| Here's one of the quickest ways to learn how to | | | | will help your visual perception of fast moving |
| spar like a champion: Open your eyes! | | | | objects coming toward you. But why not train |
| One of the worst-and most difficult-bad habits to | | | | yourself to catch the ball with your face? Uh, well, |
| break in sparring practice is flinching. Think of it | | | | not with a baseball! An alternative to the |
| this way: You and your opponent quickly move | | | | water-splashing exercise is to use a soft foam |
| closer to each other. You move your arms and | | | | ball. As you have someone stand in front of you |
| feet about, and so does he. Just as your arms | | | | throwing the ball into your face, train yourself to |
| and legs clash, you close your eyes and turn your | | | | look beyond the ball, watching it come toward |
| head away. You've just given your opponent | | | | you through your peripheral vision, without blinking. |
| more than enough time to score on you, or at | | | | 3. Focus past your opponent's body. As you are |
| least to set you up to be scored on. | | | | sparring, try keeping your eyes focused on the |
| But if you keep your eyes open the entire time, | | | | floor about three feet behind and to the side of |
| always looking at or toward your opponent | | | | your opponent. Keeping your eyes focused off |
| through your peripheral vision, you'll improve your | | | | your opponent will help you learn to act and react |
| sparring ability by light years. Someone recently | | | | only to what you see in your peripheral vision. |
| told me about a picture he saw of Muhammad Ali | | | | Sparring and observing through your peripheral |
| being punched. As he was taking the punch to the | | | | vision will allow you to react much faster than if |
| face, Ali's eyes were wide open and looking right | | | | your eyes are continuously darting from this glove |
| at his opponent, which made it appear in the | | | | to that foot pad, and so on. In fact, I discovered |
| photo as if he was looking at the punch as it was | | | | this method myself while sparring with another |
| hitting him. Ali certainly had an amazing ability to | | | | black belt who was much faster and more |
| keep himself from flinching! Closing your eyes | | | | experienced than me. It improved my reaction |
| when you clash is a very difficult habit to break, | | | | time significantly. |
| but not impossible. Here are some tips to help you | | | | These three training tips can help put an end to |
| train yourself to keep your eyes open: | | | | your flinching. But one more thought might help: |
| | | | Ask yourself this question-Whether my opponent |
| 1. Splash water in your face. Fighters in Thailand | | | | hits me, misses, or pulls the punch, is flinching |
| have been known to wade through the pools of | | | | going to make a difference? Of course, the |
| waist-deep water while the hitting the water in | | | | answer is, no. If you get hit in the face, it doesn't |
| front of them with sticks. As the water splashes | | | | matter whether your eyes were open or |
| up into their face, they train themselves to keep | | | | closed-you're going to get hit just the same. You |
| their eyes open. You may not have a swimming | | | | might reflexively turn your face away to keep |
| pool handy, but you can still try this in a bathtub, | | | | your vital targets from being hit, but turning your |
| or have a friend stand a few feet away from | | | | head does not mean you have to turn your eyes |
| you with a spray bottle filled with water. | | | | away. Keep your eyes on your opponent with |
| 2. Play ball. Even just playing catch with a baseball | | | | your peripheral vision at all times! |