Being disabled in the Martial Arts whatever your disability can seem daunting to many people, but you don’t know what you can do unless you go out and have a go.

        I was diagnosed as having Ankylosing Spondylitis in 1997 although I’ve actually had the disease all the time but just put it down to backache and shrugged it off, “A/S” is an auto immune disease and affects the spinal bones, and the ligaments and tendons calcify and turn to bone, eventually locking the spine.  I am now in my early 40s and have a parody of the disease, which is arthritis in most joints.

        The thing is and I must stress to people that being disabled does not stop you doing or trying to do things that you love doing.

        You do although have to be careful when teaching not to be thrown if it may damage you even further.  I am lucky so far so far as I can use my walking sticks and leave my wheelchair outside when on the mat, and I don’t push myself, I now know my limitations.

        It took me a little while to realise what my limitations were but when I found that point I then started to enjoy teaching again, It’s a bit like learning all over again, this learning runs alongside my coaching of our students.
You can teach a technique by using the student/s body/s then take them through the lock, throw, technique, forms ect ect, and as the student/s realise the move you can then coach the student/s until the move is correct in posture, flow and power by talking to them.

    So whatever your disability might be you can go on and have a happy life in the Martial Arts!