Martial Arts and Glasses

[KungLE]

Hi,

I've trained in various martial arts in the past and have had little trouble with wearing glasses during training, aside from them being knocked off once or twice. However I've been wondering if they would pose a real problem if you studied a martial art that involved a lot more ground work, such as BJJ or Judo.

If not what is your opinion of self defense and glasses, if you get your glasses knocked off during a real fight are you in big trouble. I'm guessing no, but at the same time, I have really bad vision and feel that I would be at somewhat of a disadvantage. Has anybody every experienced this?

Are contacts a better way to go? or is training without glasses or contacts better? or should it not matter in any way?

Thanks

 

[Xue Sheng]

I have glasses and bad vision and if it is hard training where they might be a problem I take them off. If they got knocked of in a real fight I would need to know how to fight without them anyway.

But way back when I trained Jujutsu I never took them off and I did not have any real problems other than when they got knocked off and I later had to find them

 

[terryl965]

My wife wears hers she just takes them off to fight at tournament, she says as long as she can see the outline she knows where to hit.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Simply take them off any time sparring or "real" drills occur and you'll still know how to move without them come crunch time.

 

[Ceicei]

If your eyes can handle them, try contacts. I usually wear contacts while training so I don't have to worry about glasses that may break (I've had them stomped). I can see and understand better when learning new things. However, I do make sure I put in practice time without glasses/contacts--in a real live confrontation, the situation is real that I may have to defend myself without them.

I suggest you become familiar with your style and practice as often as you can without wearing your glasses or contacts. With Judo/BJJ/Jujitsu, these styles work really well... you usually remain in physical contact anyway and can do locks, throws, takedowns, and submissions without depending upon your sight.

- Ceicei

 

[7starmarc]

I go without my glasses most of the time for workouts. I don't really miss them. In my style (Seven Star Praying Mantis), we emphasize a lot of awareness without relying on visual cues, so I guess it works out better than some other styles would.

 

[Sukerkin]

It all depends on how easily you can adapt to fighting and moving without your glasses. In part this will in turn depend upon when you first needed to wear them.

For me, I was nine when I started wearing glasses and had in fact been very short-sighted (clear focus range of six inches) since I had measles when I was four.

Because of the early age at which I 'lost' my 20/20 and the years I spent without lenses, even now, when I take my glasses off, I can still recognise people at a distance despite their being just a coloured, multi-overlapped, blob.

In Lau, I used to train wearing my old National Health glasses as it didn't matter if they got broken. Nowadays you can get very damage-resistant glasses that you can 'tie-on', so that may be an option. However, if one of the reasons you're training in martial arts is a genuine requirement for self-defence then I'd suggest training without your specs. If you ever lose them in a fight and you aren't prepared for it then you're done for - so prepare for the worst.

You never know, if your eye-sight is as terrible as mine, you might get to enjoy the world that only you can 'see' without your 'bins'.

 

[fireman00]

I wear glasses and always take them off during class for: a) safety of me and my fellow students and b) they were expensive.

I haven't found any problems with targeting/ distancing while sparring.

If in a real life situation where I felt threatened I would take them off as "casually" as possible so as not to make like I was getting ready for fight. Again for my safety ... not so much for theirs :>)

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Glasses and grappling just do not go together. You would be better off with contacts. As for myself I wear glasses for driving but other than that they are off. Still in contact oriented or grappling oriented martial arts glasses are a pain and will be broken. You could go with contacts or goggles. Still in BJJ/Grappling goggles are a hinderance as well.

 

[MA-Caver]

I wear glasses all the time and have had them knocked off during fights and (what informal) training I've had. I can see well enough at close range to ensure of my targets and what movements are made towards me.
Ground fighting you shouldn't have to worry too much about seeing. Your opponent/attacker is already in close contact and all you need to to be able to feel your way around their bodies and limbs to know what techniques to apply.

If you're really worried about it try this... practice... often... blindfolded. Think about this for a moment. How much time are you going to have to turn on the lights if there's an intruder in your home and would you WANT to turn on the lights? thus evening the odds of the intruder? You may end up temporarily blinded by something, a bright light, flash or something thrown in your eyes. Still knowing how to defend using your other senses will go a long way to ensure you're going to make your next appointment with the optometrist's.

 

[Kacey]

I wore glasses from the time I was 9 until I had LASIK 7 years ago, when I was 34. I started TKD when I was 20 - so I spent 14 years wearing glasses before, after, and occasionally during class. I tried wearing them during class when I first started (I was near-sighted - anything outside arm range got fuzzy) - but they got sweaty and fell off, they had plastic frames (which I had broken in the past), and I couldn't wear them for sparring anyway (that's when they got the sweatiest - and the first time your glasses fall off while sparring, and you nearly step on them... well, you get the idea). So I decided to go without them - which worked a lot better.

If you really don't want to go without, you can get sport goggles with prescription lenses in them - I considered that at one point, but I was really broke at the time, and later I was used to not wearing my glasses in class.

 

[Grenadier]

Any kind of eyewear is going to get knocked off or askew, during a randori. It's not the same as a karate sparring session, where you could get away with using sporting goggles.

For grappling martial arts, I'd recommend soft contact lenses. Whether you want to use disposable ones, or long-term ones, is your choice.

Soft contact lenses aren't that expensive at all. If you have your prescription from your eye doctor, you can order them online at any number of reputable places. I use Durasoft 2 lenses (daily wear, not disposable), and get them for about 20 bucks each.

 

[arnisador]

I've trained in various martial arts in the past and have had little trouble with wearing glasses during training, aside from them being knocked off once or twice. However I've been wondering if they would pose a real problem if you studied a martial art that involved a lot more ground work, such as BJJ or Judo.

I take them off for BJJ, and wear special prescription sports glasses for other things. They're an aggravation--they fog, slip, etc.--but they beat the alternatives (not seeing or replacing my regular glasses all the time).

If not what is your opinion of self defense and glasses, if you get your glasses knocked off during a real fight are you in big trouble.

That's happened to me, and it's a problem. Contacts or RK surgery are obvious answers if viable. I practice without them some of the time so at least I know what I'd be facing.

 

[kidswarrior]

Wear my glasses during life, so why would I train without them?

Do take them off when I know we're going to do stand-up grappling, but in a real situation would just have to grapple anyway.

Love what one master said (not to say I'm that good) when asked if he'd take his glasses off for a fight: By the time I took them off, the fight would be over.

 

[Andrew Green]

You'll be fine without them for grappling. There are even a few completely blind wrestlers / grapplers around.

We occasionally do a drill where we roll blindfolded, not a big deal.

 

[bookworm_cn317]

I wear glasses in class(it helps to see what my instructor is doing & what we should be doing)because--hey, I wear 'em all the time! The only time I DON'T have them on in class is when we're sparring. I can see adequately enough, I guess, everything's just REALLY blurry!

 

[halfnote19]

I have really bad vision but I can use contacts so this doesn't really affect me.

Although my husband on the other hand has a really bad astigmatism and can not wear contacts. He will wear his glasses to see what the lesson is and then take them off during any close sparring sessions wear they might get in the way. He does not wear them during sparring because it would be a bummer if the glasses fell off and accidentally got broken.

 

[IcemanSK]

Years ago, a friend wore sports glasses that wrapped around his head with a strap (like Kareem Abdul Jabbar wore to play basketball) during sparring. They weren't attractive, but he could see without fear of breaking his glasses. I imagine they still make them.

 

[Ceicei]

Years ago, a friend wore sports glasses that wrapped around his head with a strap (like Kareem Abdul Jabbar wore to play basketball) during sparring. They weren't attractive, but he could see without fear of breaking his glasses. I imagine they still make them.

You mean like these in the link below? Quote is taken from the website:

If you see better, you will play better. Our high performance goggles with prescription lenses will take your game to the next level.

http://www.goodglasses.com/index.cf...rentcat/8899?gclid=CNngwvjrx5ECFQy1PAodOz1KEA

- Ceicei

 

[kidswarrior]

You mean like these in the link below? Quote:
If you see better, you will play better. Our high performance goggles with prescription lenses will take your game to the next level.

- Ceicei

Does this mean that with these goggles I'll be able to run up and down the bb court again, even on these knees?

J/K. Good find, Ceicei.