Eye contact

[theletch1]

Chalk another one up to the center mass theory.

 

[jkembry]

Thanks a bunch,

I am still working on just becoming aware, but have started experimenting with various things mentioned here. Yesterday I was watching the throat area as well as the middle of the body. I was quite surprised at the clues that are transmitted by different parts of the body as to the persons next move.

 

[stickarts]

My focus is toward the chest but I open up my vision so I can see the entire body. I am aware of the eyes, facial expressions, the feet, and everything as much as possible. I don't think I would be able to see what the feet are doing so well if i stare at the eyes. This has worked well for my teachers, myself, and my students. Please let us know how everything goes for you!!

 

[Shotgun Buddha]

Heh. I wonder how the always stare at the eyes theory holds up when dealing with multiple opponents? It always struck me as a very duel orientated method.
I tend to try not to focus on any one particular thing, keep my gaze roughly chest height and just allow my vision to pick out motion periphally.

 

[naneek]

i like to look at the chin/throat area when fighting but not in a focused way, kind of like looking just past it and allowing my eyes to relax, the peripheral vision tends to pick up motion, well this works well for counter fighters

 

[MA-Caver]

center of the body.. the eyes aren't what is gonna hit ya LOL

but seriously.. likemost have said never focus on the eyes they will never tell you anything.. you know the song those lying eyes LOL

the body has to move if every so slighlty then you can react to it..

now from a tae kwon do point of view.. get with a partner.. in a normal distance for sparring.. look in their eyes and see if you can see their feet without looking down the answer is NO.. now look at the center of their chest you can see their whole body without moving your eyes..

Glenn

Agreed, this is where I watch my opponents but slightly above center near the throat. Wide field of vision as well. Eyes move the fastest of all muscles in the body so if you catch something just within the outer circle of vision your eyes will shift to that automatically and you should be able to catch it.
Try also not to get so close to someone that you can't see most of them.

 

[jkembry]

Agreed, this is where I watch my opponents but slightly above center near the throat. Wide field of vision as well. Eyes move the fastest of all muscles in the body so if you catch something just within the outer circle of vision your eyes will shift to that automatically and you should be able to catch it.
Try also not to get so close to someone that you can't see most of them.

Thank MA, I will give this a go at next training. It makes sense that the eye muscles are the fastest...they always get me in trouble when I go for a field vision test at the docs....

 

[Lynne]

We were told to watch the collar bone. This reminds me, I have forgotten to do that! At my level, I am thinking too much to have that loose awareness but I will try to relax a little more and incorporate it.

 

[JustAVisitor]

I totally agree with Wolfeyes2323. And i am really glad that he mentioned the 'unfocus' thing. It is really important. You cannot trust what you see though.
In WC, i have learnt to make contact. Once i have contact i am much safer, because i know where my adversary is and i can anticipate what his/her next moves, without looking.

 

[jkembry]

I totally agree with Wolfeyes2323. And i am really glad that he mentioned the 'unfocus' thing. It is really important. You cannot trust what you see though.
In WC, i have learnt to make contact. Once i have contact i am much safer, because i know where my adversary is and i can anticipate what his/her next moves, without looking.

Interesting thought...so I guess you are saying that deception can happen. Please help me to understand what you mean by contact (physical contact....or just awareness....or perhaps a bit of both).

 

[JustAVisitor]

The unfocus allows you to perceive what is coming up. But when it's there, there is a bridge between you and your opponent. Physical contact instantly gives in lots of information about your opponent. For example: where your opponent is, if s/he is open, if s/he is grounded, if s/he is tired, what are her/his next options, where is the face, the centerline etc.
The best analogy that i can find is that it is like playing chess against the clock. Everything happens really fast. One move triggers the next move. Some sequences of moves are known by heart, others are newly tried out strategies.

 

[MA-Caver]

While Ben Kenobi's adage of "your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them" is true, it applies I think if there is a change in body chemistry (namely alcohol... even one), or the environment (smoke, heavy rain, etc. ). Otherwise if you've trained your eyes as well as the rest of you then you'll learn to see the shifting of the foot/weight, shoulders, torso and more importantly what their eyes are telling you.
I've gone easy on a couple of fights when I glanced at the eyes of my opponent/attacker and saw (surprise to me) fear/doubt. But I've gone harder when I saw anger (red), rage and murderous intent.
Quick glance at what the eyes are revealing to you and watch the body. If it's ON then staring at the eyes aren't going to do any good. Pre-build up to it, you know... "c'mon big boy what you got? huh? c'mon man, c'mon!!" (and variation of that theme, is when you watch the eyes and then glance occasionally when they realize what they've gotten themselves into.
Remember people by and large are pretty stupid (including us at times)... even more so when they've downed anywhere between a pint to a quart of alcohol. I'm not saying be merciful but I'm not saying be Cobra-Kai either ("...mercy is for the weak!")_.

 

[Shuri Ryu Sonny]

remember the eyes can look one place and a kick or punch may go another so if you think their eyes will tell you where they are going to hit you may be incorrect.
Looking at the center of the chest and not staring you can see the whole body move

Yes in my dojo we are told that during sparing we are to look at the persons midsection that way you can see both arms and legs just as they start the move. The reason we are told NOT to look at the eyes is because in my style Shuri-Ryu (Roberta Trias Kelly Faction) we have different emotions/faces we present to psyche out our attacker.

 

[GBlues]

I'm a proponent of watching the hips. The eyes lie. Especially if you're fighting someone experienced like Brian....This is especially important in arts with kicking.

The hips can't lie, if you want to throw a kick, the hips have to lead it. simple body mechanics. Even if it is a shorter kick with little hip movement, it has to be chambered. The same with punches, most punches start from the hip as well (although it isn't difficult to throw a punch with just the shoulders). Either way, looking at the hips gives you a better sense of the whole body and you can keep an eye on the shoulders and center of mass.

Center of mass would work as well. I never look at the eyes though, too easy to fake.

 

[tellner]

Soft focus is the only way to go. If you focus on a particular point you do a bunch of things, all of them counterproductive. First, you start the entire bad stress response. It begins with tunnel vision and quickly goes to auditory exclusion, tachypsychia, cognitive dissonance and freezing. Second your peripheral vision and sensitivity to motion goes way down.

 

[hungfistron]

Only immature technicians use the physical eye. This is the eye of strategy amd of clever tricks. They cannot cut with their spirit; they can only chop with their ego. For the physical eye, technique is a game. The physical eye is in a hurry; it can only enjoy victory. Why can't people understand that the meaning of victory is no conflict? The meaning of no conflict is no separation. The physical eye cannot see the truth of satori.


-----Morihei Ueshiba

 

[Darren]

Last night during training and sparring we had a discussion on where one should look...primarily during sparring. The conclusion was that eye contact was the most important. Since I am beginning I am finding eye contact to be difficult...but when I make the connection, I do seem to be more aware of what is happening. So, I was curious as to the thoughts here on ey contact during sparring.

- Jeff -

My father said he had met a former Vietnam veteran they were talking about the arts, my father being the show me type threw a punch at the vet, of course the vet blocked the punch my father asked him how he blocked the punch( it was my father that taught me how to box) my father said the vet told him the the pupils of someone’s eyes will get smaller just before a punch is thrown.

 

[Dirty Dog]

My father said he had met a former Vietnam veteran they were talking about the arts, my father being the show me type threw a punch at the vet, of course the vet blocked the punch my father asked him how he blocked the punch( it was my father that taught me how to box) my father said the vet told him the the pupils of someone’s eyes will get smaller just before a punch is thrown.

Since the thread you're responding to is a teenager, it's unlikely that the people involved are going to respond. So I will do it for them.

The "fight or flight" response causes the pupils to dilate. "Rest and digest" causes constriction. There are plenty of ways people can telegraph their intent to throw a punch, but this is not one of them.

 

[Cynik75]

 

[Darren]

Is that all there is? is teenagers here? If so is there a adult section here? Thank you!!