Training in the dark

[Wey]

Have any of you ever trained in a dark-ish environment as to simulate night fighting? What were the results? Pros and cons? Lay it on me.

 

[Big Don]

Have any of you ever trained in a dark-ish environment as to simulate night fighting?

No. But, sounds like that might be fun, I'll suggest it.

 

[seasoned]

Very beneficial, it opens up new avenues of awareness within us. We have done kata, and sparred. It helps your perception, of your surroundings. We would place chairs around the dojo, and then do our kata while moving around them.

 

[Xinglu]

I've done a lot of this, and I highly recommend incorporating into your training. Like the poster above stated we have used obstacles in the dark to give a heightened challenge, except we did it while sparring.

Results: comfortably moving around and defending one's self in the dark, which is good considering most assaults don't happen in open daylight.

On the con-side: it increases the rate of training related injuries. But I think it is worth it.

 

[Hawke]

Variations of this at a park.

You realize how handy the flashlight becomes with blind and bash and this was under a full moon.

When sparring you really rely on using your hands as eyes. From there the training kicks in. Once you have a hold on a person you have an idea where the rest of his body parts are located. In the dark your depth perception is off, but if you make contact you have a road map for some mayhem.

Similar exercise when fighting with blindfolds on.

 

[kenpofighter]

Sometimes the electricity would go off in our studio and we did not have any widows in the studio so it was very dark. We took advantage of the situations when they happened. Normally we put everyone in a circle and one person in the middle. Everyone on the outside circle had a number and our instructor would call out a number and that person would go in for an attack on the one in the middle. It proved to be a very helpful way of practicing. I learned from practicing this way that we need to do more grabbing checks sometimes rather than just a loose or positional check on the opponents arm, shoulder ect... because that arm can move and be gone in a sec. And in the dark we just might not be able to see where it went.

 

[Shinobi Teikiatsu]

In the dojo, we used to turn out the lights at least once a month and do response training. Now that we train in a park, it regularly gets dark on us, and we train in it so much that it's pretty much second nature to us now.

I don't think it'd be a stretch to say I probably can navigate easier than Batman.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Try training outside, in the dark, on grass or unpaved (uneven) ground.

 

[suicide]

i was stabbed like 10 years ago in the night in very dark place so im sure training for it will come in handy.

 

[thecrow]

good idea, my first thought for me, on how to tackle this problem, is train blindfolded, that way the dark would be an advantage, and not a weakness, second part would be to train my vision in the dark, i would go back through shaolin text to see how to do this, i'm sure there is a method, great idea though

 

[Xinglu]

good idea, my first thought for me, on how to tackle this problem, is train blindfolded, that way the dark would be an advantage, and not a weakness, second part would be to train my vision in the dark, i would go back through shaolin text to see how to do this, i'm sure there is a method, great idea though

No need to go to obscure texts, the military has produced volumes on this and it is readily available.

 

[thecrow]

really, interesting

 

[still learning]

Hello, We normal train in a well lighted classrooms...a couple times a year the class rooms are use...

and we train outside...NIGHTS....with some lights coming from the streets and classrooms and hallways...

It does give you another feeling.. to train in the darkness....the senses...becomes a little different...

Training in the darkness....fun and different...and always worth doing....Aloha

 

[Shotokan_]

Wow, I've never done that...
I'll have to try.

 

[Nomad]

Our group has semi-annual weekend camps in the mountains. During these, we've frequently done night training. Removing or lessening sight has some dramatic effects on what you're doing, and you have to take extra care to prevent training accidents.

Agree that it's a good tool to have, since many violent encounters do take place under cover of darkness.

 

[POC]

I have horrible vision without my glasses on. When sparring I take my glasses off to avoid damage. It makes everything very different, not exactly like being in the dark. But I have had very poor vision since I was about 9, and I'm 33 now. I have accustomed myself to making my way around the house(s) I've lived in by listening more closely to sounds when I get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Although, listening to these sounds doesn't really help me in sparring, it does in day to day situations.
Patrick