The Eyes ...

The moral of the story - your body (and your car) goes where your head (or your vision) goes. - Mokuran Dojo "Cowcatcher and Vision"

Parker Sensei conveys a point that also corresponds with the teachings of the "Ken-po Goku-i" at least for those who study Isshinryu. I often witness when persons are "doing" kata that they do not use their eyes. I have also heard Sensei explain that your using instinct to turn into an attack which I find a bit discerning. Why? Because no one ever has or will ever develop "instinct" that actually "sees" an attack with out the eyes being involved.

What may be occurring is someone who appears to be "seeing" the attack with out the eyes is actually seeing the attack from a peripheral aspect. Does this mean a practitioner and/or a person in self defense should not turn the head and look/see, better not or you will get your clocked cleaned.

I use a term, "Chakugan," which in a nutshell means to set your "eyes" on your opponents eyes or just your opponent. This assists in proper focus of techniques and targeting. In the adrenaline dump effects of fear of violence it also assists the proponent in overcoming the limiting effects in the body, i.e. narrowing of vision, etc.

Maybe if Tatsuo's so-called first generation practitioners actually listened to him when they got their silk certificates they would have understood this and so many would be utilizing chakugan/eyes in kata and in fighting, etc.