|
|
Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.
If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!
|
10-08-2003, 10:23 PM
|
#1
|
Dojo: Aikido Musubi Ryu/ Yoshin Wadokan
Location: Hamilton
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 306
Offline
|
Training blind
Hi there.
Something I've noted at training lately.
Usually I wear glasses (spectacles) during training as I am short sighted. When it comes to serious randori or irimi nage techniques I take the glasses off to prevent damage to them or my face.
I notice that without my glasses, my techniques are better. I no longer focus on every little detail of the technique and I 'flow' ending with a better result.
Its quite a good feeling. As uke lunges in, I 'feel' more than 'watch' what I am doing.
Its great!
|
"flows like water, reflects like a mirror, and responds like an echo." Chaung-tse
|
|
|
10-09-2003, 03:32 AM
|
#2
|
Dojo: Vestfyn Aikikai Denmark
Location: Vissenbjerg
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 803
Offline
|
Interesting - I'll try to figure out if I feel the same way next time we do iriminage.
One problem though: when I don't wear my glasses I have a problem judging distance, so at least my maai gets worse
|
- Jørgen Jakob Friis
Inspiration - Aspiration - Perspiration
|
|
|
10-09-2003, 08:27 AM
|
#3
|
Location: Florida Gulf coast
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 3,902
Offline
|
One of the better stduents at our school doesn't wear his glasses when he trains and is excellent. He says he can't focus on the specific visual so has to depend on the feeling of it.
Confirms what you are saying.
IMHO, too much visual focus on the waza sends the ki where the mind is focused, on the hands, etc. instead of through the center to the balance point.
I try to stay a bit defocused, which isn't very hard for me.
|
Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!
|
|
|
10-09-2003, 09:27 AM
|
#4
|
Dojo: Puget Sound Aikikai
Location: Seattle
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 351
Offline
|
When i couldn't tolerate contacts anymore, I tried to train with/without glasses. Without gave me a headache/ with made me afraid I'd get hurt or break them.
I ended up getting lasik surgery.
Jeanne Shepard
|
|
|
|
10-09-2003, 10:20 AM
|
#5
|
Dojo: Aikido of Midland
Location: Midland, Texas
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 597
Offline
|
Just an observation, but for all your Bruce Lee fans out there... watch him a little more closely next time:
Bruce never focuses on just one person unless he HAD only one opponent. But most of the time, he keeps his eyes looking "outward" and not focused on any one thing. He used his peripheral vision almost soley during randori type situations.
Thinking on it myself, I focus more on my hands than on my opponent while training anyways. I KNOW I'm gonna be attacked and can see it coming out of the corner of my eye. Why focus on something that you KNOW is going to happen when you have so much else to think about and so many choices to make??
Just a thought.
|
|
|
|
10-09-2003, 10:26 AM
|
#6
|
Dojo: Aikido Center of Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 341
Offline
|
All martial artists use peripheral vision in practice. The nerves around the iris are the nerves which catch movement so movements are more clearly caught when you don't look directly at the object. This is one of the fundamentals of basic sword training.
|
|
|
|
10-09-2003, 12:52 PM
|
#7
|
Dojo: Messores Sensei (Largo, Fl.)
Location: Florida
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,267
Offline
|
Re: Training blind
Quote:
Dean Suter (Amassus) wrote:
Usually I wear glasses (spectacles) during training as I am short sighted. When it comes to serious randori or irimi nage techniques I take the glasses off to prevent damage to them or my face.
I notice that without my glasses, my techniques are better. I no longer focus on every little detail of the technique and I 'flow' ending with a better result.
|
Buckminster Fuller credited his wide perspective on the world to having execrable vision that made everything visible as little more than a blur.
We'll be expecting great things from you!
|
|
|
|
10-09-2003, 01:14 PM
|
#8
|
Location: Alberta, Canada
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 113
Offline
|
As I said on another thread, I always use the "look sort of through" uke vision, so as to keep my peripheral vision -- so I am never completely focused on uke and I don't need glasses ever.
It took a little while to get used to it at first (especially since I learned to do it in Karate where someone is just as likely to kick you in the groin as punch your in the face), but when you get a little more comfortable with it you start to overreact less (i.e. parry or move out of the way to early in the technique). At least that's what I have found.
But I wonder if peripheral vision is affected by not wearing your glasses? Depending on the type of vision impairment (or stigmatism - as in the eye is stretched horizontally or vertically) does your peripheral vision suffer as well without your glasses?
|
Bruce Kimpel
|
|
|
10-10-2003, 12:29 AM
|
#9
|
Dojo: Aikido Bukou
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 240
Offline
|
I find improvement without my glasses as well (mild astigmatism), but I prefer to keep them on.
That's because outside class I need them all the time, so I'd prefer to be as realistic as possible with the most minute detail.
*Phil
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:58 PM.
|
vBulletin Copyright © 2000-2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited
Copyright 1997-2024 AikiWeb and its Authors, All Rights Reserved.
For questions and comments about this website:
Send E-mail
|
|