If i lose my eye how will affect my training?

[ricksitterly]

I've known for some time that I have a small growth on my left eye, and as a result I may lose the eye later in life (say 10 or 15 years from now... but maybe not).

I was wondering if any of you "educated types" know exactly how this affects you're hand-eye coordination. My left eye is my dominant eye, so dominant in fact that I have almost NO depth perception (I found this out when I joined the air force). So, basically, I am using mostly one eye at the moment anyway. But if i lose the left eye, my right eye (lazy eye) will have to get used to working all the time. Due to the fact that I have very poor depth perception anyway, I imagine that a decrease in my peripheral vision ( as in what is going on off to the left lol ) will be the only major difference.

Okay so where does this tie into kung fu? Well I had an instructor once who was blind in one eye, and was pretty much untouchable by us, but every once in a while he would get clocked in the head by a right hand punch or kick (coming in at his blind side). :) I guess no matter how good your reflexes are, they're useless if your range of vision is not wide enough to pick up certain strikes.

Hmm... maybe I'll be like that daredevil buy, and develope my other senses so I can SMELL a punch coming.... hehe just a thought. Anyone care to comment?

[morbicid]

If you lose your eye, your training days are pretty much over. If I were you, I would get a sex change as soon as possible and then try to marry a sailor/pirate and live the rest of my days as a one eyed hooker.

[Laughing Cow]

I think that there will be a time during which your Body and remaining eye will need to adjust.
Of course you will also need to re-train your eye-hand coordination.

It will naturally be a very frustrating time, bit if you loose the eyesight gradually than the adjustement period should be easier.

But there should not be a reason why you can't keep on training, maybe competitions and similar are out though.

I know of a top Pro-Modeler in Japan that only has the use of one eye, I think he lost the other one in an accident. He still sculpts, build Diorama and wins competitions.

So if he can keep earning a living than you should be able to keep training.

Either way I wish you all the best and keep checking the medical journals for a new treatments.

[morbicid]

he's lying!!! You're useless without that eye! Get the sex change like i said... as soon as possible!!!

[joedoe]

Depth perception will be affect as previously said, and the blind spots that you mentioned.

Your balance may be affected for a while too.

[shaolin kungfu]

look on the brighter side, you'll get to wear one of those cool eye patches:)

[morbicid]

get a cyber eye like kano in mortal combat... .or at least a fake cyber eye

[Former castleva]

Must be one of those things that one just has to make it trough with (roughly said)
I am in no means blind,but my sight is not very good and I have the idea that my left has only minor functioning left.
I have heard about this Japanese master swordsman who had only one eye but was still nearly unbeatable.
I´m not very keen to say that there are many justified ophtalmologists :) in this forum,but in case you have not,you might want to have a chat with one or related person.

[fa_jing]

Yeah did you guys see the samurai flick about the blind samurai? That was an awesome movie.

[Mr Punch]

Or "Blind Fury"... Rutger Hauer at his not too spectacular best...

mostly some Vietnamese underhand grip sword skill... great choreography... but gave me the shudders when he cut the doorknob off... terrible way to thank a sword.



You could just stop playing with yourself before it gets too late... :D ...

by way of thanks for your answer on my heavy bag thread...!

[ricksitterly]

"You could just stop playing with yourself before it gets too late"


very cute lol. I cant say that i dont deserve that comment though :)

[BrentCarey]

One of my best students is completely blind in one eye. You have hit on all of the problems that this raises. You can compensate by learning to position yourself to minimize any vision range disadvantage. Also, focus on increasing your speed and training faster reactions. Besides being just overall good advice, this will allow you to react faster to surprises.

Also, pay more attention to the ground. Your style probably encourages you to watch your opponent near the solar plexus. This is still sound advice, but you may want to pay more attention to the ground, as this will help you get a better estimate of distance to your opponent. Just don't keep your head/eyes down.

One more thing. Your balance will be challenged until you get used to it. You can speed up this adaptation by training balance-challenging techniques with both eyes closed. You will want to refine your proprioceptors - particularly those not found in the inner ear. You can do this by closing both eyes, and putting your head in unusual attitudes

Your balance will be challenged not only because of the reduced visual reference, but also because you will theoretically have to move your head more. Train your proprioceptors to be honed without visual reference or inner ear feedback.

[ricksitterly]

thanks brent, that's the most helpful response ive gotten so far. i'll definetly do some research on that and work on the balance aspects of training u suggested. like i said, i may not lose the eye for ten years. i may lose the eye in two years. i may not lose the eye at all... as the growth may be able to get surgically removed / or simply not grow in a fashion that obstructs vision. yet it's a concern to me, because i have a constant reminder whenever i see it in the mirror (it's like two tiny bb's on the white of my eye). i would rather just be told right now - does the eye stay or go? I can cope with it either way, it's just the waiting period that i HATE! like hmm.. just wait and see if you lose that eye lol. maybe i should just stop caring, seeing as how i feel that my life/training will continue as planned regardless.

[ricksitterly]

oh by the way i visited the site on ur prof and was very impressed. i would definetly be interested in visiting your school if i find myself stationed in the area in the future.

[Ming Yue]

Question for you....you said that your depth perception was very poor. When you spar at full speed, How do you deal with attacks that come straight in? Do you keep moving so you always have angled views of your opponent?

My mother lost the sight in her right eye when she was little and she has no depth perception. She can't catch things thrown toward her from straight on at all (which makes for fun family events, but I digress...) So your post got me curious about if and how your full speed fighting has been affected.

-Cynthia

[Viper555]

It sucks that you're possibly going to lose your eye dude but if you do.......you should get a glass one so that you can smack yourself in the back of the head and make it pop out. I knew someone that could do that, it was cool as hell. You should also get the back of it sharpened to a fine, sharp, point so that you can pop it out(by hitting the back of your head) and then stab your opponent with it. That would be bad@$$!!!!

[Wong Fei Hong]

I remember going to class with only the use of one eye for a couple of lessons , when one eye got infected from a contact lens scratch or something , the bottom line was that it wasnt all that much of a big deal , the only thing that i found more difficult to deal with was a blind spot that remained , otherwise depth etc arent that much of a big deal after a while you learn distancing without really realiseing it , i mean how many times do you actually calculate distance , most of the times you are aware of distance.

Having said all this , why not just go to a good trad acupuncturist and practise some chi kung can do wonders to save that eye . OR even a faith healer for that matter. Dont just say hey you know i might lose an eye try doing something about it.

[ricksitterly]

"Question for you....you said that your depth perception was very poor. When you spar at full speed, How do you deal with attacks that come straight in? Do you keep moving so you always have angled views of your opponent?

My mother lost the sight in her right eye when she was little and she has no depth perception. She can't catch things thrown toward her from straight on at all (which makes for fun family events, but I digress...) So your post got me curious about if and how your full speed fighting has been affected."

-Cynthia


um.... not really. i prefer my opponent be directly in front of me (it's better than behind anyway :) ) When sparring the people i train with, their attacks (the ones that come straight in) are usually going so fast that i dont have to stop and think "okay how far away is their fist/foot, and how long till it i have to dodge/counter/block". When i see an attack, chances are it will impact in a blink of an eye, therefore i try to choose the proper counter movement the moment i see them begin their technique, and i commit to it. of coarse, i occasionally can get faked out, but even still, if someone is feinting, my counter attack is coming at them regardless, followed by a combination.

out of preferance, most of my attacks are very linear... i usually attack coming straight in. (coincidentally?) linear attacks do not require much depth perception, as they simply keep moving staight until they hit the target. it is the circular/hooking techniques that require you be able to calculate distance, otherwise you have a slim chance of connecting. example: close your eyes and have someone hold a target front of you at about head level. which technique has a better chance of hitting it now, a straight punch or a hook? also many people play darts, fire a gun, etc with one eye closed. so in a way, the other eye interferes with aim accuracy but is necessary for depth perc. and good peripheral vision. hey that reminds me, i had a one eyed tkd instructor who used to be so accurate he could (and often did) kick opponents directly in their eye during full speed, tournament matches.
(oh the irony)
he considered it fair, since he only had one eye to see with, why shouldnt 1 of theirs be swollen shut?

honestly i never KNEW i had terrible depth perception until i joined the air force. i had been training for years, and never stopped to think "gee i have trouble judging distance". but they gave me depth perception tests and i failed them horribly.