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Azato
Azato's picture
Naihanchi Training For the Wheelchair Bound

Evan has been training with me for about 10 months. It's taken a lot of trial and error but we've managed to put together a fairly good training approach that is based upon Naihanchi. I can't tell you how much I admire his willingness to pursue karate despite his circumstances. Really looking forward to continuing to refine our approach and maybe to finding others whose lives can be improved with this kind of training.

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Hi Daniel,

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing. Do you or Evan have any thoughts or experience on the applications if the other person is standing? I’ve only done a little work with those who use wheelchairs, but I’ve found their insights on how to adapt the kata have been fascinating.

All the best,

Iain

PASmith
PASmith's picture

Brilliant stuff. I think the seated hand fighting and pummeling has merit as a drill whether the person is disabled or is not-yet disabled. Much like tying belts together to enforce a particular range it forces the hand fight without being able to use footwork or angle off.

Azato
Azato's picture

Iain Abernethy wrote:
Do you or Evan have any thoughts or experience on the applications if the other person is standing? I’ve only done a little work with those who use wheelchairs, but I’ve found their insights on how to adapt the kata have been fascinating.

Haven't experimented with that yet. Something we will have to try out. I told Evan from the beginning that we would have to make this up as we go along because I have never worked with a student in his position before. I told also him that I also don't know how well I can really teach him to defend himself but that he can certainly benefit from training for exercise and enjoyment. He's really enjoyed it so far so I consider everything we've done a success.

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

Hi Daniel,

Azato wrote:
Haven't experimented with that yet. Something we will have to try out.

If you do, I’d be interested in any thoughts you both have. The reason I ask is because some of the wheelchair users I’ve had come to seminars have had some great insights with regards to adaptations in motions, alternative targets, use of the actual chair, etc which got me thinking about how all of us can use such things from a seated position.

Considering how much time we spend seated when working, relaxing, socialising, traveling, etc there has to be a significant chance we could be in that position if attacked. In Karate-Do Kyohan, Funakoshi shows some karate examples from a kneeling position (the culturally dominant way of sitting for him); which I suspect were influenced by Otuska’s Jujutsu – he’s the uke in the original book – where such practise is more common than in karate circles, and there is a set of such technique practised in some Wado circles. Two of my karate teachers taught pre-emption from modern seated positions (while rising and seated), but it’s not that common.

Wheelchair users are likely to understand the limitations, workaround and opportunities better than most and will no doubt have some very valuable insights.

Azato wrote:
I told Evan from the beginning that we would have to make this up as we go along because I have never worked with a student in his position before.

It’s a great learning opportunity for you both, and by extension us.

Azato wrote:
I told also him that I also don't know how well I can really teach him to defend himself but that he can certainly benefit from training for exercise and enjoyment.

Azato wrote:
He's really enjoyed it so far so I consider everything we've done a success.

Enjoyment is always one of the most meaningful measures of anyone’s training. We value gold because there is so little of it and, individually speaking, time is way scarcer. We have so little of it that enjoyment, and what we can contribute to the enjoyment of others, has to be one of the best ways to spend that incredibly limited commodity. Exercise is also a great way to spend time because improvements in health improve live expectancy and give us more time to enjoy … providing we actually enjoy the form of exercise :-)  

Thanks once again to you both for sharing!

All the best,

Iain