Is Jaime going to become skilled with his left hand?

[Shadow on the Wall]

From personal experience with racquet sports, you really can make rapid progress with your other hand if you already have a good understanding of how the game is played.

Since Jaime was incredibly good with his right hand the carryover will probably turn him into a pretty decent left hander, certainly better than most, if he puts in enough hours. That said, I highly doubt he'll really get anywhere close to where he was before.

[Sweet-N-SourRobin]

Left Handed Jaime would never be the equal of Right Handed Jaime no matter how much time and effort he puts in.

But Left Handed Jaime could still end up being better than Right Handed A Lot Of Other People.

And he would also have the advantage of it being weird/uncomfortable for others to adjust to fighting a southpaw, because it's so relatively unusual (this is very much a thing in boxing, as people have mentioned earlier in the thread). They even introduced this idea in the TV show, when they added dialogue for Syrio Forel; he sees Arya instinctively set up left handed in their first session, and he voices his approval, explaining that fighting left handed will aid her in keeping her future opponents off balance.

[Ser Pollo Loco]

I think Jamie has the potential to be good with his left, but he is mentally holding himself back. As long as he keeps thinking that he can only be good with his right and keeps up this negativity, I think he will keep having trouble.

Look at how Arya is able to adjust to being blind. It is possible to adjust to something debilitating with constant practice so I just think he needs to keep at it and believe that things will get better.

Jon's going to tell Jamie about the halfhand and then say free your mind neo

[GallowsKnight]

To be fair the Halfhand still has half a hand and the more important fingers, thumb and index, as well as the palm of the hand. This could still contribute to a two-handed grip or hold a shield. He could even draw a bow in an albeit unconventional manner.

[DaeneryStormBorn]

No, he is right hander by birth, It is not the same, no matter how much you train. I used to be left handed until I had accident with my left hand, I had to learn everything right cus I couldnt use my left hand. Now I can write both left and right, but prefers left hand because it is much easier. Also it's not the same on strength.

[Son of the Smiling Knight]

If Jaime can't become as good or better with his less then it literally makes the Halfhands story kind of pointless. Martin likes to use minor characters to foreshadow events with bigger ones.

[Santa]

Beeing a fighter myself, I think i can say from experience and knowledge that Biologicly it is impossible, as his brain was beeing specially designed in his youth. His left brainpart is dominant because it steers his right dominant bodyparts.

He will be able to build up the muscle mass, and the needed experience to make the right decisions and reactions with his left handed stance.

But reflexes can only be made by the brain. And as his brain is fully developped he would need to train unused brain parts for the needed reflexes.

With him training only 3 hours every off night, it would take probabely 3-5 years.

And he does not have that time left to live.

(what GRRM does in his books is another reality, so we don't know)

[KL State of Mind]

It's gonna be awkward for him to hold a shield. Even if a mechanism can be developed for his fake hand to hold a shield, he has to hold onto it until the fight is done. Can't discard it and pick up a new one if his gets too battered

[DaeneryStormBorn]

And Even if he does become good with his Left hand, strength is just not the same. This is based on my personal experience tho.

[Jordouche]

Qhorin has done it. Jaime could do it.

So forget what is realistic.

[Michael Snow]

Qhorin Halfhand lost, what, half his hand. He was still really, really good. I think if Jaime keeps working on it, he'll be pretty decent again. That's assuming he gets the chance, and I'm really not convinced that he will. Stoneheart n' all.

[Cruella]

I am sure he has one very humiliating public fight in him, in any case. Just cause it's GRRM. Afterwards, maybe he'll become competent. He is very motivated. I can see him killing the likes of Lancel.

[Michael Snow]

If that happens, I'm sure I'll be rooting for him before the end. And then I'll hate myself for it. Oh, GRRM, you emotional tyrant, you.

[idler]

If that happens, I'm sure I'll be rooting for him before the end. And then I'll hate myself for it. Oh, GRRM, you emotional tyrant, you.

...actually, Maisie Williams managed to learn it. But it was "pretty tricky".... :smoking:

I still want to see the fight of the left-handers!

...oh, sorry, this might better go to the TV - show... :bowdown:

[Pallantides]

It's not all that difficult to train handness when you consistently do it. It's the prevailing thought that I had drilled into me when I was learning how to shoot rifles and shotguns. Because I'm left eye dominant, but right handed, my trainers got me to switch to using my left hand for shooting, but I had been doing that for some time prior as well. It did not take all that long to do so, and to become moderately proficient was only about four weeks, while to get really good took about 3 months total.

Once you begin developing that muscle memory, it's going to be staying with you. Lots of people who have had strokes are capable of learning how to use their other hand, and are able to do so competently, so I doubt Jaime would not fare horribly at it. The big thing is that he has to put in practice, because now instead of being a swordsman who is naturally talented, all of his talent with his left hand is going to be coming from his drilling and training. The issue for him, is likely that because he is Lord Commander, he does not have the amount of time that he would possibly need in order to train adequately.

It's amazing what the human body can adapt to, when the changes have to be made due to injuries or disabilities.

[Winds of Winter blow cold]

When I was in kindergarten I switched from my left to my right (I wasn't forced to I just did), my hand writing still sucks.

[Makes No Sansa]

This is a fantasy saga, so I guess it's possible. I myself have a lot more strenght in my right arm, and if I was a good swordsman I don't think I could ever get used to fighting with my left hand... Perhaps Jaime will, I'd love it.

[The Mother of The Others]

You don't hear a lot about southpaw swordsmen like you do with lefty pitchers in baseball.

I wonder if the dynamic is the same, where it causes awkwardness for the batter (enemy knight).

If it translates into swordplay, Jaime could create unusual worries for his opponents and attack them on their weak side in ways they haven't trained as much to defend against.

Or the baseball analogy might not hold up. Maybe all good swordsmen are the equivalent of switch hitters able to defend no matter where the opponents blade is coming from. If so, then Jaime would have no special advantage and they'd have two hands to his one so they should be able to overload him at some point. So I guess he better get as skilled with his left as with the right. Also, his other option is to have the hand magically restored. ( You have to trade in a lot of frequent flyer miles for that. )

[Black Wolf Smith]

You don't hear a lot about southpaw swordsmen like you do with lefty pitchers in baseball.

I wonder if the dynamic is the same, where it causes awkwardness for the batter (enemy knight).

If it translates into swordplay, Jaime could create unusual worries for his opponents and attack them on their weak side in ways they haven't trained as much to defend against.

Or the baseball analogy might not hold up. Maybe all good swordsmen are the equivalent of switch hitters able to defend no matter where the opponents blade is coming from. If so, then Jaime would have no special advantage and they'd have two hands to his one so they should be able to overload him at some point. So I guess he better get as skilled with his left as with the right. Also, his other option is to have the hand magically restored. ( You have to trade in a lot of frequent flyer miles for that. )

Isn't that what Syrio told Arya? That being left handed was very good?

As for the OP, I don't think Jaime will live long enough to get that good at it.

[Lady Wylla Manderly]

Just wondering what the general consensus on this is.

I think he'll become skilled enough with it.

There seems to have been too much focus on his training for it to go nowhere.

I'd like to think he's going to die before getting the chance, to be honest.