I recently had an injury where a who had been training only a few months tried to take my back and somehow instead of gripping around my neck literally put his hand over my face and managed to lodge his thumb directly into my eye. Probably the worst injury I've had so far. I saw halos for a few days and it pulsed and was sore for about a week afterwards. I got it checked out by an eye doctor but she said it was just irritated. I was afraid of eye infections from a dirty mat or something, so I guess I got lucky.
I had a similar incident but I think my injury was a little worse. It was a spaz who jammed his thumb knuckle deep into my eye.
At the ER, they put in numbing drops and dye. The doctor and nurse both went , "Ohhhhhhhh". I scratched my cornea from top to bottom.
It felt like I had sand in my eye for months. I had to use drops for nearly a year. First thing in the morning, I couldn't open my eye without rubbing it first.
Eventually, it healed up enough that I barely notice it now. Sometimes it still gets irritated a bit, but nothing like it once was.
I told a guy about it and he told me something I'll never forget, "In training, the master swordsman fears the novice."
A side benefit was that all the "I'll just gouge you in the eye or groin shot you" talk discrediting bjj was put to the test.
At least in that instance, a heavy eye poke wouldn't have saved that guy, because I kicked it into overdrive and tapped him before stopping.
