Hello all
just got to say, we have just had one of the most worthwhile days in our short lives, we really dont realise how lucky we all are!.
A short while ago,courtesy of our dad, we went to kent, gravesend i think, and sam and i, helped teach some disabled adults and children some basic karate,under the supervision of adult karate ka.I honestly dont know what to say to you guys, or how to put it into some words, but i suppose someone will be writing something about this event somewhere, if they do i will post it for you, We had the most fantastic day, helping and talking and a lot of laughing and oh yeah even managed some karate.I want to teach when im old enough, and have the knowledge too, and i learnt heaps today,i would recommend for all teaching sensei that if possible you should lend your time to any such event , You will have a wicked day, and learn probably as much as the participants.When i read the threads about becoming a sensei, i wonder how many of them actually know how to teach,we learnt so much more from this event regarding teaching.Sometiomes we moan and groan about things, but if you saw the enthusiasim smiles and sheer joy these disabled people bought with them to the days event, you would help out at these events all the time.
Vicki, sam

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As Victoria and sam said it really was a very good day, im glad my kids had the oppertunity to help out, victoria in particular seemed to enjoy the day imensley.I would reccomend the day for everyone, you will get so much from such an event, the only pity is we have to wait until 2006 for the next one.
Despite being nervous, the adults and kids alike really put you at ease, it was wonderful to see smiling faces, laughing,joking and the sheer enjoyment had by all as i walked round the various styles of martial arts on offer, indeed after the day had finnished,it took us quiet some time to get away as victoria and Sams new found friends came to say their goodbyes.
One young man by the name of Conrad who took a particular shine to the kids, when shown some martial arts had a saying of OH MY GOD, I CANT DO THAT, it became a well known catchphrase through the day, and with a bit of cajoling, patience and prompting, he achieved most things incredibly well.
Like Victoria and sam my writing doesnt do this day justice, at times i became very emotional with it all given my problems, seeing these peoples smiles and enthusiasm, i felt very humbled. we all had the most enjoyable day, and we cant wait for the next one, we will be there thats for certain.A truly great day for all involved, a big well done to Terry Taylor for organising the event along with no doubt many others help.
Nigel

There was around 100 disabled participants, with 30 instructors, they split the hall in 6 matted areas, with various martial arts on offer, karate, judo, ju jitsu, tai chi, tang soo do, aikido.The instructors stayed in their area and the participants moved around the hall, each session was around 40 mins long.There was even a mini competition for the participants, with medals and trophys given out.
A fantastic day

Wow, that sounds like a great experience!

You sound like you can't wait till next year..

Well done

Yup your right, we cant wait, it was a terrific experience

THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND MARTIAL ARTS FESTIVAL FOR DISABLED PEOPLE 2004: A REPORT
December 2004

Hello to you all. The Festival took place at Cascades Leisure Centre in Gravesend, Kent on Wednesday 8 December 2004. This is an event that began in 1996 aimed at recruiting people with disabilities in to martial arts in view of the benefits that they will gain from the related training regime that they will undergo - just like anyone else. For the history of the event please have a look at: www.twt.org.uk as well as another (hopefully) thought-provoking article (15-pages and hence why it's on the web rather than in paper form) on there aimed principally at those of you who are martial arts instructors.

This year's Festival has been three years in the planning and has inevitably changed its format several times throughout. In the end we settled on the following:

Taster sessions in different martial art styles - these have been the mainstay of this event ever since its inception in 1996;
Demo's - from practising martial artists with a wide range of disabilities across the disciplines;
A kata/forms/patterns competition - this was the new item for 2004 and although based on kata for some this would have been too complex. Thus it was agreed that for those with severe learning difficulties they could show a range of basic skills alongside their instructor (this is the centre piece of the aforementioned article on my website and very much up for debate)
What was also different about this year's Festival was that it was a lot smaller as compared to those run before it. We had just over 80 people attend and a number of instructors and volunteers from 5 different martial art styles who were kind enough to freely give of their own time - very much appreciated. Thankyou to you all.

Thus we had karate, judo, jujitsu, aikido and taekwondo/zaegendo. The instructors got stuck in right from the beginning to make sure everyone had a good time - and that they did judging from the very positive feedback and happy smiling faces that exited the front door at the end of the day. For those that wanted it there is a network of instructors/clubs out there who are more than happy to integrate disabled people in to their classes which is just as it should be.

And so what has the Festival done for everyone?

For the participants they have a great day and have the opportunity to get involved in regular training at a local club.

For the instructors and their assistants they get a form of intensive disability awareness training as, particularly this year, about 90% of them had never worked with anyone with a disability previously. Thus it gave them the opportunity of working at close quarters with this particular client group. The aim of this would be to take these experiences back to their own clubs so that they are in the process feel much more confident about welcoming anyone with a disability in to their clubs.

With this in mind Festival 2004 was pleased to welcome instructors not only from the local area and indeed elsewhere in the UK but also one from Belgium and another from USA. It is hoped that they will be able to return in the future with some of their own special needs students.

The day ended with a brief awards ceremony for those that achieved first, second and third placings in our competition. The winner also got to show off his skills thanks to BBC Newsroom Southeast coming along to compile a report which was transmitted on the evening of the event.

A final brief note of thanks to our supporters. These have been many including Gravesham Disability Sportslink Project, Kent Sports Development Unit and London Sports Forum for Disabled People.

Also thankyou to those who have been kind enough to sponsor the event too, not least of which have been the students of my own karate club who have tirelessly fundraised throughout the 3 years, Bushido Zazen International, Mid Sussex Martial Arts School, BTA Consulting Limited and others.

If any of you would like further information regarding the Festival Programme a trawl thought the pages on my website is recommended but equally am happy to field calls/e-mails from any of you that wish to get in touch as the next Festival is not that far away: early 2006. I would like to hear from you if you wish to attend in some capacity:

As (able-bodied) instructors who want to learn from the Day yourselves so that you can then open up your own club(s) to prospective students with special needs;
As an instructor with a disability who is happy to lend your support to future Festival Days;
As a practising martial artist with a disability who would like the opportunity either to try out other martial art styles and/or to compete and/or to demonstrate your talents.
There is already a 'lot in the pot' planned for future days like this year's: having a totally separate competition element to the Festival Programme to include sparring, welcoming students and instructors from overseas and in general getting more and more of you all involved in martial arts for people with disabilities. For the one thing that some of the publicity that this year's event has generated is that there are a number of you out there already doing this but just in your own clubs. I believe that there is a need for us to come together to put some form of formal development programme in place - including, I would suggest, the need to adapt the 'normal' rulebooks that you have become used to through your own practice.

Pre-Festival publicity has also helped me to identify other instructors who have disabilities who are already coaching. It is hoped they will be able to attend at future Festivals.

And finally the Festival and enquiries about it constantly throughout the year has also helped to identify prospective future special needs students and place them in clubs across the UK. Its usefulness has therefore been proved to be of service to this particular part of the general public at large (disabled people make up approaching 10 million of the UK's total population, its largest minority group by far).

Thankyou for taking the time to read this. As I've already said please feel free to get in touch.

Yours in budo

Terry Taylor

Chairman: The South of England Martial Arts Festival for Disabled People


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For further information please contact me: E-mail: terry.taylor@twt.org.uk

© Disability Media and Martial Arts 2004. All rights reserved.


FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS

The following is feedback from the 2004 Festival across the board:

From the instructors:

Thanks again for such a rewarding day...

We all had a great time, thank you very much for the invitation and please do not forget us at the time of the next one.

Just a very short note to say a very big thankyou.
Myself and ... were very wary about attending the festival ... but as it turned out we both had what was probably the most rewarding day teaching judo ever.

Thanks from all of us ... we enjoyed the day immensely. Continued success for the future.
From one of the volunteers:

If I say that I am really proud of you and what you achieved with your festival I hope that you do not think that I am being patronising. I am really proud of what you achieved. Well done. Please may I be involved in the next one...
From one of the participants who is now about to take up karate (the whole aim of the day):

It was a great day, and well worth it. A big thankyou for organising it. Yes, I'm really thinking about the ... training, I think it would be great. But like I said, the day was excellent.
And from the father of two young volunteer assistants:

I'm not really any good with words, but just to say it was nice to meet you and everyone else [at the Festival]. The work you guys do with disabled [people] is fantastic and I would just like to add my appreciation of this fact. Thank you for letting V... and S... share the day with you guys, we honestly can[no]t put into words, the sheer joy and excitement, and learning experience we had, it truly was a most memorable day, we feel truly lucky to have been able give a small amount of help to a very worthwhile cause. The kids have not stopped talking about it since they came home, in fact I believe they have encouraged a few more of their senseis to volunteer themselves next time. Our only disappointment is the fact we will have to wait until 2006 to help out again at this event. If there is any thing we can do to help in future please contact us, if we can we will only be too pleased to help out. You and the participants made us feel at home straight away, despite the kids being very nervous this I'm sure will have helped them grow and mature in there own life, they learnt so much, as you have said would happen, they had a great time, and we hope you will have us back again next time.

I think this is great and dont get me wrong because I'm just wondering, but do disabled people do kata or is the style adapted to their needs?

We've had a couple of people train with us over the years, who've needed extra help due to a physical disability.

One young boy was an amputee - below the knee - with a prosthetic limb, and he did all his kata's the same as everyone else. Yes we had to modify some of the turns, and I was always a bit concerned when he was doing front kicks (and yes, once he did lose his leg during kicks ), but kids are pretty adaptable.

Another gentleman who currently trains with us has had some rather nasty accidents over the years - a broken back due to a car accident, and then fell off a building site scaffolding and broke it again, plus smashed his pelvis etc etc. After the last accident he was immobilised for 6 months and hasnt had any physical therapy. He taught himself how to walk again. The difference in his range of movement since he started training has been unbelievable. Anyway, initially we heavily modified all the turns in Taikyoku Shodan (and, later, Taikyoku Nidan) - the 180 turn for instance became 4 separate steps, and the 270 turn became 7 steps. He was determined to complete the turns "normally" however, and after much practice, wobbling, sweating and laughter, he now turns in one movement. He'll never do them completely "normally" due to the limitations of his pelvis and back, but he's determined to keep improving on what he can do. John's now learning Saifa, and manages to do the 180 turns. Yes we'll continue to modify when we have to, but it's not holding him back.

Another young man I know of, in the Wollongong (NSW) area, had a prosthetic leg as well. Didnt stop him grading to Black, or constantly winning medals for kata in tournaments. The only thing he really seemed to have trouble with were the crescent kicks in Bassai Dai, although there were allowances made for the fact that he just couldn't do some things "normally".

The GKR attitude to disabilities is "if you can't do it as written, do it however you can". In other words, modify what you need to, to allow you to do the best you can. Thank goodness, or would never have graded above 1st kyu