I still practice some righthand when shooting. I tend to do most knife related tasks with my righthand, but do swap back and forth as needed.
     
  7. JAD

    JAD Member

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    I don't practice anything left handed. And yet I've always preached to the kids that life throws sh!t at you and you just have to deal with it. If I lost use of my right hand......then I would have to practice what I preach, albeit lefthanded.:eek:
     
  8. Bushman5

    Bushman5 Member

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    I am 100% ambidextrous using a chainsaw.

    everything else.....urg...nope...
     
  9. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    This is a really valid thought. Thanks for bringing it to light.
     

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