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The control system of your body runs through your visual system. Your visual system represents 80 percent of your sensory perception. Good vision represents more than just having 20/20 sight. Vision involves other things, such as the ability to track and focus at the same time. You need to see and track fast-moving objects, to see things and people in the corner of the eye (peripheral vision), and to filter out visual distractions. You also need depth perception and eye-hand coordination. 

To improve sparring skills, most students train to improve techniques and increase physical fitness. Just as important is to train your vision so you may detect movement quicker, see movement from your sides, track movement trajectory and speed more accurately, see other movements around you and determine if they are a threat, and coordinate your movements to counter any attack.

There are visual therapy programs to improve vision that cost hundreds of dollars, but there are some exercises you can do yourself that may improve your vision, and your sparring. The following exercises are recommended by the American Optometric Association to improve vision. 

Visual Concentration

Visual concentration is the ability to screen out distractions and stay focused on an opponent. To improve visual concentration, have other students stand around the sparring area while you are sparring waving their arms and moving in and out of your field of vision. You also can spar in a darkened room with a slowly pulsating strobe light (be very careful).

Eye Tracking

Eye tracking helps you keep your balance and react quickly. You must be able to follow movement without much head movement. To improve eye tracking, have two people stand about ten feet apart and toss a ball back and forth. Stand between them, centered and to the side, with a book balanced on your head, and follow the ball movement without the book falling. You can also train by keeping track of a small ball rolling inside a Frisbee. Change the ball size and rolling speed as you improve.

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