any suggestions? - martial arts or something else?

[BaktoBasics]

Hello. I have always loved martial arts. Not only its practicality but also other benefits. However, at 15 years old, my eyesight slumped. I had to wait until I was 19 for donor tissue and a transplant to become available%-} (my left eye just like the pirate! ). As you may guess, although i'm now 21, I cannot get hit hard in my head or eye.

Given this, are there any martial arts you can recommend?

Can anyone please give their advice on how they liked any of the following I have shortlisted?

I have shortlisted:

- Iaido,
- Jodo, (with eye protection)
- Tai Chi,
- Qi Gong,

... I don't know what else. Everything else involves a risk of head contact.

Since my transplant, i've done wing chun (no sparring) and that was cool. However, the school is too far and I did'nt like it very much. Now, i'm weight lifting, have gained quite abit of bulk and am alot stronger but it gets kind of boring. Will keep going with the weights though artyon:

So, basically, I can do any hard training. I cannot get hit in the head (hard) or eye.

I appreciate any suggestions and advice. Thank-you very much.

 

[arnisador]

Jodo is sometimes practiced as a sport, with sparring, so check carefully. Iaido is a safe bet, as is kyudo (Japanese archery).

Is grappling OK? Could you be taken down or thrown? In some BJJ schools you mostly go from the knees.

You'll always be able to find Karate and Kung Fu schools that don't spar, or de-emphasize it so much you could opt out of it or say "no blows to the head". You'd need to check with the instructor.

Would (Western) fencing be OK? Your head gets jarred, but not truly hit.

 

[Eldritch Knight]

Don't forget about kendo. It may sound a bit iffy, since the primary attack is a strike to the head, but I wouldn't worry about it. You'll be wearing thick armor, and on top of that, a proper strike to the head is little more than a hard tap, probably hitting with about the same force as a paintball pellet. Your eyes and face and completely covered by a hard metal grill, and generally speaking, kendo is a very safe sport. On top of that, it has a strong spiritual/mental component and is guaranteed to give you a helluva workout.

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Hello. I have always loved martial arts. Not only its practicality but also other benefits. However, at 15 years old, my eyesight slumped. I had to wait until I was 19 for donor tissue and a transplant to become available%-} (my left eye just like the pirate! ). As you may guess, although i'm now 21, I cannot get hit hard in my head or eye.

Given this, are there any martial arts you can recommend?

Can anyone please give their advice on how they liked any of the following I have shortlisted?

I have shortlisted:

- Iaido,
- Jodo, (with eye protection)
- Tai Chi,
- Qi Gong,

... I don't know what else. Everything else involves a risk of head contact.

Since my transplant, i've done wing chun (no sparring) and that was cool. However, the school is too far and I did'nt like it very much. Now, i'm weight lifting, have gained quite abit of bulk and am alot stronger but it gets kind of boring. Will keep going with the weights though artyon:

So, basically, I can do any hard training. I cannot get hit in the head (hard) or eye.

I appreciate any suggestions and advice. Thank-you very much.

I wouldn't limit yourself to the aforementioned arts. In my experience, most reputable instructors will try to accomodate students with disabilities. You don't have to contact spar in every karate style and even if you do, what about special head protection for yourself? I'd be very surprised if every karate or TKD instructor you met with refused to consider such a request. The only real concern would be the possibility of other students injuring their hands striking your head protection. However, these days head gear can get pretty sophisticated. Just be aware that accidental contact does occur in groups even in forms training.

Best of luck and I respect your not letting this discourage your participation in the martial arts. BTW, Tai Chi is a great art. My late Tai Chi instructor could throw around TKD and Karate stylists (myself included) with a simple shift in posture. Just make sure the Tai Chi instructor is qualified. Many rode the New Age health consciousness and spiritual enlightenment craze (nothing wrong with the craze itself, just unqualified instructors ) and are not truly MA qualified. Tai Chi is a lot more than waving your hands around slowly.

 

[Simon Curran]

Would (Western) fencing be OK? Your head gets jarred, but not truly hit.

Maybe lack of depth perception might cause a bit of a problem though (Iread somewhere that the use of only one eye minimizes depth perception):idunno:

 

[BaktoBasics]

Thankyou very mcuh for your advice everyone.

Yes, I have done fencing - i loved it. However, the closest piste is 1 hours drive. However, some people may start a fencing club at university, so, i'll have to check it out.

You're right about depth perception. However, such is life and it is amazing how the brain adjusts in finding some cues to measure depth other than binocular vision (however, two eyes is always the best and the brain can only do the best it can)

I have tried kendo also. It's very interesting but I would not want to take the risk. Most of the impact is absorbed by the head because the shinai is solid and made of bamboo slats.

You're right. I can do TKD, Karate, kung fu, but, if I can't train properly then I don't want to do it. Having my black belt in TKD I know the importance of sparring and full contact bouts - great way to learn properly. Wing chun was okay, however, it did'nt suit me.

Again, thanks kindly for your comments. Very good of you all.

Fancing is the safest, most fun (because I dont have to worry - having a 1600N mask and given that the foil, epee and sabre are flexible blades so most of the impact is absorbed by the weapon itself).

So, if a club starts ar school, i'll start fencing again. If not, i'll do some more research and scour my yellowpages.

Appreciate all your comments.

 

[Simon Curran]

Good luck whatever you wind up doing:asian:

 

[ginshun]

Aikido maybe? You get thrown a lot, but there is almost never a strike to the head in regular training. Not with our group anyway.