Martial Art Training For Disability

People often asking me: Can disabled people learn martial art?

Of course, everybody can “Kungfu fighting”. Whatever your disability types, you can learn "Kungfu".

All you have to do are be creative, strategic and keep high spirit. Use all remaining body parts on your body as weapon, you can also use your teeth to biting, your forehead to headbutting or even spitting to opponent’s eyes with your saliva if necessary.

Honestly, i also suffering visual impairment. Without glasses, i can’t see anything.

In sparring and fighting tournaments, i relying on my sense of touch (skin) to feel the wind / air movement and the heat from opponent’s body. My hearing often fail because the tournament venues always noisy with loud cheers from the audience.

When i was beginners, my coaches are always move my arms and legs using their hands to show me the detail of punches and kicks. 

Based on my personal experiences, using Open Hand Guard style is better for visual impairment sufferers like me. You can use your palm as extra “Radar” to detecting the air movement and the opponent’s body heat.

Endurance Training

Endurance training is very helpful to build your stamina, train your speed and burning your fat.

At dojo we train fighting techniques focusly, sadly we lack of other physical exercises because doing too many exercises in one day will cause overtraining and injury.

Outside training day at dojo, we should spend out free time at free day to do endurance training.

There are various endurance trainings you can do. Like walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, soccer, basketball, skipping rope and other “moving” sports.

All types of sports are complement each other, there is no sport that is weaker or stronger.

My favourites are walking, cycling and swimming. How about you?

Nanpai Kungfu

Nanpai Kungfu (南派功夫) is an Southern Chinese Kungfu style created during Ming dynasty in 16th century.

Generals Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou taught a special Kungfu style to the local armies, civilians and monks to fight together against Wokou pirates raid at Southern China areas.

How To Land Proper Punch & Kick

This is how to use your body part to land proper punch & kick to the target.

Savate

French fighting style created by sailors in the southern port of Marseille, in the 17th century.

According to historians, it was developed by sailors on board the ships during their trips to the countries of the Indian Ocean and China Seas.

Pre-match Briefing

Pre-match Briefing is mandatory meeting must be attended by all coaches and contestants before tournament, very important to socialize the tournament rules used by the organizer.

There are so many martial art tournament organizers nowadays. Those organizers created their own rules based on their own personal taste and style, that why pre-match briefing is important. For examples:

- Some Taekwondo organizers permit all basic strikes, other organizers ban punches.

- Some Kickboxing organizers permit kicks to leg area, other organizers only permit kicks above hip area.

- Some Tui Shou organizers permit all basic throws, other organizers only permit pushing the opponent body with palm techniques.

- Some Karate organizers permit all basic strikes, other organizers ban kicks.

- Some Nanpai Kungfu organizers permit Stomp Kick, other organizers ban it.

- Some Kenpo organizers permit all basic strikes, other organizers ban both elbow and knee strikes.

Dizzy? Me too.

Although there are so many tournament organizers with different personal taste, at least all good martial art tournament organizers are agree with 1 thing: Ban all strikes to 5 weakest vital areas (back brain, eyes, throat, bladder and testicle), ban Finger Stab and ban Groin Kick for safety.

Pre-match Briefing is also effective method to prevent cheats by corrupt referees. When i participate in a Karate fighting tournament, the organizer told us at pre-match briefing “All basic strikes are permitted except to groin area!!”, but there are corrupt referees who give a penalty (yellow card) to fighters who use kicks and at other side they let the fighters who pay them to use any kicks they want, of course the coaches and audiences protest together (because they already knew the real rules, coaches and audiences aren’t stupid).

2 Fighting Tournament Systems

There are 2 fighting tournament systems:

1. Points Fighting

Both fighters must score points much as they can until the match time / round is over.

Everytime one fighter score 1 point, stepping outside ring line, touching the ring rope or tripped, the referee will reset both fighters position from the start line again.

2. Continuous Fighting

Both fighters must score points much as they can continuously until the match time / round is over.

The referee only interupt the fight when one fighter stepping outside ring line, touching the ring rope or tripped.

In all tournament systems, 4 judges give the score for each fighters (2 judges watching red glove fighter and 2 other judges watching blue glove fighter). Referee just controlling the fight and make sure both fighters respect the rules.