Martial Arts for Students with Special Needs (Part 1)

Photo: www.1worldkarate.com

I am thrilled today to have a guest post from Daniel Carroll, from One World Karate.

One World Karate is an Austin Texas Martial Arts school that teaches academy style Karate, Self Defense, and other arts to special needs students as well as the general populace.  This includes students who may have Autism, Aspergers, ASD, ADHD, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, or other special needs.

Dan Carroll is a former Special Educator and has observed many children with special needs get forced to sit idly by while their siblings, neighbors, and schoolmates engaged in dance classes, sports, theatre, and other physical pursuits. After 7 years of working closely with children ages 11-18, he developed a martial arts program utilizing some of the most forward thinking in Physical and Occupational Therapy. I am so honored that he has agreed to share his expertise with us this week.

Below is the Part 1 of his 2 part post:


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 this two part blog, I will describe the basic concept of my school, One World Karate, and then give you 3 examples of how you could create your own Martial Arts platform for PT and OT clients or children.

The big hurdle in Martial Arts for the physically challenged has been training and education.  There are a few schools out there such as my own that specialize in special needs populations, but in addition to my Martial Arts experience, I am a former special education teacher that is just a few classes shy of my masters in the subject, and have a lifetime of experience with my two special needs siblings.

Photo: www.1worldkarate.com

Relax, the truth is that it's actually quite easy to create a martial arts platform to develop the health and fitness of your client or child.  In fact, while it does take some new learning on your part, it isn't nearly as daunting as you may believe. 

But you are not a Martial Arts instructor, you say?  Fair enough.  But think on this: a school instructor needs to learn all the things you already know as parent or therapist.  You don't even need to be a Karate black belt (though I recommend it for everyone)!  You just need to learn the basic concepts of what martial arts is, and how it works. 

Let's make one thing very clear.  Self defense is not Martial Arts.  Self defense should only be taught by a professional.  However, self defense, while a part of Martial Arts, is not the whole of it.   Many of my students will never be able to fight adequately enough to defend themselves from a committed attacker.  That doesn't mean Karate is pointless or wasted. Far from it.

Martial Arts schools promote discipline, honor, fitness, and respect in addition to teaching the actual techniques.  Could you not also teach these things without Karate?  Of course, but putting them all together into a complete package is what we are after.  So you already know much of what is required.  You already know what areas of physical development the client or child needs, you just don't know how to make a proper fist or complete a proper kick. 

Easy fix.  Take one cardio-kickboxing class, and you will know enough to work with your client or child safely.  Please understand that I am not recommending this as the preferred path.  I believe everyone should be studying some sort of Martial Art, but when working with clients who have profound physical limitations, the goal isn't to create a Bruce Lee, it's to promote a physically and emotionally healthy individual.

Photo: www.1worldkarate.com

Martial Arts are an activity that uses a range of movements going from simple single body part movements all the way to extremely complex whole body movements.  When working with students, the teacher has the option of focusing on the movement groups that best serve the students PT / OT requirements.  It also has a beautifully inherent scaling ability wherein the teacher can naturally bring the student along from simple to complex body movements at the students natural pace, while avoiding boredom by varying the actual activity.

Movements are traditionally performed both slowly and quickly.  Modern medicine is revealing how slow, repetitive movements help develop neural pathways in the brain, and sports medicine shows how fast, repetitive motions help build muscle memory and both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. 

In my school activities are practiced in sets of three.  Three slow and relaxed repetitions, three slow but isometrically intense repetitions, and three fast but precise repetitions.  Precision trumps top speed, but this is where the students tend to light up and start grinning.  Everybody wants to be fast and furious!

Classes begin and end with short lessons about focus, discipline, effort, success, and pride.  We have fun, we work hard, and we grow as people.

In part 2 of this post (Look for it on Wednesday, February 13) I will offer three quick examples of  how we do it at One World Karate, and I think you will see what I mean.

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. 

Find and Connect with Daniel at:

www.1worldkarate.com

www.facebook.com/1WorldKarate

twitter: @1worldkarate