fellow students with physical disabilities

[rubthebuddha]

even though some of us were peeved that snap-on wound up being yet another troll, at least we can thank the mental amputee for the topic. since some of you folks really liked the idea of a thread about students with disabilities, here it is. i guess to get the ball rolling, who here has practiced with or taught students who had physical impairments?

[KC Elbows]

Royal Dragon might remember this kid.

Back when I was in chung moo quan, there was a kid, maybe sixteen years old, whose arm ended just past the elbow. He was a driven guy, modified push ups so that he could use both arms, practiced punches using the stump when doing horse and punch, etc.

[JasBourne]

I've never trained with anyone with a disability, although I look forward to. Wait, that sounded sick. What I mean is, I think that seeing how someone copes with a disability to perfect their kungfu will teach me a lot about my own body and what it's capable of.

Back in my college days I had a job driving a wheelchair mobility van for disabled clients, taking them to and from doctor's appointments and so forth. Watching these folks go about the daily business of living (for some of them, the minute-to-minute business of breathing) was a profoundly educational experience.

I think training with a differently abled student would be hella cool. :)

[premier]

I'm teaching two deaf guys at the moment. Well.. it's challenging. Especially when you're teaching the basic principles, but don't know sign language and they can't hear you or read your lips. But it works pretty good when you just show it slowly and point finger at the important things. Luckily they have a translator with them on the Saturday classes. It has paid off though. They're not the worst students in the class.

All the extra attention you have to give them takes a lot of energy, but still, I think it's great that these guys are coming to the class. I'm sure a lot of people would like to do it, but they won't because they think their handicap is too much. I mean... it takes some guts to walk in the gwoon even when you're not handicapped.


premier

[Budokan]

I respect anyone with a disability who proves to himself and the world that he doesn't really HAVE a disability, despite what we may think. MA, above most activities I would think, brings that character out in a person.

[jaz1069]

When I was living in Okinawa, I practiced Uechi Ryu with a student that had Downs Syndrum. Outside of class it was obvious that he had problems, but inside the dojo it was as if his body were taken over by spirits. His kata, though a little shaky, was perfect, and he was tough to spar with because his body did not always register pain as a bad thing.

[anerlich]

Got a guy with cerebral palsy in our classes. He spars, grapples, does everything.

I wonder if I'd have had his good humour, courage and mental toughness if i'd been dealt the cards in life that he has.

[sanchezero]

Used to have a blind chick that trained at our school, but her seeing eye dog took her into traffic. She doesn't come anymore.

We now have a mentally retarded guy who trains sometimes. He doesn't really get it, but he has fun. He really likes to wear those chinese shirts with the frog buttons and do punches.

[respectmankind]

Thats cute.

[kungfu cowboy]

Oh yeah? Well we have a boneless human torso with a spastic colon and a mean overbite! HA!

[Serpent]

Yeah? Well, we got a guy in our class and he's just a head. And he's gay!

[CrushingFist]

i've had a couple disabled kids. all mentally .

One was around 8 or 9 and he was just very very slow, and had trouble paying attention, but he loved to come to class and had a lotta fun, it was too bad when he had to move.

The other one was a totally snot headed-spoiled, bratty, ADD kid, and well, he's shown a lotta improvement. He used to cry out and have fits and stuff when he wouldn't get his way, but martial arts teaches disciple, and discipled he became!
altho he still is a snot head to his mom, he knows he can't get away with it in class...so it's SOME improvement

And i think this new guy just joined who's either very very slow or maybe slightly mentally disabled, it's a little hard to get him to do things cuz he doesn't pick up very fast, but it's not a big deal, he seems to enjoy it...

[sanchezero]

O yeah, we also have a coupla really ugly people with horrible breath.

"Uh, I can't chi sao right now, I'm 'sposed to do punches with the retard."

;)

[Budokan]

We have a perspirationally-challenged guy who comes to class. (He sweats a lot.)
It's me!
:)

[apoweyn]

one of my coaches is in a wheelchair. of course, he's also trained for years in ninjutsu and kali. and he's a powerlifter in the special olympics. not real clear on which one of us is 'disabled.'


stuart b.