teaching blind students

[m harper]

I teach a kids class in Houston and have 2 new students who are blind. One has been taking Tai Kwon do, but the teacher doesn't want to teach him anymore.
It is really hard to get some of the movements across to them. I have been putting their hands on my leg, arm or hip to help show them the way to move, but sometimes they just cant tell what I am doing.
Do any of you have suggestions for teaching blind kids?

Mark Harper
Bujinkan Houston Dojo

[Mitch Saret]

I have taught a blind student before and she did very well. First off, you need to focus on gross motor movents rather than the fine stuff to get them acclimated. You also need a system of describing direction so they can underestand it. The clock system is the idea, like what pilots use to say where a bogie is. 12 o'clock straight ahead, and so forth. You can also use high, middle, and low. Then, you must describe the movement. For example, and up, or rising block protects your head and shoukd be angled as if it were to have water runoff of it. You will have to actually take their arm, or leg, and move it through the maneuver for them a few times.

The key is to be very descriptive in ways the understand and can relate to. If they have been blind from birth it would be hard to use things they have never seen. Imagine desribing the color blue to someone who has never seen color.

Also, to help give you an idea of what the movement feels like, try it blindfolded yourself and see if you can interpret what your body feels as opposed to seeing it.

Good luck!

[MarkF]

What Mitch stated in the last paragraph of his post is right on the money. Games such as blind man's bluff are good inspire and make it fun.

While it is easier to teach a blind student grappling, such as judo (easier to feel the movements), it isn't that much different. Acclimate yourself as much as you can to his world. I don't know why the TKD teacher "doesn't want to teach him anymore" but my guess is that he thought the blind student was "handicapped" while the student thought he was. That seems to be the usual reason, though most of the time, it comes out "I don't have the time to spend with a blind student." Usually, that is pretty much the same complaint I've heard from the blind toward a sighted teacher.

While he may not be able to see movements he certainly can feel them and probably will learn directional movement more easily than a sighted person. In my experience, they have little or no fear of taking ukemi cause they used to fall a lot, but have probably learned to avoid it. That's more than most sighted people can do.

How many students do you have that can take a series of twenty punches stopping a quarter inch from their faces? My bet is not many. Learn his advantages to your advantage.

As to teaching punches and such, that really isn't my area, but as any student has to feel a waza to do so correctly, he isn't all that much different. In fact, once he does feel it, my bet is that he will succeed at a quicker rate than will the sighted student.

Check out the blind student program at Encino Judo Club, Inc. You can get to it through the Judo Information Site at http://judoinfo.com . There is a teacher who teaches that program which, though it may not still be at the Braille Institute in Studio City (Los Angeles area), the blind judo club is active. All pertinent emails should be on the Encino Judo Club site, or contact Neil Ohlenkamp, who is the webmaster of Judo Info, or Juergen Wahl, founder and president of Encino Judo's three clubs.

Specifics you will have to pick up, but basics in teaching the blind come from those experienced in doing so regularly.

Ultimately, Mitch's suggestion will help the most.


Mark

[J.T. Hurley]

I once read of a system used in teaching children in a book that I have, regretfully, forgotten the name of. It consisted of using three colors for each of the different planes. Say, horizontal was red, vertical was yellow, and front to back movement was blue. This way, the teacher could describe the movement and positioning she desired in fewer words, such as "put more red in that horse stance," "too much blue in that reverse punch," or "this is a very yellow technique."

Colors, however, would not work as well for a visually handicapped person, but the idea might be of assistance.

[m harper]

Thanks for the replies.
I met the kids at the beeping Easter Egg hunt at the Light House for the Blind. My son, Nicholas is blind and we go every year. He is 8 so I have some experience teaching and helping blind and multi-handi-capped kids.
I started with rolling and ground hitting and need to get them in position for the roll. They are very good at hitting the ground and do it all the time. I want them to be able to do it safely.
I plan on teaching more grappling type movements. Not so much for self defense, but getting to know how people move and how they can react.
I will contact the Encino Judo club to see if they have some input.
Any more suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Mark Harper
Bujinkan Houston Dojo

[Simon Fraser]

I'd like to support the comments made here already.

My first six months in the Bujinkan were spent mostly training with a blind student who started at the same time as myself. The instruction was mostly demonstration, with the little verbal description limited to statements such as "Move here, then here, hit this" - that is, statements without any actual information. The fact that most of the training is partner work compensated for that, however. I got a lot of practice in quickly interpreting what I saw and explaining it, although I that did mean I got less time to actually practise things :D

You'll quickly discover any ambiguities in how you describe things, as you get instant feedback on how people will interpret things in different ways - it can be a valuable lesson in communication skills. Introducing the idea that everything flows from the same principles can be helpful in tutelage, here, as it allows the student to build on foundations more quickly: "This is similar to XYX, except we're attacking in this different way", "Feel this bend in the arm here? Right, now just step back with your right leg." He also found it helpful for his training partner to talk while he was taking aim, and then over the course of a few months, he needed fewer verbal cues as to someone's location. I suspect that was his everyday sense of location kicking in once he'd become used to the busy dojo environment, though.

It can also be helpful to take a few tips from how the Japanese instructors teach when there are language difficulties. In the Bujinkan, at least, people such as Senou are fond of walking around and pushing legs, arms and hips into the right position at each stage, and then letting people work out the most efficient way of moving between the stages. This, along with being an uke, allows the student to feel what the technique involves, rather than having to work it out by examining another person. Mix this with the good advice about gross motor skills above (although what beginner doesn't start out with just those? ;) ) and your new student should do just fine.

Simon.

[Bushi Jon]

Her is a way that we taught a few blind students. First I cut out some foot shaped peices of wood very thin to teach leg placement. I found out that once we got the legs down they could almost feel the punch being thrown in order to block it. I would also make them feel my arm placement while I was blacking. At first it was really freaky then I got used to it

[virgilthetiger]

my suggestion is have all the students wear blindfolds sometimes to learn that skill as well as build camradeire with the new student.


Jason P.Waldkirch

[tellner]

I have worked with blind students and talked with other teachers who have done so more extensively.

I don't mean to bash any particular system here, but you might consider getting him interested in a system which will play to his strengths rather than one which will run right up against his weaknesses. Arts which place a premium on balance, sensitivity and the senses related to touch like wrestling and Judo will take advantage of faculties he has already had to develop. Long range striking arts like TKD or most Karate rely very much on sight.

[m harper]

My blind students had their 3rd lesson this week. I showed them an omote wrist twist. After they got away I said to run away. That is what I teach the sighted kids. The 6 year old did the omote and run about 3 feet away then just ran in circles. It was very cute and he thought he was far away. We will have to work on how to get away when you don't know where to go.
He went home that night and did the omote on his dad and put him down hard. His mom said they could not believe it.
We also did some muto and with a prompt he moved away from the cut and did a roll and came up in ichimonji. I have had sighted kids take months to do it successfully.
I am continually amazed at what they can do.

Mark Harper
Bujinkan Houston Dojo

[Blackwood]

Nothing to add, but wanted to let everyone know that I'm following the topic with interest! I suspect there are many, given the number of reads on the threads.

[m harper]

Thanks for all the tips here and PM's. I am trying different ways and things with each kid.
The 11 year old missed last week and we were doing wrist locks. He picked it up fast and we started discussing what he can and can't see, sense, feel. He said he has a type of echo location and can tell where you are and how big by changes in sound. I saw a show on Nova(?) where blind people ride bikes by making a clicking sound with their mouth. They could tell where parked cars and other obstacles were by listening to the sound of the click.
One of the sighted kids mom told me he was shoved into the lockers at school, and started class because he was bullied. I took him and the 2 visually different kids to a padded wall and showed them how to tuck your head, exhale, teeth together etc. to not be hurt when pushed. While working with the older kid he could, after our talk, tell where I was as soon as my hand touched him and punch me in the face.
It is so cool seeing how well they are doing. It does take more time but well worth it. All the other kids in class want to train with them. I am a little worried the uke might get hurt as the new kids don't really know where the uke is being thrown or if they might injure him or her. I mostly make my 2 kids train with them.
Next month we are doing some long sticks and sword so it will be interesting.
Thanks for all the help.

Mark Harper
Bujinkan Houston Dojo

[kimkatami]

I met a ki-aikido teacher Sensei Giuseppe Ruglioni, 6th dan, who has a wide experience of teaching for example handicapped people.
I have his book "Unification of Mind and Body and Ki Aikido" which is quite interesting.

Ruglioni Sensei lives in Italy. He is a very kind and helpful person.
More info of his dojo, books and such can be found from:
http://www.kidojo.it/

- Kim

[m harper]

Last week we did bo's in class, Jo's for the blind kids. They carry a 4 foot stick to "see" with. The 2 blind kids did great. I had them do some striking drills with movement. Thanks Ben.
After a while I had the older one try to strike a moving person. Jessica walked quietly around him holding her bo vertical and when she stopped I said strike. He hit her stick every time. He knew exactly where she was like he was sighted. It was very cool.
The younger one had some trouble with the movement so I had him put his feet on mine and we moved together. It worked great. He now knows how to move and strike with his body. He was not as accurate but it is a start.
I am going to get some used canes from their VI teacher and we will train with them in a few weeks. They fold with a bungee cord and are made of graphite and will really hurt when wrapped around a wrist or neck.
We will be doing some more tonight and I will keep you updated. Thanks for the help and support. It is really making a difference in these kids lives.

Mark Harper
Bujinkan Houston Dojo

[Kaoru]

Hi there Minna-san!

I couldn't help but notice this thread. I am legally blind in one eye and blind in the other, and have no depth perception.(For those who don't know, the legal definition of legal blindness, is when a person's vision is corrected TO 20/200 in both eyes or in the better eye of the two, with glasses. You can't have good sight in the other to qualify.)

So, reading this thread has been very interesting to me.

I have to say, you guys are doing pretty well with your students, and I am really impressed with the patience you all show.

I do Kendo. I also did TKD for a couple years long ago. I just want to say, that a blind person CAN learn arts like TKD or Karate. Oh, yeah it is a bit harder to teach us, but there really is no problem. I had awesome teachers when I did TKD, and they were insistent that I do all that the sighted students did, which I did. I know I have partial vision, but the principle is still the same. Shame on the one who does not want to teach the kid anymore. It just takes extra patience, and a different way of teaching. I'd say, in TKD, use lots of hands on teaching. That is, tactile teaching. It is useless, even to someone like me, to say, do it like this, and just show it. I have no depth perception and I can't see details, and I can't see clear more than a few feet away. After about 3 feet, I need help with details a lot of the time. So I know it is very good to give a descriptive account of what you are showing the class, and then, after, show the student up close, and if needed,(If they have no sight especially) do as what others said here, move their body in the position you want. That really helps. Let me just say, if the teacher is willing, and the student works hard, they can do anything.

Mark Harper-sensei,

I saw you mentioned beginning sword techniques in your dojo for the blind students. This is quite different. Make sure they understand what the heck maai is, before you do anything. Trust me, this is very important. I used to belong to another dojo in Kumdo before the Kendo dojo I am in now, and the teacher who will remain nameless, hated teaching me because of my vision impairment and refused to show me anything. I was always scared I'd hurt a dojomate because I did not know what maai was, and did not understand how to figure out how close or far I was from the person I was paired with. It made learning really hard, because I was always scared each time I did whatever cut it was I was suppposed to do, and I hit one dojomate in the face once when I got too close doing kote. Down right dangerous! Doing paired kata really freaked me out, because when he'd demonstrate, I could not see what he was doing, and getting him to show me was like pulling teeth. You'll need to give special attention to the students when you get to swordwork.

What to remember about kata, solo and paired:

They won't know what hasuji is, even if you just tell them. You'll have to use a bokuto, and put their hand on the sword and explain what direction you are positioning the blade. You can teach them how to feel the position of the blade by having them put one hand on your arm, the other on the bokuto. They can feel the movement. Then, you put their arm in the position and help them do the cut properly. They should be able to sense how to move, after several repetitions of both things. If you have a partially sighted student, you can do the same thing, and modify, if you need to. I can't see blade direction. I need to be told what direction the blade is supposed to be, so I know you'll need to explain using hands-on methods. So, make sure they can understand what you mean. Oh, and give a verbal commentary of what you are showing them, as well. This will help.

Again, maai is important to teach first. And, make sure you space the students far enough apart that they won't be afraid they will hurt their dojomates, and so they can't accidentally hit someone. Like someone said above, they can sense how close or far a person is from them. I can, and I'll move if I feel too close to a classmate, if possible. Though, it helps if the sensei is watching to make sure they don't misjudge the distance, should they move.

Oh, make use of other senses besides touch. I use my feet, when I suddenly can't see what my partner is doing in practice. hehe, I have one sempai whose movements as motodachi are too quick for me to see when he shows an opening, and also, sometimes not big enough to see either, so when he moves, I find myself listening with my feet for what he does, to know when to make the cut. So, suggest this idea to them, too. And, you can hear what a person is doing, too. I use every sense I can get my hands on, because each person in the dojo is different. Heck, even bigger movements are not very clear to me, so be sure to encourage the sue of all senses to a visually impaired/blind student. My dojomates are really good about working with me, and so is my sensei.

Oh, I almost forgot. To help them learn maai. You can use chudan no kamae to do this. What my sensei did with me, is when I hold chudan with motodachi, he/she touches their shinai against mine, so I know he/she is there, and just how far. I can feel whether or not my shinai is too far in or not, by the feel against the shinai, and thus am able to adjust my maai accordngly. Without this, it is pretty hard to begin what is asked. He has me do this for kata with bokuto also, and that is very important, since we are without bogu. Well, I am not in bogu yet anyway, but still. Important!

I like this idea from Jason-san. Good idea!


my suggestion is have all the students wear blindfolds sometimes to learn that skill as well as build camradeire with the new student.

I never thought of that, and it is a good way to teach the sighted students that they ca uise other senses too, as well as understand how their classmate works with no sight.

Hey Mark-sensei... You can use a cane to defend with? I use one when walking alone, and I never knew you could. hehe, Mine would be more like a shinai though! Since I only do Kendo now, that is! hehehe! Clever idea you had.

Well, I'm no expert, but I hope this at least helps you somewhat. If you want to ask any questions about what I said or have any others, go ahead, and I'll try my beat to answer.

Good luck with your kids!

Sincerely,

P.S. Edited to add something.

[m harper]

Carolyn,
Thanks for your input. It really helps to hear from someone with a vision problem. I will try it out with the kids. I will start them with swords this summer and keep you updated.

Mark Harper
Bujinkan Houston Dojo

[Kaoru]

Hi Harper-sensei,

You're welcome. :) I hope it all works out. Yeah, please do let me know what happens. I'd be interested. Oh, just one more thing... I know you already must have thought of this, so pleaase excuse me for saying, but I'd use bokuto at first. The kissaki on an Iaito is too sharp for a bunch of non-sighted kids to be wielding around each other until later, when they have control. ;)

Sincerely,