Lunge Blindness

[shlepzig]

I have noticed I have a hard time keeping my point on target when in a bout and changing direction rapidly. Point control was definitely an issue, but I had noticed often in bouts I had little visual recollection of the action during a touch. But only when things are happening quickly. The easy stop hits and the pretty little wrist picks in epee were pretty easy to recollect.

I have a feeling this is something more going on here, and am wondering what other fencers experiences are and what they do to train this aspect of their game.

I also ran into this article regarding visual training and am thinking this is something that I need to work into my routine.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,3...ategory_id=363

Shlep

[Mr Epee]

Interesting article... and probably especially relevent to fencing.

I am reminded of a program I saw last year on NFL Quarterback training. McNabb (Philadelphia) was working on drills while wearing special glasses that intentionally distracted his vision with flashing lights...

Originally Posted by ESPN.com

Besides honing his football skills, McNabb can be found fine-tuning all parts of his body with weight training, running, Pilates, agility drills with dog toys, as well as vision training. To help his eyes process information at a faster rate, McNabb dons a pair of "strobe specs" or "Star Trek glasses" (as McNabb calls them) and goes through simulated football situations, such as finding receivers or picking up oncoming blitzers.

"The good quarterbacks are probably like fighter pilots," said Eagles coach Andy Reid. "You always heard Ted Williams talk about this with his hitting. The fighter pilots have that extra sense of feeling what's going on around them and then they can react calmly in stressful times."

Although in cycling and football the distances being judged are obviously much greater than the ones regularly encountered on the fencing piste.

[Moses]

I've experienced this "lunge blindness" occasionally as well, but only during my offensive actions, and not often. I remember "feeling" the touch, or rather, the bend of blade when it hits a body, but not much else.

I didn't finish reading the article, but the O.D.'s mention of the importance of vision for balance recalled something to me. I read an article once from one of my favorite sports physicians (or it might have been just some "guru", I can't remember) about the importance of eyesight in balancing (I think the article related to how bright your weight room should be the neuromuscular advantages of doing some movements with your eyes closed or ears plugged). He said he had several of his athletes jump in a circle in a darkened room with their eyes closed for a set amount of times or jumps. One of them managed to turn himself 180 degrees around by the end of it without realizing.

-Da Mose

[Allen Evans]

Originally Posted by shlepzig

I have noticed I have a hard time keeping my point on target when in a bout and changing direction rapidly. Point control was definitely an issue, but I had noticed often in bouts I had little visual recollection of the action during a touch. But only when things are happening quickly...(snip)....I have a feeling this is something more going on here, and am wondering what other fencers experiences are and what they do to train this aspect of their game.

I was told once by an experianced coach that some fencers blink right before the lunge hits - they don't keep their eyes open in the "terminal" phase of the lunge. I didn't believe this until I started coaching and actually saw it happen: students would momentarily close their eyes while lunging.

Until I pointed it out to them, they didn't realize they were doing this.

[shlepzig]

Thanks for the input so far.

Tonight is one of my fencing nights so I will try to pay closer attention to the phenomenon.

Just predicting, though I suspect it is the speed at which my eyes are adjusting their depth of focus on the target (fencing epee mostly lately so when I attack the target is usually counter attacking and closing distance that much faster). Which would suggest more about the way to train the problem away.

I am thinking this is one of the barriers that has been keeping me from becoming a totally deliberate fencer. That the actions I am taking become more instinctive rather than deliberate at some point in the phrase.

Shlep.

[remise]

I was told it was called 'sharking'. The way a shark rolls its eyes back in its head when it bites, many people do the same thing without realizing it. One of my coaches had his students do an exhaggerated extension and hold it before lunging. This exercise helped to eliminate the sharking syndrome.

[WhipLash]

Originally Posted by shlepzig

Just predicting, though I suspect it is the speed at which my eyes are adjusting their depth of focus on the target (fencing epee mostly lately so when I attack the target is usually counter attacking and closing distance that much faster). Which would suggest more about the way to train the problem away.

your eyes focusing? do you actually focus on something when u fence? for me it's more like defocus...everything isn't very sharp...

[Go? Fencing?]

Originally Posted by Allen Evans

I was told once by an experianced coach that some fencers blink right before the lunge hits - they don't keep their eyes open in the "terminal" phase of the lunge. I didn't believe this until I started coaching and actually saw it happen: students would momentarily close their eyes while lunging.

Until I pointed it out to them, they didn't realize they were doing this.

I do that, or I close my eyes when someone attacks me. I have a lot of trouble not doing it.

[D'Artag-NOT]

Well, I've been having a devil of a time with the focus this year because I've gone into trifocals! (Oh, long story short, progressive lenses, contacts, and lasik are NOT options for me.)