I want to train blindfolded. (to sharpen my other senses)

Has anyone ever known a blind martial artist, or perhaps is one? I guees thats the most moronic thing i've ever said. Okay, but i think it could be a learning experence.

 

I have watched several blind Judoka... who do incredibly well. When competing they start out with contact as opposed to standing across from each other. I have been lucky enough to train with the one guy a few times... and he is wicked good!! His feel for where you are and where you are thinking about going is amazing!! I learned a lot from working with him!
I wouldn't try blindfolded... but try with your eyes closed... I know that often when we are training we will work with our eyes closed to try and get a feel for where the other person is going to go... its very interesting!

 

i one time trained with a blind guy in Kali... Knife fighting.... i was quite astounded

 

It's probably not the same thing as much as what you guys are talking about, but at my dojo sometimes we close our eyes and do our kata, either as a group of individually. Sometimes we use a blindfold, but not so much.

It really helps to take away the distortion of your eyes.

 

I don't want to even think about this for muay thai!

Maybe in a clinch exercise... Aaagh! Already thinking about it!

 

*lol* I can just see that. ^ ^

 

I can't, I'm blindfolded!

 

*lol* I can see you not seeing. ^.^

 

Here are some suggestions for training blindfolded. I used to do it all the time, not so much lately. My current training partner runs the show and is working from a set curriculum. After the healing, I'll start some weekend training groups to work more on feeling and application. Then, I'll re-implement those exercises.

 

Thanks Kuro! Now I can work on my senses! ><

 

Training with your eyes closed or blindfolded is pretty standard in Wing Chun. I have also heard of FMA'ers training in rooms with the lights switched off.

 

that is so cool to highten your senses like that. proper super hereo style.

 

remarkable.

I wouldn't be able to handle it at first.

 

A few years back i went to a kuk sool tournament and during the promotions section of the demo a blind lady was promoted to the level of first degree... now thats an achievment. Ive also heard of krav marga students often training with the lights off

 

Interesting ..... all of your comments and observations.
And I had a look at your "suggestions" Kurohana, at least a cursory one (with my eyes open ).
Yeah, why is it difficult to stalk an animal in nature? ....because it is constantly alert to any potential danger! Why is it you can easily get close to a domestic animal? ...... because it, like us, has become a little complacent about potential dangers, because there are hardly any. What is more your pet knows you won't harm it. It mostly knows it if you approach but won't react as there is no danger. On occasion though my cat has been so fast asleep on the bed that he even woke up with a jolt as I touched him.
Babies of course are still on a big quest of learning and exploring so it will be more aware, although it could be so engrossed and focussed on "one" activity it could easily be unaware of any other unexpected happening within it's surrounding.

We too, in our daily activities within our society, are generally complacent about the potential dangers to our person, as we are lulled into a sense of "feeling safe" because of the laws and so don't really expect any danger. That is why we are so outrageously perturbed when something DOES happen.

So the call is ........ be aware, at all times, of anything around you. The person behind you or in front of you in a queue at the bank or in a shop could be a potential robber or stalker or who knows what.

So a blind person in a way has the edge on us "seeing" people as their hearing and feeling and smelling senses are heightened, unlike us "seeing" people who rely almost entirely on our eyes. And then we often miss things right in front of us because we are so wrapped up in our thoughts away from our physical location.

Yeah ....... I guess training, especially sparring, with a blindfold or with eyes closed can do the world of good for you, I'd say

 

Eyes aren't completely useless! There's a good reason why we primarily rely on our eyes, instead of the other senses. I would never say someone had an edge because they can't use their eyes, compensation of other senses is just that, making up for a lost skill. For anything predatorial or target based, eyes are by far the best tool we have, same goes for anything hidden and still, or further away than our other senses can detect. The only real use of heightening the other senses is close proximity, surprise attack that we wouldn't have forseen normally.

I apologise if I have offended any blind people reading this.

 

I never said eyes are useless ........... I said blind people "in a way" have the edge on us "seeing" people because their hearing and feeling and smelling senses are heightened.
Us "seeing" people tend to rely entirely on our eyes and IGNORE and thus DULL our other senses. And that's a mistake.
All the senses are important and must work in unison with each other.

And you are right Comaboy, ...... the eyes ARE the best tool we have, but we tend to be complacent about the use of our senses, EVEN our eyes, because of the "safe" environment we live in.

Real "AWARENESS" can only be achieved if ALL our senses are nurtured and USED.

Even our eyes are not always used to their best potential, as we often only "see" what we want to see.
You, Comaboy, have just shown that in your reply to my previous post

I still respect your comments though .......... you probably punch much harder than I do hehe

 

You've got it pretty good there alienladd, awareness is key. One of the questions I like to ask is, why do we lose the awareness as we get older? You had a pretty good answer about infants being on a quest.... but I think part of it too is that aas we get older our parents tell us that certain things are not possible. Like that feeling you get before something bad happens. Doesn't mean anything, does it? Always told, look both ways before crossing the street, not "look both ways and listen".... and how much more can you learn by listening?
Awareness. Limiting yourself to just using your eyes is not being aware. Being aware means using all of your senses. Sight - car crash, sound - someone crying, smell - gasoline, touch - heat. Sure, extreme and obvious example, but I challenge you to try it on evryday, ordinary things.
Me, I travel. Alot. Mostly to Angola. Guys that look like me are thought to be rich. Even in the nice hotel I stay in, it pays to be aware. Before I get on the elevator, I listen. I look. If it's empty, no worries. But full? How does it smell? If it smells, how shall we say, "ripe", I may wait. Because, if you can afford to stay at that hotel, you can afford soap and water. Are any of them wearing hotel uniforms? Of raggedy clothes? Male or female? Young? Old? Mature? You get where this is going. I try to be aware. Does my room smell any different than when I left? After all, I put the "Do Not Disturb" sign out. So, why does the room smell like perfume? Or aftershave? Or garlic? Hmm.... all my things here?
The exercises I linked to are valid training tools. But that's all they are, tools. They only work as well as you use them. They also only work as well as you let them. Refuse to believe what your other senses are telling you and they won't work.

 

A universtiy did an expierment on some students. The students were blindfolded for 72 hours; a scientist would lead one student through a hallways between different rooms; the escort would orally direct the subject through the hallways; the different room had different exercises preformed on the students.

Room 1. The students would listen to music notes by ear, then listen to classical music. The asked questions about the music. This lasted for quite some time.

Room 2. They sat whilst the scientist played low line noses at different frequencies. This also last for some time.

The the students were led back to a room to sleep, while sounds played at a very low volume. The next day the same execises were repeated.

By the second day the students showed signs of improvement.
By the third day the students led through a random hallway. The students walked through the hallway with no problem, as though they didn't have the blindfold on. The students hearing improved. Before the expierment, the students were put through a hearing test to determine their hearing level after the expierment they were put through another hearing test. One student claim to be slightly deaf in the right ear, that student's hearing improved in that ear after the expierement.

So combined with training would greatly improve one's awareness in fighting greatly.

 

..... UHHHH.....

:woo: