peripheral vision versus staring directly while sparring

[evergrey]

OSU!

I have some depth perception issues. My eyes tend to fight for dominance, and sometimes seem to have difficulty processing. I have noticed that while sparring, I often get caught up because I'm trying to figure out just where the other person's fists are, as my eyes keep going back and forth between right and left.

Last night I was sparring with Ashigeru, and I decided to try something. I locked my eyes about 6 inches to the side of him. I watched him in my peripheral vision instead. I quickly found that my ability to block fast enough improved, and my ability to strike accurately improved as well!

I think that when I stare directly at sometime, my brain also takes more time analyzing details. With peripheral vision, however, I register the movement faster, and my reaction time is adjusted upwards accordingly. Even though I am not staring directly at the person, and am unable to see the subtleties of their expression, I am much more able to anticipate what they are about to do.

Also, I think that I am not telegraphing what I am about to do quite as much.

I think I'll play around with this in class, next time we do kumite.

Does this work better for anyone else? Why or why not?

OSU!

[Wastelander]

Interesting concept. I think that this is all a preference-based act because I prefer to lock eyes with the person I'm sparring and watching the torso when I'm grappling, so it doesn't really seem to matter where you look just so long as you are able to see everything and react appropriately

[bushido_man96]

Yeah, I think this will tend to differ from person to person. I look in the area of the chest/shoulders, but don't really focucs on it. I use my peripheral to see what the weapons are doing, and react accordingly. I notice that if I tend to focus in on something, then there is something else I'm not paying attention to that will get me.

[KarateGeorge]

Yeah, I think this will tend to differ from person to person. I look in the area of the chest/shoulders, but don't really focucs on it. I use my peripheral to see what the weapons are doing, and react accordingly. I notice that if I tend to focus in on something, then there is something else I'm not paying attention to that will get me.

That's pretty much my approach as well.

[honoluludesktop]

Its true that peripheral vision detects movement better then looking forward. But that (detecting movement) is only one of many things a good fighter does. It takes more then placing your eyes in the best place, to see. Seeing has more to do with the ability to focus your mind on the task, then anything else. If you are able to see the expressions on your opponents face, whether he blinks or not, if he grinds his teeth, and watch all the funny faces that he makes, then you are seeing. If you can gauge distance, then you can effectively defend, and will know when to strike.

[brickshooter]

Personally, I avoid focusing. The reason is that I lose peripheral vision and I'm more vunerable to circular attacks (round kicks, hook punches, etc).

A lot of Kyokushin fighters flick their hands during kumite. The moment you get suckered into looking at their flicking hands, they launch a circular attack.

The time between you looking at their snapping fingers and their attack coming around is about 1/2 a second. But it's all that they need.

[kansascityshuffle]

I used the 'triangle method' for years meaning I focused on the head and shoulders. It worked for me alright but was asked to start staring into the eyes. For me this works better but took some practice and experience. It also helps draw your opponent's gaze into your eyes so you don't get distracted by hand movement often used by Thai Muay Thai stylists and knockdown karate fighters to distract you.

What I will say is do not get in the habit of staring down at your opponent's legs and/or feet. I almost don't feel I should have to explain why but I will..you stare down, you'll get hit by something up top. Or you can be tricky and do this to bait your opponent, it's up to you.

[evergrey]

When my Sensei did full contact fighting, sometimes he did stare at the person's ankles. He felt that he could see when they were about to make a move, including a punch, because there is still a bit of a shift in weight. He usually won, so there must be something to it. However, I can see how one could get faked out this way- he did it in part because he was almost blind as a bat and only saw blurs anyway, but also because he was short and he tended to charge in with his head down, guard up high, kind of like a boxer.

That doesn't work at all for me though, haha!

In my dojo, we are supposed to continuously have eye contact with our opponent. I try to use that to my benefit, by telegraphing moves I'm not actually going to make with my eyes. I'll look at one spot on a person's body as obviously as I can, and then strike someplace else. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

But looking to the side of a person still seems to work better for me than eyes or the triangle. I'm so new, however, that I haven't really found my way yet.

[sensei8]

Whether ones vision is peripheral and/or direct, to me, the key is just as long as your looking at your opponent. Many instructors have their students look directly at their opponents eyes at first in order to train said students to at least PAY ATTENTION TO THE OPPONENT THAT'S STANDING RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THEM.

As a practitioner gains more knowledge, where the practitioner focuses their eyes is up to them. I've no set-in-stone way that I look at my opponent, just as long as I'm looking at them. In that, I use both the peripheral and direct vision. For me, the situation helps me determine my line of sight.

Basketball players are taught to watch the belly area of their opponent because where the lower torso goes, so does the opponent.

In the martial arts, whatever still works for you, keep doing it, by all means!!

[Wastelander]

...PAY ATTENTION TO THE OPPONENT THAT'S STANDING RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THEM...

I just had to work on this with some kids last night. I ended up just sparring with them and locking my eyes with theirs so they didn't have much of a choice