Martial Arts for Persons with Vision Loss

Miguel A. Narvaez, ©2001

In recent years participation in martial arts has increased among the general population. An estimated of 1.5 to 2 million Americans are active participants. One out of five participants is a woman and 20% are children. Movies, magazines, and fitness programs such as “Taebo” have contributed to the increased participation. Terms such as Karate, Kickboxing, Kung-Fu, Tai-chi, Judo, or Taekwondo are becoming part of the common language.

Even more, the traditional reason of participating in martial arts to learn self-defense has been replaced by other goals that include improvement of self-esteem, concentration, and fitness level (cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and strength). More interesting, some people join a martial arts club in search of social support, to participate in a structured exercise program, to develop an artistic expression, or to satisfy the need to compete.

Benefits

The recognized benefits of martial arts include improvements in the physical, social, and psychological aspects of a person.  In the physical part, improvements in balance, flexibility, coordination, and strength are observed. Motor performance is also positively affected by improving reaction time and increasing speed of movement, which may, in the long term, retard the deterioration in motor skills that typically occurs with aging. In the social aspect, martial arts teach and promote discipline, sportsmanship, and respect. Persons who practice the martial arts even report decreased hostility. In the psychological aspect, self-confidence, concentration, motivation and patience are the main benefits.

Types of Martial Arts

Martial arts are classified mainly by their origin, which means that they can be seen as Japanese, Korean, Chinese, etc. Another classification considers how practitioners interact in class, describing them as contact or non-contact styles. However, independently from the origin or characteristics, most of the martial arts have a “sparring” and a “demonstrative” aspect.

In a sparring aspect, practitioners will try to demonstrate their skills by facing others in an event where full or light contact may be permitted. Examples of these are Karate and Taekwondo sparring tournaments, where kicks to the head and trunk are allowed. Punches to the head are prohibited in Taekwondo, although in some Karate tournaments, controlled contact to the head with the hands is allowed. Judo is another popular martial art in this category, even though in some countries is considered a sport. It has semi-contact characteristics, and the objective is to either immobilize or throw the opponent over the shoulder.

In their demonstrative aspect, most martial arts organize events where people display their skills in movement sequences called forms, and the main objective is to present the artistic aspect of the activity. Is in this aspect were senior citizens population has been very active, making Taichi the most popular option for them.

Martial Arts for Persons with Vision Loss

The possibilities to benefit from martial arts practice are enormous for persons with vision loss, independently of what martial art you get involved, direct benefits will include improvements in balance, fitness level, and kinesthetic sense. Also, practitioners experience a greater level of autonomy, and will be motivated to face new motor challenges. Note that there have been some adventurers that in spite of their visual condition have been successful to the point where they have served as alternates to U.S. Olympic teams. Even more, some of them have won medals against sighted competitors! In martial arts, blind and visually impaired Karatekas (Karate practitioners) and Taekwondoins (Taekwondo practitioners) have found their success in Kata/Poomse (forms) competitions. It is important to consider that the martial art that has developed programs for blind and visually impaired people is Judo, with events for these populations at state, national, and international levels, e.g. Paralympic Games and World Championships. 

Safety Considerations

You should be aware that martial arts have been identified as safe contact activities, since the injury rates are lower than basketball, football, aquatic activities, and even lacrosse, wrestling, or dancing. However, as with any other physical activity, there are always some risks. Common injuries in martial arts are sprains, strains, contusions, avulsions, dislocations, and fractures.

In order to provide a safer activity for participants, it is recommend that before you start a program in any physical activity, you should have a physical examination. If you have any of the following conditions, seek advice from your physician before beginning a martial arts program.

How To Get Started?

For general information on sports for the visually impaired visit the United States Association of Blind Athletes at http://www.usaba.org/ .

For Judo information visit:

For Karate information visit:

For Taekwondo information visit:

References

Birrer, R.B., & Halbrook, S.P. (1988). Martial arts injuries. American Journal of Sports Medicine.   16(4), 408-410.

Wilkerson, L.A. (1997). Martial arts injuries. Journal of American Ostheopatic Association, 97(4), 221-226.

Oler, M., Tomson, l. W., Pepe, H., Yoon, D., Branoff, R., & Bransch, J. (1991). The Journal of Trauma, 31(2), 251-253.

Zetaruk, M.N., Violan, M.A., Zurakowski, D., & Michelin, L.J. (2000). Karate injuries in children and adolescents. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 32, 421-425.

Ohlenhamp, N. (2001). Benefits of sport judo for blind and visually impaired people. Retrieved October 8, 2001 from http://www.judoinfo.com/blind.htm