# training with bad vision



## seca2man (Aug 18, 2006)

When I was young, I was the kid wearing the Coke bottom glasses.  I had very poor eyesight from the get go.  I've worn contact lenses since a teenager and this has freed me from glasses and allowed me to play sports and lead an active life

Question: For those with really bad eyesight, do you (karate) train with your contacts or wear your glasses?  What about sparring?  I guess the ultimate practice would be to spar without any eyewear since that is the most likely scenario if you ever end up in a street fight.  Just curious.


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## Jonathan Randall (Aug 19, 2006)

seca2man said:
			
		

> When I was young, I was the kid wearing the Coke bottom glasses. I had very poor eyesight from the get go. I've worn contact lenses since a teenager and this has freed me from glasses and allowed me to play sports and lead an active life
> 
> Question: For those with really bad eyesight, do you (karate) train with your contacts or wear your glasses? What about sparring? I guess the ultimate practice would be to spar without any eyewear since that is the most likely scenario if you ever end up in a street fight. Just curious.


 
I generally took off my eyeglasses when I sparred. First off, they were expensive, lol, second, streetwise attackers will usually grab your glasses because they know that your fixation on them will distract you from defending yourself competently.


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## MA-Caver (Aug 19, 2006)

If contacts are a problem then the alternative is perscription sports glasses (pricey I know), but learning to feel your way and if you have enough vison to make out the "shape" of your opponent in front of you then it may work that way. But as you said, contacts aren't a problem sooo... I wear glasses (and need a new perscription soon), but in a for-real-fight... I'll try to take them off and put them somewhere safe... if I have enough time and see one brewing. Otherwise I keep them on and do my best to duck, dodge and block. Then again in the heat of a fight I'm not gonna really think too much about my glasses, just finishing it as quickly as possible. Circumstances will make that determination. 
Sparring? I've rarely sparred but when I have my glasses comes off and put to one side. 

Think Master Po from the old TV series "Kung Fu"  If he's able to do it ... why not you?


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## Drac (Aug 19, 2006)

One of the LEO's I instruct with has really bad vision..For CQB exercises he removes his Coke bottle glasses or wears these "scrip" sports glasses, no contacts as tthe chance of a real serious injury is to real.....With glasses off all he sees is shapes in bright liight conditions..In low light he sees alot less,,Therefor his reaction time to  being grabbed is amazing..


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## Kacey (Aug 19, 2006)

I generally wore my glasses for general training (line drills, patterns, etc.) but took them off for sparring and hol-sin-sul (releases, throws, etc.) because they get would in the way or fall off anyway.  Anything past my arm's length was fuzzy... but then, how far away is an attacker likely to be?  And how much focus did I need to see a hand or foot (much less a body) coming toward me?  I've since had Lasik, and love it!


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## MJS (Aug 19, 2006)

seca2man said:
			
		

> When I was young, I was the kid wearing the Coke bottom glasses. I had very poor eyesight from the get go. I've worn contact lenses since a teenager and this has freed me from glasses and allowed me to play sports and lead an active life
> 
> Question: For those with really bad eyesight, do you (karate) train with your contacts or wear your glasses? What about sparring? I guess the ultimate practice would be to spar without any eyewear since that is the most likely scenario if you ever end up in a street fight. Just curious.


 
I wear contacts as well as own a pair of glasses.  Usually during training times, I wear the contacts, due to a fear of the glasses getting hit and broke.  During times when I wear my glasses during training, I'll usually take them off.  I can still see well enough to do techniques, spar, etc.

The Lasik surgery as Kacey mentioned is always an option.  I work with a guy who swears by it.  My eye doctor is always talking about it with me, but I've yet to do it.  Its not cheap, but obviously it eliminates wearing contacts and glasses.

Mike


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## Doc (Aug 19, 2006)

I see this all the time with my students and suggest your experiences in training mirror real life. Students that have to stop in the middle because a contact went sideways, or 'nobody move' because it 'popped out' is likely to happen in the real world. But then your glasses may be knocked off as well, so neither way is superior than the other, except contacts will more likely be available and 'in' initially in a confrontation, which is a good start. You'll have to learn to deal with the circumstances either way, without the luxury of being able to 'stop' and 'adjust' in real life. My students have both sport prescription glasses and contacts. No one wears regular glasses in class, because it is forbidden, and dangerous.


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## KenpoSterre (Aug 19, 2006)

I do wear glasses when I learn techniques and learn them on the body but after I have them slightly down then I take my glasses off. Glasses are not forbidden but most the time we put them off if we are in contact with others. I don't suggest contacts because they injure your eyes if used regulurly. I stick with my glasses and even though I can't see much past arms length I don't think that I will fight a guy that is standing five feet away.


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## KenpoTex (Aug 19, 2006)

I have very poor vision.  I've worn glasses for most of my life, including the first couple of years of my training, until I got tired of having them knocked off (usually 2 or 3 times per class), or bent (usually whenever they got knocked off).  I always removed my glasses during sparring and I made it a point to just ignore them if they got knocked off during spontaneous drills or techniques.  About two years ago I switched to contacts and have never been happier.  Though there is still a chance that one might come out during an altercation, it's happened once or twice during training (once or twice in two years as opposed to 3 times a night with glasse), I still feel that I'm better off since I'd still have good vision with one eye.  OTOH, I feel that I benefited from training without corrective lenses since I was able to learn to fight when I couldn't necessarily see clearly.


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## stabpunch (Aug 19, 2006)

Glasses Cost me AU$400: bent, lenses popped out and finaly lost- verdict not practical for martial arts or self defense situations.

Laser surgery: I have heard (i am not an optometrist) the basis of this surger is fine cuts in the cornea producing curvatre to correct light defraction. It has been said to me that the likely hood of the eye exploding on bein struck is increased as the incision weakens the cornea.

My recommendation would be a mixture of bare eye and contact lenses. Contact lenses are good as you can see whilst sparring, however i have lost a few pairs due to being hit in the eye. When you spar with them in you have an extra liability, due to your eyesight this liability may be less than not being able to see. Just be aware of them and modify your technique to compensate a little. Train with them both out or one in one out , this will simulate the event of one or both getting knocked out.

Also use disposable lenses for training they are cheaper to replace.


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## donna (Aug 19, 2006)

I wear my glasses , but when it comes time for sparring or wrestling I take them off.  As has been said, in a real attack they are likely to get knocked off anyway so I train for that. I use my old beaten up "backup" pair of glasses for training so if they get damaged I am not without glasses for everyday.


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 19, 2006)

Wear glasses, and wore them when sparing. Also have broken a pair or 2 when sparing so I guess on occasion I also spared without glasses too


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## Old Fat Kenpoka (Aug 19, 2006)

I have this problem as well. I am nearsighted. It was actually worse in my mid-20's and 30's. I also have astigmatism which has not improved. My eyesight helped define my fighting style. Let me explain.

I sweat like a pig. I am unable to wear glasses and train. The glasses just fog. So I train without glasses. Also, I just never could do contacts. They just don't work well with my astigmatism and I hate putting things into/onto my eyes. So I train as is.

Nearsightedness makes me want to fight close. My size and a bum knee make me not quickly mobile. So, I am not so great at closing distance and chasing fleet-footed opponents. Because of my sight, I don't want to move back and give back distance. I do move, but prefer to let my opponents come to me. To protect myself against against strikes and particularly against kicks coming quickly, I learned to defend my targets and not to reach out to deflect incoming attacks. I focus on counter-fighting and deflecting and closing with strikes that bounce off incoming attacks. My style doesn't work all the time, it doesn't work against everyone, and it is certainly limited. But it masks some of my phyiscial limitations, maximizes my phisycal abilities and gives me a clear strategy. And it works suprisingly well for me.

My vision is not an obstacle at all in grappling where distance and touch eliminate much of the need to look far.


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## ammonihah99 (Aug 21, 2006)

It's good to know there are others out there with the same problem as me. I'm near-sighted and have had glasses since I was a kid. My eyes are so bad can't even read the big "E" on the eye chart, nothing is in focus until it's about 6 - 12 inches from my nose.

I've been in martial arts for almost as long as I've been wearing glasses and I  never usually wear them while training unless I need to see something specific. I've learned to adapt and have just as much control with or without my glasses. So if I was in a situation it would be nice to have them, but if they get knocked off I'm not handicapped.

It might even be good motivation to step it up a notch, I hate it when people touch my glasses! I pity the fool!


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## HKphooey (Aug 21, 2006)

For intense saprring or close quarter fighting, I wear prescription sunglasses that have clear lenses.  I have found Ray Ban Daddy-O's can take the punishment (I also use them for snowboarding).  They are rubber caoted, wrap-around style.  I have yet to have a lense pop out.  With a AAA diso**** I paid less than $300.


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