Im in muay thai and everytime we spar i cant stop closing my eyes!!! help me out :(?

Question

ok so i started muay thai in feb 2008 and when we sparred i kept closing my eyes when it comes to punching to the face. so this month (may 08) we kinda stopped sparring and only sparred with our legs. so tonight when we sparred i asked my coach if he could put me with someone to punch because i felt that i wouldnt close my eyes anymore. but tonight i did really really good but.... i still closed my eyes!!! and it really upsets me cause i get put down about it :( can someone give me tips or anything to help me not close my eyes? cause i think i am just scared to get hit to the face

Answer 1

payment has the right idea, but when it comes to an actual fight, it may not work. This is just your bodies reaction to a threat, so dont worry. It is all whether or not you can tell yourself to not to do this or not. Just try a little mental determination.

Answer 2

The old masters used to stare into the sun rise and not blink.  This works two ways, one, the sun burns your retina and you become blind, and two, you force a disconnection of the blink reflex.  

It only takes discipline, but some people never get it.  I found that swinging a ping pong ball hanging off a string at my face worked.  Good luck.

Answer 3

Best way to learn to stop is to get someone to start doing slow punches to your head increasing the speed slightly every time while keeping your eyes open so your mind gets used to receiving punches with your eyes are open after a week may even be longer you should be fine.

Answer 4

the best way is to take payments advise because if you don't, the next best way for you not close your eyes is by getting hit in the face several times for having your eyes closed and not watching the strike. It will happen Believe or not.

You must block with your eyes open unless you're blind.

Answer 5

Everybody blinks or flinches, even professionals. But you get put down for it probably because you probably not only "completely" close your eyes for more than a second before and after the punch, but also make a really big motion in order to not get hit by that one punch which opens you up for other strikes.

Some people can never really tell until they tape themselves on the video and watch it with their own eyes. Besides, there would be no need to close your eyes if you block or move out of the way properly from the punch. You should probably use a head gear with a shield in front of your face.

Answer 6

a lot of eastern masters will get in a lake or pool or the sea and kslap the water so it splashes in their face. they do it for hours a day and it will gradually stop you from flinching. it works because the water is always coming at different angles and the same reflex that makes you close eyes in a fight is being activated with the water.