History Main / YourEyesCanDeceiveYou

[[folder: ComicBooks]]

[[folder: {{Film}}]]

* ''[=~Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Rick Bobby~=]'', with Ricky's father training him in driving.

[[folder: VideoGames]]

[[folder: WesternAnimation]]

*** Considering how his normal way of training was going to get him killed, forcing himself to focus and use quicker reaction time by relying on his senses rather than his eyes was the only option available at that momment. Too bad the Earlier Robot Army that tried to rush that tower the way he did, with like 1000 troups, couldn't consider relying on faster reflexes.

* The 8th ''{{Pokemon}}'' movie has Lucario dodging swinging logs while blindfolded in order to practice its 'aurasense' ability, all taking place during a TrainingMontage {{Flashback}} with Sir Aaron.

* Happened in the JeanClaudeVanDamme film ''Bloodsport''. This time, though, Van Damme's character also was forced to utilise it, [[spoiler:when his final opponent tossed some kind of powder in his eyes.]]

In RealLife, this would only make sense if the skill itself involves an invisible element, or if the practitioner expected to perform the skill under low- or no-visibility conditions (thick smoke, underground, eyes gouged out of head, etc.) Soldiers in a TrainingMontage may field-strip their weapons, disarm bombs, or perform other precision tasks while blindfolded for this reason. {{Super Soldier}}s do it instead of (or while) smoking, usually during the briefing sequence or the calm before the climactic battle scene. The goal of blindfolded training in martial arts is not to teach someone to fight blind, but merely to speed up reaction time so as to not get caught by surprise, blind or not.

* ''AvatarTheLastAirbender'', with [[CuteBruiser Toph]] (a "super blind ''girl''") training [[TheChosenOne Aang]]. The point of blindfolding Aang was to get him to learn to use tremorsense, which, as Toph has repeatedly demonstrated, is damn useful in earthbending.

* This was part of Inigo's TrainingFromHell in the book version of ''ThePrincessBride''. It actually comes in useful as Inigo uses the training [=MacPherson=] gave him to kill a darkened roomful of bats using only his sword. In all fairness, [=MacPherson=]'s training was [[CrazyPrepared very thorough]]. [=MacPherson=] did make a point of giving a reason for the training (an acid throwing opponent), but then he ''is'' described as [[SadistTeacher "having a special feel for adversity"]].

* [[TheMentor Kreia]] lives by this trope in ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic II'': She's technically blind, but only because she stopped using her eyes. She gives [[PlayerCharacter The]][[TheExile Exile]] several lessons emphasising other senses.

* In an episode of ''TeenTitans'', Robin went to China to train with a great martial arts master. One of the trials along the road was to defeat a giant snake in battle. When Robin protested that he had an unfair advantage since the snake was blind, the snake blew out the only candle in the cave to even the score. Unlike some examples, this proved useful later when an opponent nicked Robin's smokebombs and used them on him.

In an attempt to show the supernatural affinity of a character with the skill he is training, [[{{Mentors}} The Mentor]] will [[BlindfoldedVision cover the pupil's eyes with a piece of cloth]], and say some [[DontThinkFeel gibberish]] like "Don't 'see' the enemy, 'feel' the enemy".

A really key part of this is that the student ''always'' complains (either first thing or after getting their ass handed to them), and it rarely comes up again. If it does, it's likely to be against a blind opponent, which ironically eliminates the advantage the teacher was trying to give them.

* [[TheMentor Kreia]] lives by this trope in ''KnightsOfTheOldRepubilc II'': She's technically blind, but only because she stopped using her eyes. She gives [[PlayerCharacter The]][[TheExile Exile]] several lessons emphasising other senses.

* [[TheMentor Kreia]] often invokes this trope in KnightsOfTheOldRepublc II, to the point of giving [[PlayerCharacter The]][[TheExile Exile]] several lessons emphasising other senses.

* ''StarWars''. Obi Wan makes Luke wear a helmet with the blast shield down (and Luke complains about being unable to see) before saying "Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them." Luke proceeds to actually do really well against the training orb thing. ESP is so handy.
** Said scene has been parodied so many times (and usually by having Luke [[OnceAnEpisode dismembering]] one of his {{Nakama}}) that this is practically a DiscreditedTrope.
** Justified perhaps, as the Force gives 360 degree vision and the ability to foresee the imminent future. Several Jedi masters have actually allowed themselves to go blind in the past, so that they won't be distracted from their more important senses.
** Also note that this is a case where it ''does'' come up, in a way, later in the movie, when Luke turns off his targeting computer before firing the proton torpedo. The shot was impossible enough ''with'' the computer.
*** One of the reasons why this worked that pops up in the Expanded Universe is the presence of jamming towers on the Death Star; any shot made with the targeting computer would almost undoubtedly miss. In fact, Red Leader does try to hit the shaft with the computer before Luke tries and misses.

* {{Real Life}} example: this troper attended a martial arts class in which one exercise was to walk around a blindfolded student and focus one's intent on them. The blindfolded students had a tendency to lean away from wherever the [[strike:intent]] sound of their movement was coming from, even if they did not realize it.
** Another exercise involves trying to clip clothespins on a blindfolded person, who tries to bat them away with a foam bat. This troper's teacher, the one blindfolded, did not let anyone clip him.
*** This Troper had a sparring teacher who would have us fight with our eyes closed, listening for our opponents. As he put it, [[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty "What if the other guy throws a handful of sand in your face?"]]
**** This Troper has done blindfolded fencing. The best strategy is usually backing up and waiting for your opponent to fall over.
**** Untrue. The best strategy is to wait for a judge to cough and then let a blind fencer turn around and hit the judge. Good times...
** During their Jujitsu training in Japan, the hosts of the HistoryChannel reality show ''Human Weapon'' were taught a samurai trick that lets them dodge an unseen (and unknown) attack from behind and counter in one, fluid stroke. How this would be useful to the samurai - besides possibly giving them a paranoid advantage over {{Ninja}} assassinations - is never fully explained, but it looks cool.
*** This is also used in modern Taijutsu: One way of proving that you're worthy of the next belt is sitting down blindfolded and being able to avoid, block or counter your master's next attack.

* In ''{{Disgaea}}'', Mid-Boss tells this to Laharl word for word when Maderas is attempting to take advantage of his weakness to [[spoiler:sexy bodies and optimistic phrases]]. It's part of a grand speech about how to activate his inner energy, UseTheForce, and all these other things... [[LoveFreak Flonne]] tells him after he may have set the bar too high, so Mid-Boss simply says "Then just plug your ears and close your eyes." Even though Laharl promptly does this, this somehow doesn't seem to keep him from hearing all the relevant plot details in the [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome ensuing conversation between Etna and Maderas]], or fighting at full capacity.

----
<<|ActionAdventureTropes|>>
<<|SkillsAndTrainingTropes|>>

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

[[AC:TabletopGames]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

*** One of the reasons why this worked that pops up in the Expanded Universe is the presence of jamming towers on the Death Star; any shot made with the targeting computer would almost undoubtedly miss.

* ''{{Memory}}'' by {{Lois McMaster Bujold}} has a variant. MilesVorkosigan reminisces about an informal stunt-flying competition he used to have with his cousin Ivan, in a mountain canyon. He won (and convinced Ivan never to do anything like that with him again) by teaching himself to fly the course with his eyes closed.

In an attempt to show the supernatural affinity of a character with the skill he is training, [[{{Mentors}} The Mentor]] will cover the pupil's eyes with a piece of cloth, and say some [[DontThinkFeel gibberish]] like "Don't 'see' the enemy, 'feel' the enemy".

For the "super blind man", see DisabilitySuperpower. Contrast BlindfoldedVision, for whom the goal is to fight better ''by'' being blindfolded.