Looking for a little help and advice if possible

[Master Jay S. Penfil]

Clair,
Everyone here has had great adviseregarding your eyewear...

On the other hand, a big part of training as you move upward in time and rank should be sensativity. Much of my training (when sparring) I do with my eyes closed. If you are close enough to make contact, you should be able to feel your opponents movement and be able to move with them.

I have spent the past 11 years cross training with friends who teach Classical Wing Chun. There are drill that we have learned that teach you how to develop this sensativity. If you have a chance to intereact with Classical Wing Chun practitioners you will find it beneficial for your training.


John,
Are you really 6'7"??????????????

I was in Red Lion, PA last week and was trying to contact you regarding coming in for some good training. I will be there again in the near future. Maybe you can make it in at that time.

 

[claireg31]

well, i went to training on Monday night and i did some of the class minus my glasses and i have to say it wasn't as hard as i thought, i reckoned that my balance would be completely shot, but it wasn't, pleasantly surprised!

i'm going to enquire about the toric contact lenses when i next go to get my eyes checked, the laser eye surgery is a no-no at the moment, i know it works, my sisters boyfriend had this done last december and he has perfect vision now and had no trouble whatsoever with the surgery. I just have no money to fund it at the moment!!

i'm going to continue doing the line work drills without my glasses, just aswell i know the techniques Sir is on about, and he kindly gives them in English too, mind you, i'm a black belt, no excuses for no knowing them!

you've all been incredibly helpful, thank you very much

claire

 

[Tez3]

Laser eye surgery is out for me because of my work, if I were to have it done I would most likely lose my job.


http://www.myopia.org/bbclasersurgery.htm

 

[Flying Crane]

Some good advice, I'll just add my own two cents here...

I am fairly near-sighted, but probably not quite so bad as some of the people who have chimed in.

I trained capoeira for a number of years, and when we entered the Roda to play, I just did without my glasses. I got used to it, and it wasn't a real problem for me. Getting my glasses smashed in a game was a big no-no for me, so I just didn't risk it.

Eventually, I got soft, disposeable contact lenses. My eyes don't like contacts so much, so I only wear them while training. For a couple hours every other day or so, they are fine, but I cannot wear them full time, my eyes get irritated by them. During most of the day I wear my glasses, and if I'm just doing forms training or something, I often still wear my glasses but I use a croakie to keep them secure on my face. This system has worked well for me.

Regarding Lasik, it is an option, but it is not perfect and is not a good choice for everyone. Be very careful if you consider this, make sure you find a good surgeon and really think hard about it first.

The process does cut thru the cornea of the eye, and while the cornea is able to heal, there is some loss of physical strength in the structure of the eye. It is possible that this can leave the eye somewhat weakened physically, and a blow to the eye during sparring could be more likely to injure the eye. Also, after the procedure the cornea heals and is functional pretty quickly, but I think you need to give it a good deal of time before you can really trust it again. I suspect you may need to end your sparring sessions for 6 months or so. Talk to the surgeon and be very blunt about these issues. Ask the difficult questions, and if you feel the surgeon is brushing your concerns aside, FIND ANOTHER ONE.

For many people, the procedure is very effective in correcting their vision problems. But this isnt' true for everyone. Some people have problems, I know Bob Hubbard who runs Martialtalk here had a horrendous nightmare experience with it that will probably affect him for the rest of his life. I remember a few years ago he had a thread here about his experience, I think you ought to read thru it, and perhaps talk with him directly about it. While his experience is probably unusual, you ought to know what is possible.

For some people, the results are not perfect, and they ultimately need glasses again. Just be realistic in what you expect. It's not an absolutely perfect technique.

Personally, I'm hoping they develop a method that does not include cutting the cornea open. Maybe they can fire the laser thru the cornea to do the work without making any incisions, and without compromising the physical strength of the eye. If they come up with that kind of thing, I'll get in line for my turn.

Just some thoughts.

 

[foggymorning162]

If you wear head gear to spar have you considered a full face sheild? I don't know if you could fit your glasses underneith but my son has to wear one because no matter how much I trim the mouth gaurds he still gags on them. Just a thought.