Closing my eyes

[kancho]

DO anyone else have problem about closing their eyes when getting hit or attempting to hit?

I think that is why I am having trouble evading.

[Winter_Wolf]

Hello,
I'm glad you posted this kancho, I keep closing my eyes whenever someone gets a good men strike on me! So, yeah ditto, what do you other kendoka do about this?
Thanks,
W.W.

[rottunpunk]

ach i thought i was the only one
glad im not a crap freak

yeah i do the exact same thing so i end up missing or i cant block effectively ever

i know im not going to get hurt by the strike so why do i do it-grr
ive tried willing my eyes to stay open but it doesnt seem to work
does anyone have any tips to help us?

:p

[burger boy]

Hi folks,
I'm a blinker as well, and glad to see it's not just me. I'm hoping it's just a beginners thing that will pass the more time I spend in bogu getting smacked around.

burger boy

[Koori]

As a newbie, I'm not in bogu yet, but my sensei has a habit of using me as an example for technique. I frequently find myself on the receiving end of a shinai un protected. I personally don't blink. I think that it is because I trust my sensei to stop the strike before it hits me. That's just me though, it may change later when I am being hit directly on the head.


-Koori

[Anjin-san]

I've literally just come back from my second practice in armour.

to begin with I had this problem too (when not in armour and being demonstrated on) but like it was said earlier it has a lot do with trust in the sensei and relaxing and eventually I got over it.

However getting hit in armour is IMHO a different story, but the same principle applies to a certain extent. I don't remember blinking when I got hit today but staring off at a far point (i think it's called metsuke, but I am a newbie so go easy on me), relaxing and just realising (visualising) yourself getting hit is the way I think I got myself to keep my eyes open as the hit connected.

[nodachi]

I think blinking is the natural reflex to getting hit. Granted it is not good in a fight, so you open them as soon as possible. I know we need to keep them open, but don't get pissed at yourself for having an involuntary reaction, just open them asap, and hopefully after doing this for sometime then you can force yourself to not blink, but for now, just go with it and see what happens, blinking happens...

[kancho]

I am glad it is not only myself. Anyone know a good way to prevent this?

[Neil Gendzwill]

I am glad it is not only myself. Anyone know a good way to prevent this?
More keiko

[emitbrownne]

What is the problem with blinking????

I never realised that a good kendoka never blinks?

Surely if you are struck to the head, it does not matter if you blink because you are already dead?

?? please enlighten me :) ??

[Hongsermeier]

I don't think blinking is a problem. I know someone who does it and they were just in the World's on the US team. Closing your eyes is a different thing. Closing your eyes when your about to be hit is bad. :cross_eye

[kancho]

The problem is blinking just before you get hit and dont react. If I keep my eyes open for the complete waza(done by myself or the opponent) I think I would have a better chance to avoid it or counter it.

[Hongsermeier]

Kancho..very true :cross_eye

[Alicia]

Hi guys
I also have a problem with closing my eyes, but a way to help it that i have found is if you concentrate on looking through your opponent- my ssensei says it is like looking at a mountain on the other side of them. This seems to make me close my eyes less often - i dont know why. I dont know if this will help anyone else, maybe it s something that just works for me, but there you go.
If any one has other thing that work for them, it would be great to hear about them! :cross_eye

[Kiki]

If any one has other thing that work for them, it would be great to hear about them!

During men and kirikashi practice I consciously force my eyes not to blink upon impact. I am not always successful but looking my practice partner in the eye helps. It seems I blink less often since I started trying to re-train my reflex. Maybe it’s working or maybe I am just blinking faster. Either way, I feel more engaged and that's probably a good thing. :ko:

[kendokamax]

ya like Hongsermeier said closing your eyes when you are about to get hit is bad . like when you messed up and the opponent is in good range to get a hit. you close your eyes because you get scared and then you will eventualy get hit!

But blinking? is a good thing! it is meant to protect your eyes! Imagine you became a master at not blinking and you get hit by a shinai and the shinai EXPLOSES in small pieces, and some of the pieces would SLAP your eyes! Well If you blink you have more chance to be ok! But if you dont!!

so think about it twice about training at not blinking in kendo!!

I think that was a great advice!

[jfluh9]

Trust the men, trust the men, trust the men. It's easier to say than it is to do.

[Kiki]

Imagine you became a master at not blinking and you get hit by a shinai and the shinai EXPLOSES in small pieces, and some of the pieces would SLAP your eyes! Well If you blink you have more chance to be ok! But if you dont!!


Good point... if you are closing your eyes then that’s the flaw to overcome rather than the quick blink. I’d rather be a master at kote/men than not blinking. So I’ll work on keeping the eye contact but allow my relfexes to do their job when the time comes.

[Nishi]

So I’ll work on keeping the eye contact but allow my relfexes to do their job when the time comes.

Getting hit is an art as well...Its always good to do alot of jigieko where you just cut massive men and never block, but accept your opponents attacks and hold your posture...striking and receiving are part of the same game...you must know both sides.

For the record, I fix my gaze on my opponents tsuki-do (just above), not the eyes.

[Neil Gendzwill]

For the record, I fix my gaze on my opponents tsuki-do (just above), not the eyes.
Not sure what you're referring to here. Do you mean the mune (the soft embroidered part of the doh)?

[Nishi]

Not sure what you're referring to here. Do you mean the mune (the soft embroidered part of the doh)?

My fault...tsuki-tare (or is it tsuki-dare???)

I actually fix my "gaze" about the 2nd bar from the bottom of the mengane to be specific...

[Neil Gendzwill]

My fault...tsuki-tare (or is it tsuki-dare???)

I actually fix my "gaze" about the 2nd bar from the bottom of the mengane to be specific...
We call the target for tsuki the nodo. I haven't heard tsuki-dare before, maybe that's an alternate term?

[AlexM]

We call the target for tsuki the nodo. I haven't heard tsuki-dare before, maybe that's an alternate term?

We use the term tsuki-dare too. I think "nodo" literally means "throat" in Japanese.