Comments on: Paraplegic Teaches Self-Defense – Yes Disabled People Can Defend Themselves!

By: brazilian jiu jitsu gi

brazilian jiu jitsu gi — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 06:50:12 +0000

Useful Jiujitsu vid

By: John W. Zimmer

John W. Zimmer — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 22:23:54 +0000

Very interesting Joanne – We have five senses that most of us take for granted (seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting). I think that if one was blind or deaf – the other senses would take up some of the slack such as a blind person hearing very well. Either case of blind or deaf – self-defense is still possible.

Now what about blind and deaf? That only leaves feeling, smelling and tasting. I would think that if a person has these three senses – wrestling, jiu-jitsu, or sumo types of defense would still work well. A person would have to have the will, and a burning desire to want self-defense training!

You are doing much needed work, it sounds like, with at-risk populations! Thank you and all instructors of your ilk!

By: Joanne Factor

Joanne Factor — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:22:51 +0000

Some of my most rewarding (and difficult) teaching experiences have been with students considered disabled. One current karate student has no vision at all in one eye, and limited/tunneled vision in the other. However, her spirit and will to learn keep her truckin’ along, and her progress is just incredibly meaningful to her, and inspirational to the rest of the school.

One of my more challenging self-defense classes was for a local Deaf-Blind program. The logistics of communication took my mindfulness to a new level, that’s for sure!

Dr. Wendy David co-created a self-defense program, “Safe Without Sight,” for blind people (and co-authored a book by the same name). This program is currently taught in several locations across the country.