Person with disabilities looking for advice

[KungFubar]

Hi!

I’ve always wanted to study a martial art, but I figured as a person with disabilities, no one would want to train me. Decided to find a school anyway.

Which martial art would be best? I’m 49 years old, female, 5 feet tall, small boned and weigh about 125 lbs. These are what I would have to work with:

Legally blind: Completely blind in one eye and losing the already limited vision in my other eye. I have no depth perception as a result and might have trouble seeing instruction at a distance. I use a white cane to navigate around.

Cerebral Palsy: I have mild cerebral palsy. My muscles are weak and I lack endurance. I also have poor balance and can’t balance on one leg at all.

Autism & ADHD: Both mild/very high functioning. I’m putting these here because they should be listed, even though Idon’t see them posing a problem. I don’t have meltdowns. But if I’m overwhelmed or tired, I shutdown. All this means is that I space out.

My primary purpose in learning an art is for self defense in a real world scenario, not for competition. I also don’t care as much about belts as I do about learning and mastering the techniques. I’d like to get my food in the door and learn as much as I can before going completely blind, and continuing my studies as a completely blind student.

Does anyone have any recommendations for what to study?

 

[Simfers]

If your primary goal is self-defense, I'd say that something that would teach you to use your white cane, something you'll always have on hand, would be logical.

So... Escrima, maybe? I think hapkido also contains stick-fighting... Really depends on what's available where you are.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

If your primary goal is self-defense, I'd say that something that would teach you to use your white cane, something you'll always have on hand, would be logical.

So... Escrima, maybe? I think hapkido also contains stick-fighting... Really depends on what's available where you are.

A lot of escrima involves moving around, so what OP could use from it would be limited. That said, it still could help, she'd just have to figure out what she can/can't do.


@KungFubar I'd actually recommend fencing, if you can find it. Particularly epee or foil. You can use your cane, and I think it'd work better with not being able to balance/walk too well. Epee/foil also involve a lot of thrusting, so the depth perception won't matter as much (if you thrust out it won't matter as much if they're 1 ft or 3 feet in front of you). The biggest issue would be finding a school that works with you, depending on where you live.

If that's not an option, I'd probably go with either BJJ or wing chun. Both are built in a way to let smaller people fight, balance won't be a huge issue, and it's close/very close contact so sight won't matter as much. I've even heard of (though haven't met) people who are completely blind training bjj.

If you have trouble with finding a wing chun or BJJ school that works with you as well, my next recommendation would probably be Tai Chi or Aikido. Depending on the school, the self-defense applications may or may not be fully there, and my understanding is that it can take a longer time training for it to become practical (which is why they're last on my list), but I'd guess most aikido instructors would be good at meeting you where you're at. Both of these arts are gentle and should be fine to do while blind as well.

 

[Badhabits]

I think martial arts will be good for you. My current instructor works with quite a few people with disabilities he's great with them and it's a great environment for them. If any instructors in your area have people with disabilities at their school and that instructor is really good with them maybe you could start there regardless of the art. At least to start it may be more about the teacher than the art. Any art is a doorway into the wider world of martial arts, you can always change arts/schools later once you have a degree of comfort with it. Me included, some people really enjoy working with people with disabilities. That makes a difference in your experience at a school.

 

[Buka]

Welcome to Martial Talk, KungFubar.

I strongly recommend Brazilian Jujitsu. It is done more by feel than by sight.