Bad Eyes

[Caddock]

I wear contacts...once you get used to them, they are pretty comfortable. In 2 yrs of MT and boxing sparring and 1 amateur fight, my contacts gave me problems just 3 times...personally, I will take that risk over fighting with less than 100% vision. Of course, I am just a hobbyist...if you are very serious about fighting, that's a different story.

This has been my experience too. They don't come out normally. As I posted earlier only time I have ever had it pop was when I got hit with the thin edge of a focus mitt right on and slide across the eye. I spar every week and have fought Thai, Kickboxing and MMA without any issues. If your org will let you wear them I think you should. Best decision I ever made.

Check the rules though as some place still won't let you fight. Rule was written based on decade old contact technology that they just don't sell anymore, most places have updated the rule to allow contacts but still frown on LASIK.

 

[BlackBeltNow]

I have terrible vision. I've got astigmatism in both eyes and can't even make out people's facial features when they're 6 feet away from me. I'm talking no eyes or anything. This isn't a problem for grappling at all since you can do that literally with your eyes closed. When it comes to standup fighting, however, the handicap is quite palpable. I can't strike very accurately and I'm hesitant to let my hands and feet go for fear of missing some shot that's coming at me. This results in me sticking to an outside game, working just jabs and leg kicks, when I'm entirely confidant in my strking ability and combinations with my glasses on. I much prefer fighting standup to grappling so this is a pretty big problem for me. I can't afford contacts or laser eye surgery nor would I feel safe wearing contacts in a fight for that matter. Anyone got any tips?

you can't afford contacts?

tips? I'm sure you can afford more than advice...you have internet, unless you're using dialup.

i have astigmitism but i use contacts.

 

[Gregster]

My vision is as bad as yours sounds. I rarely wear glasses (I quit using contacts years ago) doing any kind of training except maybe focus mitt work because (aside from the obvious reason that I've neither the time or money to keep replacing busted glasses) because I'm a disciple of the "train how you fight/fight how you train" school. My glasses might *not* get batted off my face in the first 10 seconds of the frenzied, unpredictable melee of a streetfight...but I'm just going to assume they will. If it happens, I won't be at a disdvantage, just fighting how I'm used to.

I dunno if you can wear the shockproof Kareem Abdul-Jabber style specs if you compete, but you may wish to wear them training if you feel you need better vision. Contacts might be okay, but they have an annoying tendency to come flying off your eyes (or getting wrinkled up, stuck in an eyelid, etc) at the wrong time.

I'd just train without vision correction, period. You don't need to be able to make out details of someones' face to punch the hell out of it.