Shadowboxing with eyes closed

[Gray Lion]

Im really very old School, and learned to understand the Senses, on the way. If the coach is not creative, the Fighter wont be.

Got no argument with you there scrap....and like I say I have no argument if its good or bad because its new to me. My question is that ok., you increase speed by shutting off the eye focus..but in a match..with the eyes open, will this not cancel out the speed you have learned and even make it more difficult----just an academic question. I believe in keeping an open mind on anything new tried..so I'm not offering an opinion. I trained back in the 50's and my first old trainer was a former bare knuckles fighter who did not believe in head gear...his reason was that you would accept a lot of head blows with head gear on and if you did not wear it...you would be more prone to slip and avoid being hit...sounded crazy..but the logic made sense.

[Scrap]

Not a problem Gray, thats what these places are for opinions . It does work, plus the crossover is of Benefit to the Athletes Balance mechanism and movement, by the Body understanding itself in motion better.

[cnote111]

Not a problem Gray, thats what these places are for opinions . It does work, plus the crossover is of Benefit to the Athletes Balance mechanism and movement, by the Body understanding itself in motion better.

I currently have 4 of my fighters doing "Blind Shadow" for 15 mins every day - Do you feel that is an appropriate amount of time each session?

So far all 4 of them like it. I also have them using a balance board in between workouts, but they can't shut there eyes on a balance board for more then 5-10 secs before they fall off. That really proved to me how much your eyes play in balance.

Do you have any other thoughts i might be missing?

[Scrap]

I currently have 4 of my fighters doing "Blind Shadow" for 15 mins every day - Do you feel that is an appropriate amount of time each session?

So far all 4 of them like it. I also have them using a balance board in between workouts, but they can't shut there eyes on a balance board for more then 5-10 secs before they fall off. That really proved to me how much your eyes play in balance.

Do you have any other thoughts i might be missing?[/QUOTE]
Eyes are the Problem with Balance, they are the main reason, for the imbalance in the muscular response. You have a Dominant Eye, while the other Eye is for Depth and Distance, the Dominant one is for movement the Peripheral eye, the preferred eye I call it. its the side we prefer to use, the Dominant side. Making each side of the body a little different in its mobility and flexibility. Theres a few ways of finding this out. Heres one Standing up on your prefered leg shut the same eye, feel the difference when you do it with the opposite eye, try it

[greynotsoold]

I just tried the exercise you just mentioned...Now, I'm right handed all the way, the only thing I can do with my left hand is punch. But when I stand on my right leg, closing either eye, I wobble all over the place. If I stand on my left leg, with my right eye open, I am real solid. Slightly less so standing on my left leg with the left eye open. What is happening there?
For what it is worth, I shoot equally well with either hand, but, when I shoot right handed, with a pistol, I arrange myself so my left eye does most of the seeing.

[Scrap]

I just tried the exercise you just mentioned...Now, I'm right handed all the way, the only thing I can do with my left hand is punch. But when I stand on my right leg, closing either eye, I wobble all over the place. If I stand on my left leg, with my right eye open, I am real solid. Slightly less so standing on my left leg with the left eye open. What is happening there?
For what it is worth, I shoot equally well with either hand, but, when I shoot right handed, with a pistol, I arrange myself so my left eye does most of the seeing.

Greys before that try this, Put tissue in the opposite ear while doing it

[greynotsoold]

All the way around, I am more solid with an ear blocked. I stood on my right leg with my left eye open, blocked the right ear, then the left, and worked my way around. No matter which, I was more solid with an ear blocked than without.

[Gray Lion]

I would like to hear more for others who may have tried this in training. I have been bending the ears of the head coach and other coach at our gym on what I have been reading in this forum and they just blow it off as a fad. I'm always open for new training techniques. I am thinking about taking three of my students and giving it a try but would appreciate some more feed back on how this is going.

[Andre]

This idea is totally separate to sparring with eyes closed.

But I think its an amazing thing to do if you are in contact and are fighting with arm contact.

If I was training Mma, wrestlers or Judo they would doing routines like this, so they could build up feeling in their limbs to read intuitively the opponents balance and when there is an opening or a break to strike through.

Also for practice flowing with the opponents force then bursting free and attacking them in the opening they automatically leave.

This would have to be built up in a few set stages, the first ones being basic set patterns, as to build on the contact reflexes before allowing them to go free style with blindfolds on starting in contact over a few varying distances one armed and also in close with both forearms touching.

Having forearm contact in boxing isnt impossible and frequently occurs in close situations on one side or another; or sometimes both sides when each of the fighters are very tired and things slow down into the odd grapple and hug; so its not out of the question to be trained in it, so that you have some working answers for some untrained for situations that arise.

[StrictlySP]

Hi "God.in.my.corner,"
Shadowboxing with eyes closed is an excellent supplemental training protocol for more than the reasons already expressed (which are all good). Other benefits that can be derived from its practice through the internal visualization process, which is a crucial part of this physical training method are:

• Right State – It helps to put you in the right state of mind for a fight through the focus worked on and developed from this exercise. It also helps to improve future performances through the honing of the ability to relax and block out distractions during a fight.
• Enhancing Skills – It can improve and prefect the skills you're working on in an optimal manner.
• Reviewing – Internally reviewing whatever skill you're working on will help you to improve and facilitate better performance the next time around.
• Strategy – Visualization also helps in preparing proactive strategies by mentally going over (with positive solutions) every possible situations that may arise during a fight.
• Winning Attitude – It can help instill a winning mindset by "programming" successful outcomes into your psyche.

Okay, with the above said, keep in mind when you visualize in this manner (i.e. combined with physical execution), you'll strictly be doing so in "first person" mode. Now, when you visualize without any physical movements, you can also do it in "third person," like you're watching a movie.

I suggest implementing this practice in gradual, gradient steps, starting out in slow-motion then progressing to full-speed. Anywhere from one to 10 minutes is a sensible/reasonable duration to incorporate into your regimen. Finally, this is a training exercise that can be done every day with positive effect if so desired. Anyway, I hope this helps...

Take Care,
Lito

[greynotsoold]

This idea is totally separate to sparring with eyes closed.

But I think its an amazing thing to do if you are in contact and are fighting with arm contact.

If I was training Mma, wrestlers or Judo they would doing routines like this, so they could build up feeling in their limbs to read intuitively the opponents balance and when there is an opening or a break to strike through.

Also for practice flowing with the opponents force then bursting free and attacking them in the opening they automatically leave.

This would have to be built up in a few set stages, the first ones being basic set patterns, as to build on the contact reflexes before allowing them to go free style with blindfolds on starting in contact over a few varying distances one armed and also in close with both forearms touching.

Having forearm contact in boxing isnt impossible and frequently occurs in close situations on one side or another; or sometimes both sides when each of the fighters are very tired and things slow down into the odd grapple and hug; so its not out of the question to be trained in it, so that you have some working answers for some untrained for situations that arise.

When I was young i read a book entitled "If You Could See What I Hear", I think, about a guy that, despite being blind, became an accomplished wrestler. Harry Greb fought very successfully while blind in at least one eye, and Pete Herman fought on after losing his vision. Though he changed from, I've read, being a smooth boxer to being a guy that looked to trap an opponent and open up.