How do you deal w/ disabled People

[Sasori_Te]

Several good points made. You need to know what the disability is. You need to know the persons limits, you need to get a release from the doctor to cover yourself a bit and you make accomodations for the person. Martial arts isn't just for super healthy 20 year olds. I had a teen girl with Cystic Fibrosis that had a feeding tube implanted directly into her stomach. I had a little boy with lung problems with a breathing tube permanently attached to his throat. I think they made me a much better instructor.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Well, I've been teaching since 1978 and thusfar have had 2 blind students, one with polio (one of my first students in fact), 2 in wheelchairs, one deaf, many with bad backs or knees, and one with severely torn muscles in his groin and would never be able to kick well. Also, I've had to deal with God knows how many women with PMS! ARGH! (that's a joke folks, so don't get your pantyhose in an uproar please!)

 

My origional sensei and I went around several times on this issue, and his opinion was that if the person can't learn the art "correctly" because of a disability, then he/she shouldn't be allowed in class. To which I told him...*! He didn't like it, and it was a bit tense for a couple of years between us whenever the subject came up until he moved out of the area and we lost touch.

 

My personal opinion is that ANYBODY should be allowed to train in a martial art within the limits of their disability. How you deal with them is the challenge, but it will, in the long run, make you a better instructor and a better person as a whole.

 

You have to make certain "adjustments" of course, but I always found that the fun aspect of it. Deaf people are easy, and I don't lknow sign language, but they are very good visual learners and like was said earlier, notes are GREAT if you have to explain something clearer.

 

Blindness is very difficult, as you need to help them learn the hand/leg./body movement by putting your hands on them (tricky if you're a man and the student is a woman/girl), or they on you (not bad if you're a man and it's an attractive woman! lol ) Another joke folks!!!

 

For physically handicapped people, I modify the curriculum and requirements to allow for their disability, but expect them to work as hard as any other student, within the limits of their disabuility.

 

Thusfar, I've had a few get into the middle to upper colored belts, but none have stayed wuith it long enough to get a black belt.

[ninjanurse]

After reading Shorinryu's post I have an additional comment:

 

Even ABLE BODIED martial artists have to adapt some techniques to work with their size, weight, flexibility, etc. Being petite (5'4 113 lbs) I have had to adapt almost every jujitsu technique I know (even if just slightly) to be able to be effective against large opponents. I don't see any difference in adapting techniques for differently abled students. If it works, use it, if it doesn't adapt. That someone would be so arrogant to exclude anyone from at least trying goes against everything my sensei's ever taught me!

 

 

Ok, I'm done. Thanks for letting me share!

 

[ialwaysgethit]

we have got a blind man, 98% blind. he is coping extramly well as he has never done anything physical before, he is now able to pick up movement and do thing whereas before he could not. one to one teaching is required, but his sight appears to be getting better then what it was before or just more able to recognise the movements or a bit of both.

 

we have also had a man with a broken neck, dont ask me how he did it, or how it was fixed but is it was still broken when he started training, could do much kumite with him though, but he was a building labourer on a building site during the day, sure that did not do any good for his neck.

 

[karatekid1975]

I had a teen girl with Cystic Fibrosis that had a feeding tube implanted directly into her stomach. I had a little boy with lung problems with a breathing tube permanently attached to his throat. I think they made me a much better instructor.

 

One of my students at the YMCA has Cystic Fibrosis and a feeding tube. You would never know it. This kid is even small for his age, but man is he good. He is one of my best students. I also have a kid with autism. He doesn't know direction very well (when I teach him forms), but he tries really hard, and that's what matters.

[ialwaysgethit]

how do people teach people with disabilities and also people that are in wheel chairs?

 

can any boby put some light on this matter for me.

 

[GrrrArg]

We have a young girl training with us who lost her legs below the knees to meningitus, she either trains in a wheelchair or on her prosthetic (SP?) legs. Shes pretty inspiring, there are also quite a number of people in wheelchairs training throughout the club.