Kendo glasses

[Cailin Coilleac]

Right, back again. I've gotten lenses in the Kansei frame and they're not great. It definitely takes getting used to. And as mentioned: my loaner men doesn't have room for them at all.

I'm asking around to see which companies offer modifications of the uchiwa in hopes to find something that fits my glasses. Otherwise, I'll need to resort to modifying a men myself. It won't be pretty and will involve exact knives and heavy duty sewing thread.

I know Chiba Bogu offer an uchiwa customization, but only on their Mine range of bogu. And those -start- at Y177000, aka 1800 euros. No way in heck am I paying that as someone who's only starting kendo.

[Cailin Coilleac]

As a side track, about contacts and such, please allow me to rant. I'd love some feedback and I doubt there's a better suited thread to put this.

It might be "wrong" thinking, a broken thought process perhaps, but I feel it's ironic, despiriting and humbling that I'm letting me stop myself from practicing a martial art that is as much about spirit and mental force as it's about physical strength simply because "I can't do something". To the point that I feel unworthy even trying to be part of it. If I can't overcome my own fears and reflexes over touching my eyeballs, how the heck am I going to overcome my adversaries?!

Plenty of people have assured me that "it's easy to learn" and "you'll definitely get used to it". But then the frustrated voice in me yells, "Really?! Really? How are you going to teach an adult to overcome a reflex that's been burned into his mind twenty years ago? The same adult who gets violent to anybody going near his eyes?". It's not about getting me to physically touch my eye, it's about overcoming childhood traumas that have become deeply ingrained.

Maybe I have it the wrong way around. Maybe years of kendo will help me overcome this crap. Maybe I'll be able to try contacts in a few years -because- of kendo. And to think that I was this --> <-- close to saying "I'm not worthy of studying kendo".

[verissimus]

When I started wearing contacts (I don't any more, because they ultimately weren't able to correct my specific eyesight problem) I wore my first set around 10 years ago. Wearing contacts wasn't as traumatic for me as they seem to be for you, but it was for the first couple of times. To the extent that I put in my first set in the morning at the doctor's office, and then had to make a trip to the emergency room at night because I wasn't able to take them off, and just panicked. After a few months of daily wear, I remember I was able to wear the lens without needing a mirror, and even without making any actual contact between my finger and eyeball.

The first half hour at the doctor's office, she made me practice just touching my eyeballs with my finger (hands washed, of course). It took a while getting over that mental block, but that's the only way to do it.

I really don't think kendo is going to help you learn how to wear lenses though!

[Neil Gendzwill]

Have you considered Mengan? Not sure where to get them, they used to be available through Koei. A little pricey compared to some of the simple elastic-band ones you can find, IIRC it was around $150 for the frames. We have one member who uses them and likes them. Like you he just can't imagine sticking his fingers in his eyes.

[Cailin Coilleac]

I have considered those, yes, after reading about them here. I then decided against them, based on a number of factors discussed on the KW forum. The elastic band ones from Kansei, which I have now, really should be fine as long as I can get my uchiwa modified.

@ Verissimus:
Thanks for the feedback. And I reckon one may dream Maybe, just maybe by overcoming myself often enough in kendo I can finally make myself do this "trivial" thing

And the swimming goggles you mention below sound alright. Kind of like the kendo glasses, but different Though I reckon goggles -could- maybe have less problems with the uchiwa.

[verissimus]

I've seen a couple of people use prescription swimming goggles.

[IndigoGirl]

I am not convinced that you need to go to drastic actions like reconstructing your men.
There are quite a few people who wear their glasses under the men. I got myself flex frame glasses (good idea anyway as they can take quite some abuse) and I never had a problem with them on. As long as the men is tied on correctly they are kept in place nicely.

[Cailin Coilleac]

Let me assure you that taking my toolset to a men is my last resort.

I do believe my current problems are due to two factors: 1. fit, 2. the uchiwa in this particular men.

All of the loaner men I've tried are completely the wrong size for me. It could be that one measured to my head will have much less problems. Also, the uchiwa in the men I have right now appears to be thicker than average, which would also be an issue. Hence why I'm on the lookout for a men made to my measurements and possibly customized by the seller.

Thank you everyone! I appreciate your feedback! My apologies if I was a bit ranty; the disappointment of the glasses not fitting was a bit of a downer, as I'd been looking forward so much into joining keiko. But! I'll just keep at doing kendo, while saving up for a bogu of my own, so I can -then- wear a men.

[Cailin Coilleac]

Aren't I lucky?

Turns out that the problem really was with the uchiwa in the men I borrowed from sensei. One of my classmates offered me to try his new men from Tengu, which has a much thinner uchiwa. At first I couldn't even get it on, but then we remembered to take out his men pad

Fits like a glove! So now I know what IndigoGirl and others have already been telling me: there -are- men out there for me as a bespectacled kendoka

[corwyn]

The first half hour at the doctor's office, she made me practice just touching my eyeballs with my finger (hands washed, of course). It took a while getting over that mental block, but that's the only way to do it.

My eye doctor did the same with me. It is important to note, however, for anyone who wants to "try this at home," that you should not only wash your hands, but also apply a bit of clean saline solution to your finger before touching your eye. And also, touch the sclera (the white part), because it's much less sensitive than the rest of the eye. In fact, for those who have trouble applying the lens directly into the correct position, my doctor even tells people to apply the lens to the sclera, then slide it into place.