Kumite with a disability

[Erin]

So here's what's up.

I am deaf, and can hear only with the assistance of a hearing aid. I have a degenerative ear disease and that's why I am post-lingually deaf.

I am also blind in my left eye from a cataract, and have no kidney on my left either.

I'm specials, no?

Anyways, my husband is refusing to allow me to kumite. He is terrified I am going to be hurt. I told him that my black belts would do their best to keep me from injury with proper training and that I need to learn. Basically my entire left side is a blind spot not being able to see or hear. I need to understand what to do in an attack. Someone will probably NOT have the kindness to attack from the right, no?

I have a while to go before I start kumite as my dojo doesn't allow it until green belt. But with a move to Japan coming soon, I want to be prepared and my black belts want me prepared as well.

Thoughts?

[Kruczek]

First off start all kumite off with your right foot in front.

Learn to pivot to adjust to people trying to move to your left side.

I had to judge a tournament where a blind lady entered for kumite. I didn't know what to say. I was opposed to allowing it but the head judge insisted that it wasn't our decision.

She got beat...significantly, but she did a LOT better than I expected. She actually preformed her whole kata prior to this without me realizing she was blind. I initially thought she might have brain damage of some sort, but she just "knew" where the ring was and could preform her kata inside it.

So practice and you will learn tricks from experience on how to fight with only one 'good' side.

[tallgeese]

I applaud your efforts considering what you've had to deal with.

The only real concern I would have is the kidney, everything else might be problematic but controllable from a risk standpoint with care on everyone's part. Most contact sports will not allow participation of someone with a single kidney due to the seriousness of the consequences should it sustain injury without it's partner to pick up the slack.

I'd take long look at the contact levels at your school and consult with your doctor for the matter and give him a realistic apprasial of what the enviornment would be. Additionally, this should include incidental contact that often occurs, falls, ect. Then you'll have a much more informed medical opinion of the risks.

That being said, you still have to co-habitate with the signifigant other and he should probiliby be on board, and consulted with, over what ever decision you make. Like will just go eaiser I would guess on the home front.

The medical risks over the kidney would be my first step in assessing the possibilities of sparring. I'd clear that hurdle before starting to discet tactics to deal with the other issues.

Good luck.

[bushido_man96]

I think that you should approach kumite in an exploratory manner. This will allow you to keep it a very controlled environment, and as you become more comfortable with certain things, like seeing attacks come in, or moving to keep someone in your line of sight, then you can move on to more complex things.

Tallgeese talks about limited engagement sparring a lot, where one participant is only allowed to do certain things, and the other may have more or less that he/she is allowed to do. I think that you should take this approach to kumite, and I think it will help you become more and more comfortable with it.

You are right about self-defense, though; no one who attacks you is going to cut you any slack. So getting prepared is a good idea.

[Erin]

Thank you for the awesome replies!

[BDPulver]

You are a true hero in my eyes. I've worked with one female who was totally deaf and I think she had tunnel vision. Not sure of what they actually called it, she had no proliferal vision what so ever. I learned how to sign cause of her and she was the greatest. And man she had a mean right hook.

Another guy I worked with had two, yes two fake legs. Talk bout a strong kumite fighter, he could do it. He knew how to distance himself well and use his upper body.

What does this mean. You work to your own rythym. If you dont think you can do it dont. If you want to try go for it. I've worked with a lot of people with disablities and they always fascinate me how hard they are willing to try something.

[Traymond]

Hmmm, I think it is great that you are trying to do kumite with all of your restrictions. But dont let them be just that, work around them, learn them. After all Kumite symbolizes a real fight, and a real fight is real.

If your left side is bad do your best to keep your right forward and work on your foot work sliding in and out of techniques, cross training in capoeria is good for that as welll.

Thats about all that I can say, learn the triangle step of capoeria.

[white owl]

You go girl. I agree with Tallgeese though find out the dangers and if you decide to go ahead and spare get a chest and rib protector to help protect you kidney to be save, accident do happen even in the best control environment.

[Erin]

I will absolutely wear a wraparound chest and rib protector at all times. It's just something I at the very least want to try, and you all have given me more hope and drive to do so!

Today we were working tenarashi for the kihons, and I took a punch to the rib/kidney area by an immature teen in the adults class. That wasn't fun.