Does anybody do/done this? Seems kind of silly and gimmicky to me, but does it have any merit I may have missed? My thought is that even if you are incredibly wrist/arm sensitive, you still need your eyes to detect many movements - especially OUT OF CHI SAU RANGE!!!
Thanx to any WC players who can clear this up for me.

blind folded training can be useful. helps with kinesthetic and proprioception.

I believe one of the essences of Chinese martial arts is controlling your opponent's balance through striking and sensitivity... which means thereotically you shouldn't have to see your opponent to control them.

Not to say the eyes are useless -- that's just absurd.

However, a reaction from your spinal cord/nerves is alot faster than a reaction which you had to 'see' and process in your brain.

Don't know about blindfolded sensitivity as a goal itself, but it shouldn't be too difficult for someone who can apply their stickiness/sensitivity at a competent level.

Personally I have found that closing my eyes during free grappling and push hands sometimes stops me from being distracted by my eyesight. Too much mind

I don't believe in chi sao at all so I'd say no. However I do work pummeling with my eyes closed. There's no reason for a blindfold if you're not trying to cheat.


-John

why bother with pummeling if you don't beleive in sticky hand/. sticky hands is the next progression of spinning hands/pummeling.

Used to do some closed-eye chi sao with my workout buddies years ago. It's interesting to try, but not really necessary, IMHO.

" blind folded training can be useful. helps with kinesthetic and proprioception. " - ashe higgs.

Thanks man. I consider myself pretty articulate, but I had to bust out the dictionary on proprioception

Jkogas - I hear what you're saying but it sounds like you do believe in chi sau... or at least the way my school does chi sau. It gets to be alot like g'n'p or pummeling sometimes. In fact, I see more benefit in trying to do chi sau from the guard than with a blindfold.

The way I see chi sao being done, NEVER occurs in a fight. Pummeling however does. There IS a difference between the two. Distance being that difference. That's why I only practice pummeling. At least there is a direct relation to what appens in a fight. The distance of chi sao isn't realistic for what it's trying to accomplish, in my opinion.

-John