Wearing Glasses

[SeekerOfWisdom]

I read something in Black Belt Magazine about Glasses. It was saying that your Glasses can basicly hinder you in a fight because they can get knocked away and you are left disoriented if you are not use to seeing with out them and the hit that takes them off will also leave you feeling that way. They said that you should learn to do the art with and without your glasses so you are use to it just in case it happens. Plus have someone hit a pair of glasses off your face to get used to that as well. I was wondering what is your guys opinion on that. I wear glasses but when I was taking MA I took them off cause I had too many close calls with Crescent Kicks while training. The first time was an Instructor got to close with his kick and hit them. I do agree it does leave you feeling disoriented. Thanks.

[munchkin]

I wear glasses as well, but I usually train in contacts. I suppose it is a good idea to train with and without but I figure in a real fight (I mean the type where they want your wallet) if they come close enough to knock off your glasses they are probably gonna hit ya in the head - and of course that'll knock ya spacey!

[booksie_girl]

I wear glasses, but can see well enough without them, so I just take them off before training, along with my watch and earings. As for letting people knock them off to get used to the feeling, the're too expensive to risk like that, and like Munchkin said, if they're that close, they'll probably hit you in the head anyway.

[Jim]

I wear contacts usually in training but wear glasses (old ones) to train for the eventuality that you mentioned above. In actual confrontations I've had most actual fighters will aim to do just that. An advantage if you've practiced for it because you're almost 100% sure of where they're going to strike at first.

[Holgate]

I wear glasses myself but if I do sparring practice I always take them off, had a couple of close calls myself with kicks knocking them off so decided to err on the side of caution.

Without them I am pretty much blind as a bat but I can see just enough to be able to block and counter attack (Also it's nice not to be able to see the face of the person hitting you :p )

I have tried all the usual of contacts but find them to me more hastle than they are worth with having to put them in and take them out.

I guess next will be an especially made pair of glasses for the job

[kempocos]

I will take them off for sparring, my eyes are real bad but since I stay real close when sparring it has not been an issue. I would like those to consider if the glasses break and the arm stabs you.
As MOM would say " you are gonna put an eye out like that"

[Jim]

I'm as blind as a ferret in sunlight too. That's why I usually wear contacts. Thinking about that eye laser surgery too, only it's about $4,500 to have done. May be worthwhile though.

[BlackRaven]

I permanently wear glasses, but have always trained without. The first thing I would do would be to remove my glasses on the street, as they could do more damage being knocked into my face (as I found out when ice skating wearing glasses and needing stitches as a result!!

[Holgate]

Originally posted by Jim
I'm as blind as a ferret in sunlight too. That's why I usually wear contacts. Thinking about that eye laser surgery too, only it's about $4,500 to have done. May be worthwhile though.

Must admit I have have thought about the laser surgery myself but apart from the cost with me it would apparently be pretty usless as I have very long sight in one eye and am considered boarderline partially sighted in the other because of a squint as a child. So really until the surgery gets better it would be a waste of money for me. Would be the ideal solution but it would be strange getting used to not having to wear glasses after over 20 years of having them.

[Kinjiro Tsukasa]

I wear glasses, but not for training. My prescription is fairly weak, so the difference is not noticeable.

[Thomas]

I usually keep my glasses on for the instruction part of a technique so I can walk clearly how it is done. I take them off for the practical application. I usually spar without my glasses but sometimes do "no contact or light contact" with my glasses on if we are concentrating on footwork or doing new drills.

Ideally I want to be able to do any technique with or without my glasses on and for that matter with either left arm/leg or right.

[Nevada_MO_Guy]

I use my work glasses during class, they are safety glasses but they still get bent up during sparring.

Another thread mentioned sport glasses. http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9582&highlight=eye+glasses

I think I might try those.

[teacher]

I wear daily disposable lenses when I am training. Works out quite cheap as I only use a couple of pairs a week.
Once when I was in secondary school I was attacked by a git and My friends split their sides laughing because I kept telling this guy to be careful of my glasses. Looking back he really sucked at being a bully if the only thing I thought about was my glasses. I think he almost pulled my jumper over my head as well. Well I suppose if I was staring death in the face I'd want a clear look.

[Jang Bong]

Permenant glasses wearer with serious prescription and an aversion to sticking things into my eyes (so no contacts). As I worked in a place that carried out laser surgery I was tested to see if I was a candidate [they wanted walking adverts...], but as there was not enough 'material' to reshape I didn't need to make the difficult choice. You only have one pair of eyes, and I'm taking NO CHANCES with mine. :eek:

As I forget that I wear glasses, I keep forgetting to remove them at times for training. When we got deeper into weapons I had to ask myself - "How much could I see of a flying jang bong or cane if I my glasses were knocked off?" and have tried to work with / without since then.

[Kenpo Kicker]

I wear contacts and train only with contacts and never wear classes. If I take my contacts out I'm too blind to train.