Martial Arts for Students With Special Needs-(Part 2)

Photo: www.1worldkarate.com 

Today we have Part 2 of Daniel Carroll's post on Adaptive Martial Arts. If you did not get a chance to read Part 1, click here.

In part one of this blog, Daniel offered some insight to what they do at One World Karate and how it could be used in both therapy settings and at home.  Today, he offers three quick examples of  how they do what they do. Read below to find out:

Compared to most sports or recreational activities, Martial Arts provide one of the most perfect platforms for working with Special Needs students available.  However, only in the last decade have martial art schools really begun to address the needs of our diverse population, and much of the focus has been on students with needs other than physical.  Most schools advertise the ability to work with ADHD, for example, but that doesn't help the student with Cerebral Palsy.

Frustratingly, the social, emotional and physical benefits of Martial Arts are almost precisely what students with special needs need. 

In Part 1, I described the basic concept of my school, One World Karate. Today, I will give you 3 examples of how you could create your own Martial Arts platform for PT and OT clients or children. 

1.Feet:  In the Martial Arts, the feet lead the way by creating a foundation that leads to proper stances, positioning, and posture, which is essential to proper body movement.  There is no universal “proper foot position”, but for clients requiring PT/OT the point is to remember that this is where it all starts.  

Photo: www.1worldkarate.com

I work stances that involve the feet pointed straight ahead, or one foot straight ahead and one pointed 90 degrees out. We place the feet shoulder distance apart, then simply repeat them in wide stances with deep knee bends and upright body posture.  How about standing on one foot?  Stances are great motivation for children with Spina Bifida and similar issues to work those legs and feet!

2.Trunk:  As the feet become placed properly, the student can begin shifting their weight.  Remember, Martial Arts are not static! Once the student is successfully shifting from 50/50 to 80/20 weight distribution, they can begin synchronized movement. 

Now, virtually EVERY martial art exercise works the inner and or outer core muscles – how fantastic is that?!?!  And trunk exercises translate to ground and chair exercises easily.  It shouldn't take too much effort to figure out a way to make your favorite core building exercises into a Martial Arts themed activity.  

Trunk activities really wear out my Cerebral Palsy students, but they love it!  Shifting the right and left sides of the body across the center line really work the outer core, but remember that breathing, which is so essential in Martial Arts, also is essential to build the inner core muscles.  So “slow motion” rotations requiring a full inhalation and exhalation are fantastic activities.

3.  Arms and hands:  Martial Arts provide the perfect platform for doing arm activities and exercises. The basic start is the bowing in sequence done first thing each session.  The bow is a strong psychological trigger (mentally preparing the student for the focus required in class), but why shouldn't it work fine and gross motor control of the arms and hands as well?  

Photo: www.1worldkarate.com

The bow is also a perfect example of why Martial Arts is such a great “whole person” platform.  The bow means something.  Our bow is a visual representation of the following philosophy:  "We bring our heart and head together and we extend out hands outward showing that they are empty and peaceful."  They are ready to be filled with positive, but only defensive energy.

We then assume a “ready position” that includes the arms bent and holding both hands up in front of the face.   During class we strike, block, lift, spread, close, pivot, bend, straighten....whew!  Moving the arms in striking and blocking techniques engage the arm muscles, but with proper shifting of the feet, legs, and torso they also work those core muscle groups.  

Don't forget that every exercise with the hands can be done with the elbow for variation. Before physical activities, we recite a student creed – this is simply a declaration of our desire to grow peacefully into a better life physically, mentally, and emotionally.  You can make up anything you want, but make sure you say it every day!

Hopefully, by now you have begun to get ideas about utilizing the Martial Arts setting as a focal point for your OT/PT.  Parents can look for a school that is willing to work with your input as to how to scale activities for your child.  

Photo: www.1worldkarate.com

Therapists can start their own “Karate Classes” with a minimum of actual martial arts knowledge, (take a karate class or cardio-kickboxing class yourself to learn a proper fist and kick) and remember that Martial Arts is about the harmonious balance between the mind, body, and emotions of the practitioner.  

Martial Arts is, in a strictly visual sense, a dance that can be as simple or as complex as you can imagine.  

From static stances, to crossing the various body center-lines in flurry of high speed activity, to moving almost every part of your upper body in slow motion from a wheelchair, Martial Arts provides a vehicle to do it all.

The author, Daniel Carroll,  has been in the Martial Arts for 32 years, and taught Special Education classes for 7.  His school, One World Karate, is in Austin, Texas and focuses on students with Special Needs.  His school stresses “Practical Inclusion” and diversity amongst the students, and he is currently writing a book and video series to help create more opportunities for special needs students to receive the benefits of Martial Arts instruction in schools and therapy settings throughout America and the world.

Connect with Daniel:

www.1worldkarate.com

www.facebook.com/1WorldKarate

twitter: @1worldkarate

Broken links? Please Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com