Judo and a functional disability
To do judo with a functional disability is often underestimated by teachers, trainers and coaches. Insufficient knowledge and insight causes people with a functional restriction to give up on judo altogether. Often the teacher’s frame of reference is tested when he meets someone with a functional restriction. How do I teach someone in a wheelchair? How can someone who walks with crutches learn to break his fall? Of course it is a dilemma of how to integrate someone who walks badly or who might not be able to stand at all into a group of non-restricted people.
According to the philosophy of the Dutch Judo Association everyone should have the op-portunity to do judo and become a member of the local judo club.
That is easier said than done; in practice things often turn out differently. As a teacher you are concerned with many people who might see things in a different light and will not back you, while you are dependent on them.
That is why the Dutch Judo Association offers active support directed towards the teach-ers’ as well as the judokas’ problems.
In a theoretical way by publishing brochures, reports and essays on the subject.
In a practical way by giving lessons and support on the work floor.
Practical support can consist of just giving some hints but also of working out a complete plan of action.
It remains a fact that people with a functional disability doing judo remains a minority.
A view of % of judokas related to disabilaties:
The most recent surveys of the Social Cultureel Planbureau show in the past years a marked and constant level of the percentage of young functionally disabled people. About 6 or 7 percent of the Dutch population is born with a disability or becomes disabled, because of accidents, before the age of six. Under the age of 25 the percentage increases to 10 percent. The percentage becomes dramatic above the age of 50, when 30 to 40 percent op the Dutch population becomes disabled.
Furthermore 10 percent of the judokas have multiple disability and
4 percent a visual impaired.
By far the greatest group consists of Intellectual disabled judokas:
70 percent.
Physical restriction opposed to motor restriction:
Physical disabilities:
A physical disability is characterised by a decrease of muscle power and/or the absence of limbs. Accidents, mostly traffic accidents, cause two-thirds of these disabilities:
A survey physical disabilities:
Spinal cord lesion
¤ Slack paralysis the complete loss of muscle function for one or
more muscle groups.
Poliomyelitis.
¤ Muscle weakness and paralysis. Different types of paralysis may
occur, depending on the nerves involved.
¤ Spinal polio is the most common form, characterized by
asymmetric paralysis that most often involves the legs.
¤ Bulbar polio leads to weakness of muscles innervated by cranial
nerves.
Bulbospinal polio is a combination of bulbar and spinal paralysis
Amputations.
¤ is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or surgery.
Motor disabilities:
A motor disability is characterised by the increase of muscle tension and a de-crease of muscle power, uncontrolled motor activity and a rigidity of body parts. These are mostly caused by illnesses or lack of oxygen at birth.
A survey of motor disabilities:
Rigid paralysis
¤ cerebral Palsy
¤ Muscular diseases
Diseases of the nervous system.
¤ -loss of muscular power
¤ -loss of mobility of the joints
¤ -shortening or malformation of a limb.
The breaking down of motor functions in diseases such as Duchenne , Multiple Scleroses and Parkinson are such that they can be classified in the same cate-gory. The classification physical/motor is made because there is a significant dif-ference between functional muscle power and mobility in both disorders.
Conclusion:
Judokas with a physical disability can develop his remaining muscle power, mobility and techniques, while a judoka with a motor disability can, in most cases, just learn to handle his unwilling body and improve his condition.
Some practical hints:
A judo teacher teaching physical or motor restricted judokas should realise that:
- There is an enormous variety of people with physical/motor restrictions
- Spastic people, because of their way of talking, are often underestimated. Many of them have a college education.
- During the lessons the difference between what people ought to be able
to do and what they really can do should be kept in mind.
- It should be possible to organise lessons in stages. Especially with motor
restric-tions where there are pupils with a high muscular tone it is
advisable to have some breaks.
- Judokas often perform at their best on the floor.
That is why the teacher will have to develop ne-waza variations or other
forms related to the possibilities of the judokas. See Ne-waza page
- This is also the case in tachi-waza, it is not advisable to make a judoka
with hemi-plegia do a O-osoto-gari because of instability.
A technique where both feet re-main on the ground would be preferable.
- Protective devices can be used but should be soft so they will not pose
any danger to the judoka. They should be used as safety measures.
- Socks against chafing of the feet because the judoka has no sensitivity
in his feet.
- Socks with anti-slide material on the soles when the judoka is able to
stand up.
- Knee protection when the judoka has to judo on his knees a lot; the
kneecap can be over burdened and the cap dislocated.
Prehaps is sitting judo also an option???
- Elbow protection when one or both arms are deformed. When rolling on
the floor or romping elbows that stick out can get hurt or overburdened.
- Sports gloves, usually fitness or cycling gloves, as a protection of the
hands against sores.
- Helmets that protect the head in case of an epileptic fit. Not always
necessary on the tatami, outside of the tatami it is.
- Ear protectors, to protect the implantations of the deaf and the hard of
hearing.
Order the compleet manual of Judo and FD here
