History Main / AHandfulForAnEye

* ComicBook/{{Huntress}} uses her own blood to blind Lady Shiva in ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey''.

* ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightReturns'' has Batman use this against the Mutant Leader in his second fight. After realising the hard way that being past his physical prime makes a direct confrontation suicidal, Batman lures him into a mud pit, evening the odds between them. He then gives the guy a superficial but extremely fast-bleeding cut above the eyes, and proceeds to beat him down whilst he is wiping blood and mud from his vision.

* In ''ComicStrip/KnightsOfTheDinnerTable'', Bob was once able to defeat Nitro (after Nitro [[BerserkButton touched his dice]]) by blinding him by tossing a shaker full of salt into his face before clobbering him with a dinner tray.
* One episode of ''Marvel Team-Up'' pitted [[ComicBook/FantasticFour the Thing]] and ComicBook/GhostRider against the [[MasterOfIllusion Miracle Man]]. While Ghost Rider dealt with the supernatural constructions the Miracle Man had created, Ben Grimm went after the main villain himself. The Miracle Man began confusing Ben with illusions, until he remembered the Miracle Man's major weakness -- namely, that the Miracle Man needs to see in order to use his powers. Since they were fighting in a desert, all Ben needed was one handful of thrown sand to blind the Miracle Man long enough for his illusions to vanish, after which he was easy prey.

* ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' gives his opponent a faceful of webbing to temporarily blind them, he does it so much it’s practically his SignatureAttack. He first used this tactic during his first rematch against ComicBook/DoctorOctopus.

* ''Film/{{Warlock}}''. While Redferne is fighting the Warlock hand-to-hand in the cemetery, the Warlock starts strangling him. Redferne grabs a handful of earth and throws it in the Warlock's eyes to make him break his grip.

* Monk is brought down by a handful of grit in his face in the ''Franchise/DocSavage'' novel ''Repel''.

* ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' gives his opponent a faceful of webbing to temporarily blind them, he does it so much it’s practically he’s SignatureAttack. He first used this tactic during his first rematch against ComicBook/DoctorOctopus.

* ''Series/KungFu'':

* ''Franchise/GuiltyGear'' has a variation during a fight between Ky and Sol in ''REV 2'''s after story, when Ky smashes the pommel of his sword against Sol's jaw, grabs the shattered pieces midair, and throws them in his eyes. In this case, it's less pragmatism and more that Ky was ''really'' pissed off.

* ''Manga/BlackClover'': In the [[FillerArc Devil Banishers Arc,]] a member of the titular group uses [[SandBlaster Sand Magic]] to blind Noelle during their kidnapping of [[spoiler: Asta and Nero.]]

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* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' has a variation during a fight between Ky and Sol in ''REV 2'''s after story, when Ky smashes the pommel of his sword against Sol's jaw, grabs the shattered pieces midair, and throws them in his eyes. In this case, it's less pragmatism and more that Ky was ''really'' pissed off.

* In the ''Series/{{Baywatch}}'' episode "Pier Pressure", Hobie uses the trick to escape from a bully.

* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': Zoe does this when a bar brawl spills outside into the surrounding desert in "[[Recap/FireflyE2TheTrainJob The Train Job]]".

* ''Series/''{{CSINY}}'': In "Point of View," Det. Flack approaches a perp on a rooftop and the guy attempts to get away by scooping up a handful of sand and grit from the surface and flinging it in Flack's face. Fortunately Danny is sneaking up behind the guy and nabs him.

* Film/JamesBond in ''Film/LicenceToKill'' is searching a marine research warehouse and finds a tank full of maggots. Grimacing, he plunges his hands inside and finds it's used to hide packages of cocaine. Just then a guard comes up behind him. Bond asks if he can take his hands out, then throws maggots in the guard's face.

* ''A Clean Kill In Tokyo''. Lacking any other kind of ImprovisedWeapon, Literature/JohnRain grabs a handful of sand, walks up behind an [[ContractOnTheHitman assassin sent to kill him]] and throws it in his face, but he's a ConsummateProfessional who doesn't try to wipe his eyes even though Rain notes that he must be in agony, instead putting all his efforts into trying to lay hands on his attacker despite being blinded.

** Its also mostly useless against those who can simply tear it off, ala Incredible Hulk and Hercules. Mister Hyde also attempted this,.l but it turns out his SuperToughness is not upto mark, resulting in him [[FacialHorror tearing skin off his face]].

* Sand Attack from ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' involves throwing sand in the opponent's face, reducing that enemy's accuracy.
** Mud Slap functions similarly, but does damage as well.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'', the villain Kung Food grabs a handful of spice from his bag and blows it in Cat Noir's eyes.
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'' where Dethklok takes up comedy, Pickles throws sand in the eyes of the heckler who had driven him to avoid the stage for months after finally working up the courage to perform again.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends'' episode "Crunch the Rockdog", Gusty tries blowing dust into the eyes of rock monsters, but it doesn't work since they are made of rock.
* On ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays'', Zak flings a handful of mud into Munya's face during their fight in the Amazon in "The Kur Stone, Part 2".

** In "White Out", Catra throws snow in She-Ra's face.
** In "Once Upon A Time In The Waste", Catra throws sand in Tung Lashor's face.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', the rogue class has access to an ability called "Dirty Fighting" that stuns foes instead of blinding (since the game doesn't have a 'blind' [[StatusEffects Abnormal Status]]).

* Tai Chi (yes, that "meditation thing" your eldery neighbors do in the park) is actually a very [[CombatPragmatist pragmatic]], or even ''cheap'', martial art.[[note]]One giveaway is that it's sometimes practiced with a (usually fake) sword. The "meditative" form is actually the slowed down beginner's kata used to enhance muscle memory, then progressively sped up over time for combat practitioners.[[/note]] One fairly common move involves windmilling the arms while crouching, then extending the arms to the front and back with open palms. This is actually meant to be a move used to scoop a handful of dirt, sand, or detritus and throw it at your opponent's face.