I have long heard and read about how eye gouging is a technique that can reality and effectively be used in a self defence situation. But my question is does anyone know from experience the effect of shoving your thumb or fingers as deep as possible into someone’s eye socket has in the days and weeks after the encounter ?

If it is easy/common to permanently blind the attacker, then I feel that its use is best reserved for situations when your life is truly in danger or sexual attacks. If the out come of the fight would be just a bloody nose and a black eye then I would be a little more hesitant in gouging my attackers eyes out.

The eyes are actually a lot more robust than people give them credit for. We automatically close our eye when they are attacked. Attacking the eye directly it is very easy to damage it, but beating the blink reflex is extremely hard. I work as a Doorman and I've had my thumb buried into a few eyes now and have to say that it serves more effect in damaging the recipient mentally than it does physically.

A couple of years ago me and colleague was dragging a guy out for doing cocaine and I started to loose the lock I had on him because he was turning his way of it. Anyway I messed up a bit and put my fingers too close to his mouth and he bit my little finger down to the bone. I stuck my thumb into his eye as hard as I could, which I honestly believe is the only reason I still have the top of the finger left. The only ill effects the guy had was a totally bloodshot and watery eye.

Although I haven't conducted a post incident survey of the people I gouge I very much doubt any of them have long lasting damage.

While the eye is more robust than people give credit for, there are certain factors that will make certain people more prone to problems when struck in the eye, for example people who are very nearsighted (-6 or worse = more likely to get a detached retina; LASIK doesn't make the problem go away).

"THE DEADLY EYE-GOUGE"


This is one of those attacks that I'm just never completely sold on. That's for a variety of reasons.

But, I would ask why you're concerned about the health of someone you're ready to eye gouge for self-defense.

Personally I'd be more concerned about MY OWN health when you consider the possibilities of that deadly eye gouge not being so deadly.

You try that eye gouge on someone only to discover that not only is it unreliable, but now you're having to fight a person who realizes you're trying to gouge him in the eyes.

How would YOU react and fight knowing that someone was trying to intentionally BLIND YOU?!

I know that *I* would be fighting like an animal. Not that I wouldn't anyway, but now that I know the stakes have gone up a notch, it's for keeps now and if you don't take MY eyes out, I'm going to severely punish YOU for trying. In fact, after I beat you down, I'm going to take your eyes home with me and use them for click-clacks.

I believe that if a person is so focused on the use of eye gouging and other such attacks, they probably should avoid all forms of violence if possible. People who focus on these things as fighting tactics often lack any "legitimate" game.



-John

I had a guy put his thumb in my eye once. It wasnt comfortable, but it was far from deadly either. He slipped when I turned my head and his thumb ended up in my mouth. I nearly removed it for him. I ended up with a black eye from the thumb. Thats it.

Eyelids are the thing, most people forget that other people have eyelids. We have them for a reason, which is to protect our eyes (and moisturise them). Plus, eyeballs are pretty rubbery and tough. Anyone who's cut one up in a dissection will know (not pleasant though, ugh, I could never stand high school biology ). It takes more than a thumb in the eye to damage it if your opponent's eye lids are closed. The eye gouge has to be the most overrated MA "technique" ever. Joint locks, chokes, punching and even kicking are much better in practically any situation than eye gouges.

If you put your fingers in someones eyes sockets as deep as possible your going to have some brains on your finger tips ...mmmm finger lick'n good!

PS ...those techniques are extreme life & death self defense choices hopefully you never have to make. Did you watch the movie "Kill Bill" ?

I believe in working smarter not harder. The eye's are just another target to me, just part of my game. If they're there I'll use them, if they're not it doesn't stress me.

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In fact, after I beat you down, I'm going to take your eyes home with me and use them for click-clacks.

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Amen to that that.

I'm affraid if I'm forced to fight it's too survive. I don't give a f*ck about you then. Biting, gouging, punching, stamping, groin, head, throat, nose, ears... anything goes. That is my game and the rules I expect others to play by... so I sure as hell won't play by any others.

I remember one "friendly" scuffle I was in which resulted in five of us being locked in a pitch black box car used for storage. There were alot of objects in there and we were still going at it pretty hard (stop it perverts!)when I caught a thumb to my eye that felt like it tickled the back of my skull. I wanted to stop immediately and get help,but I had to wait until the melee deceased,which was a few more minutes.
After the smoke cleared my eye was red with blood,but not bleeding. It bothered me for about two days and was fine after that.
Hd this been a real fight I would have continued,but with mucho rage and aggression.