Incredibly important yet extremely trivial question...

[Shodan]

Last night, I was at class (karate) and a Heated Debate occurred. Four of us were there, opinion was divided exactly halfway (so two each, basically). Each sided absolutely convinced that they were right.

So I'm turning it over to the Mumsnet jury (who I may or may not reference, depending on the answer . Here's the burning question:

In the diagram shown, imagining that the fists are yours and you were describing how the fists were placed, would you say that:
A) The left fist is in front or
B) The right fist is in front ?

And for even more clarity- we watched a brief clip on a mobile phone about how to do a specific move in a kata. The two people who said that the right fist would be in front had to move round so they were facing the same way as the sensei in the clip.

(I have a half-baked theory forming here)

Ah but what if someone asked "Which fist is in front?" and the other replied "The left"?

I'd say 'you are wrong'

I think it’s a) but I see the logic of b)!

This is a bit of the woman convinced someone standing behind you is at your front...or something

Right fist is in front

@SunshineDays2019

My friend and I believe it's A). The other two believe it's B)

We are all grown-arse black belts and we spent a good ten minutes arguing about this Not for the first time I may add.

I idly wondered if it was a difference between a male and female brain or something. The two who believe it's B) are both male (and Wrong, obviously! )

I'd say 'you are wrong'

There may have been a lot of that said last night

That’s funny because I’ve been told I think/approach things like a man on quite a few occasions! No idea what that means.

Maybe this says more about the individual answering the question - I see myself as the centre of my world so my perspective is one of myself as foremost, with the left arm (or that of the person facing me) being next, so in front, and my (or their) right being furthest away.

Then the next question becomes, is my left really the left, or is their left the true left in which case it will be the arm labelled R.

The big questions of life and philosophy...

If they are your own then RIGHT is outward from your opponent’s POV

So B

I'm female and I think it's B. it's in front of your body ie furthest away from your body

Right

right fist is front fist...all you left sayers are obviously wrong.

Right is is in front.

I say Right is in front - agreeing with UpsideDownFrown.

I really don't see the issue here.

As said both are right depending on perspective. Which you classify as the front, of you classify the front as the fist furthest away, then it's right, if you classify front as the fist closest to you it's left.

I can't see why anyone would argue about this. Clarify your definition of front and then answer.🤷‍♀️

If the fists are facing towards the person holding them up, the right arm is in front of the left one.

I would say right.

The right is in front. I'm not sure how anyone can think the left!

Wrong question.

Question is: is it a picture of how I should be arranging my own fists from my perspective, or is it a picture of how my hands should look to someone else?

Yes B if they're your fists in front of you.
If two other people are standing with one arm each as shown then A would be right.
Both are in relation to you.

Oh shit I can now see another option - if my arms are crossed against my body then I would see it as R being in front.

Ahh this is fascinating.

Similar to clothing - if you are wearing a shirt and tie (or a blouse and lovely scarf) then the tie or lovely scarf is in front of the shirt or blouse.
And I'm not a man, btw.