Blind man walking

[terryl965]

What is every one take on teaching the blind in MA? I believe they are the perfect student with all there other sense so highten. We have a lady friend who is legally blind and she has been doing really well in class but know she wants to sparr and I cannot think of a good enough reason for not to. So what is your take on this a s well?

 

[arnisador]

For those who are profoundly blind, Judo and its variants are the only option for self-defense, in my opinion. They need to be able to grab and manipulate an opponent.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I have found that the blind are more suited to any art where they can touch an opponent and then keep hold of them to protect themselves. "Karate" per say is not a really good art for most because they do not see an attack coming nor can they see their opponent. Only when they have touched their opponent and are able to feel where that person is do they truly become effective.

 

[terryl965]

Thanks and I agree she need to spar with someone she is constantly touching and grabbing

 

[geezer]

For those who are profoundly blind, Judo and its variants are the only option for self-defense, in my opinion. They need to be able to grab and manipulate an opponent.

I had two visually impaired students back in the 80's. One who was pretty athletic really picked up Wing Tsun chi-sau fast. If you started out touching, he could really spar. It's all about sensitivity. You can learn to tell where your opponent's body is, how he is balanced and so on just by the feel of your opponent's bridge-arm.

 

[tshadowchaser]

going back in time to when there where no pads, I think because of the way people would find and grab a uniform then punch and kick till they where separated is about the only way to teach the blind to spar. Still they must make contact and hold it to do this.
When teaching the blind to spar I had their opponent make noises, sounds ( bruce lee type) to give the blind a target area. Now this may not help in a street situation, some street thugs make the mistake of running their mouths.
Another way I have taught is to blindfold the "seeing" person so both are on somewhat even ground. This also teaches on to listen for the opponent.

 

[Kacey]

While I understand the concerns about sparring, I think the comments about contact and heightened sensitivity are valid - and there's no reason why a blind person couldn't do everything else. And in reality, there's no guarantee that a blind person wants to be a grappler, or that they'll be attacked by someone willing to grapple.

I had a blind woman tell me she was joining my class (she never showed up) but I thought about a few ways to help her, and they ended up helping the students I had at the time anyway. I wanted a way for her to participate in line drills without someone constantly helping her, so I bought a bunch of thick twine, and taped it to the floor in lanes - when she didn't show up, I blindfolded all of my students and had them do line drills that way. It was quite a shock to all of them how much they used their eyes to aid their balance... in fact, it might be time to do that one again.

New techniques could be taught through a combination of verbal description and physically manipulating the person through the movements.

If the person uses a cane for guidance, it might be that an art that teaches the use of a staff would be highly effective - the cane would add reach and leverage, it's a familiar object, it's always present, and the person could sense contact through the cane.

 

[Guardian]

While I understand the concerns about sparring, I think the comments about contact and heightened sensitivity are valid - and there's no reason why a blind person couldn't do everything else. And in reality, there's no guarantee that a blind person wants to be a grappler, or that they'll be attacked by someone willing to grapple.

I had a blind woman tell me she was joining my class (she never showed up) but I thought about a few ways to help her, and they ended up helping the students I had at the time anyway. I wanted a way for her to participate in line drills without someone constantly helping her, so I bought a bunch of thick twine, and taped it to the floor in lanes - when she didn't show up, I blindfolded all of my students and had them do line drills that way. It was quite a shock to all of them how much they used their eyes to aid their balance... in fact, it might be time to do that one again.

New techniques could be taught through a combination of verbal description and physically manipulating the person through the movements.

If the person uses a cane for guidance, it might be that an art that teaches the use of a staff would be highly effective - the cane would add reach and leverage, it's a familiar object, it's always present, and the person could sense contact through the cane.

I've never had a situation like this, but I would imagine the cane situation being an excellent way of going about it even if it's not part of the course at the time, adding it, it could help the other students also.

 

[YoungMan]

One of our Instructors had a blind student, and he made it to 1st Dan. His blindness made him keenly aware of his other senses (hearing, balance, proprioreception etc.), and he was able to do basics, forms, and sparring. His Instructors had to radically change how they taught to teach him, but they did it. He sparred people in hogu with a bell so he could better hear them. For his breaking technique for 1st Dan, he pulled off a jumping back side kick. Anyway, you'd be surprised how much noise people make, which made it easier for him to know where they were. Don't ever assume people can't do something because of a handicap.
He also had a very raunchy sense of humor.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I have found out that there are many ways to discribe how to do something. I once would only say things the way my instructor did or I would teach the same way out of habit, but having a blind student taught me to learn to express myslef and what I was doing in many ways.

 

[Balrog]

Heh.

Back in the dim, dark days when I was a red belt and my instructor was a 2nd Degree, we went to a tournament in Louisiana. There was a 3rd Degree instructor there who was legally blind. I forget the name, but it was the condition where there is no central vision, just extreme peripheral vision. He would spar looking at almost 90 degrees from you.

My instructor wound up sparring him, and was up 4-2. The blind instructor cut loose with an absolutely picture-perfect jump side kick to my instructor's face; stopped it about an inch away from his nose. 3 points, match is over, he wins 5-4.

Somebody asks my instructor why he didn't block it. He said, "I couldn't. It was so damn beautiful a technique, I just stood there and marvelled at it." I then piped up and asked if anyone had a brown paper bag. Someone asked why and I said it was to put over my head, 'cause my instructor got beat by a blind guy. Hilarity then ensued. And it ensued again in the next sparring class in my school, where I learned that it wasn't really nice to jerk my instructor's chain in public. :lol2: