Cerebral Palsy

Discussion in 'Disabled Martial Artists' started by theviper, Dec 16, 2006.

  1. theviper

    theviper Valued Member

    Thought you guys might be able to help.
    I have a young lad wanting to join my new club who has CP. He can walk, balance not perfect and has trouble straightening legs etc. The session is for our local home educated children and he is one of them so want to be able to help as much as I can. Have read that MA can sometimes help with CP but cant find out much about what I can actually do. Has anyone come across CP in MA before.
    Any help appreciated.
    The parents have said they dont want him to do it for the glory but for the confidence etc it will give him.
    Pete
     
  2. Saz

    Saz Nerd Admin

    When you say not perfect, what'd you mean? If you ask him to do a kick, is he likely to be a bit wobbly, or just fall over completely?

    If he has trouble with his lower limbs, you might want to focus on hand techniques more. Some basic blocks and straightforward punches would be ideal. Basically you'd need to adapt what you already teach to work around stuff he cannot do. If he can do it, let him.

    If he is able to kick, try adapting them to ones he can do without needing to straighten his leg too much. Hiza Geri might be a good one to start with.

    As for his confidence, give him words of encouragment when he does things right. I wouldn't go to the extent of over encouraging him all the time, as this only tends to give a short term confidence boost, and leads to them being even less confident when it stops (which it eventually does)
     
  3. theviper

    theviper Valued Member

    Brilliant ideas, thanks. He cannot stand on one leg and keep his balance, not yet tried him kicking but will see how he goes. Working on the hands is a great idea :)
    Will know more when I can work with him in the dojo and will probably be back for more advice.
    Pete
     
  4. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    Can he strike a punch/kick bag without it upsetting his balance too much.?. I always find that making contact with a bag is very rewading for people. If you can get him doing gedan mawashi geri against a full length bag he'll really feel that he's doing some karate - something that he may not get from practicing low attacks in the air (especially if you show him how effectively people in knockdown competitions can use this technique).

    I would also consider starting him with one of the less dynamic kata. Kihon kata requires quite a lot of ballistic movement which may upset his balance a little. Try hangetsu in a shorter stance - more like sanchin dachi than hangetsu dachi. Or if you know tensho or sanchin, try starting him on them first (without bothering too much about the tension or breathing). They'll get his limbs working together without requiring the heavy ballistic movements of the heian kata.
     
  5. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Pfttt... just put the gloves on him and tell him it's trial by fire time. In the ring he goes... sink or swim baby... sink or swim.:D


    :eek:


    Just kidding.
    I'm actually interested to see what suggestions come up.
    When I am in the street and I see people with CP or similar issues I always try to envision how I could help them train. The optimistic person in me believes that it would help their condition. Obviously that may be a bit naive... but I always thought it sure would be damn fun for them. I am fit and able... and when I see people that are not fit or able in the same way it really makes me stop and think - it's the big slap in the face to be humble and thankful that I have the luxury of not having something like CP.

    Here's some links that might help (some are inspiration, some hopefully can give you ideas for how to handle cirriculums etc.):

    http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50657

    http://record.wustl.edu/archive/1999/04-01-99/articles/cerebral.html

    http://www.stlouischildrens.org/tabid/96/itemid/1874/CP-Center-Athletic-Activities.aspx
    (they have a listing for a MA class for people with CP - you might drop them an e-mail)

    http://www.birf.info/home/library/rehab/reh-activity.html

    http://members.aol.com/CMDFLA/sentinel.html

    http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9E0CE3D6163EF932A25750C0A9659C8B63

    http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061028/news_7m28tae.html

    http://www.questia.com/PM.qst;jsessionid=FKBB5PNH4qtGGsRBp1qpqGNlJjnKzS20PvSpCtmpGgMwQF246xJs!685887235!815639037?a=o&d=5003867402

    (sorry this one won't link - so you have to cut an paste it into your web browser)

    http://www.dctkd.org/library/papers/benefits-of-ma-for-disabled.cfm

    http://independent.gmnews.com/news/2005/0111/Front_Page/004.html

    I'm sure if you do a more in depth search you'll find no end of information on it. It just takes somet time and bit of lateral thinking. I used to work with kids who had different issues - everything from recovering from severe head injuries all the way to HIV positive kids. The thing I found was that they usually exceeded my hopes and expectations for whatever tasks or program I ran them through. It was quite an eye opener. I'm kids with CP are no different... it was usually a case of my inability to perceive them as capable rather then them being incapable.... 99% of the time they're just waiting for the opportunity - I sometimes think kids with 'disabilities' are more willing to give things a go than kids without. I certainly learned alot about enthusiasm when I worked with these kinds of kids . It's pretty cool to be able to help them out with that. :)
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2006
  6. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Here is a story about a guy who trains at the Inosanto Academy:

     

    Attached Files:

  7. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

  8. Matthew Barnes

    Matthew Barnes Valued Member

    Go for it.

    Hi-
    I'm glad you are giving his needs serious consideration. It sounds like he's got fool CP, which in his case seems to mean his legs exhibit hypertonicity. It also sounds like he has decent use of both arms. His legs are going to tend to stay extended, and will need to be stretched regularly, preferably by a partner. In many cases, people with CP don't get stretched enough and develop contractures and need to have surgery to release their muscles. This can only be done a couple times, so the more emphasis on developing flexibility, the better.

    Unfortunately, CP has a huge range of effects, and there are different types, so I can't offer really good advice. Here's some links to presentations on CP for your general information:

    They are hosted on this page:

    http://webhost.bridgew.edu/jhuber/phed324_v.html

    But these links take you directly to them:

    http://webcaster.bridgew.edu/ramgen/cpdc5.rm

    http://webcaster.bridgew.edu/ramgen/pe32411.rm

    So, other than saying, "Heck yeah, go for it", I can't offer more advice without more information. So here's a list of things to consider:

    CP can (but does not necessarily in every case) affect:
    Cognitive level
    Toileting
    One to four limbs
    Breathing

    There's different types of CP:
    fool - one or more limbs exhibits hypertonicity (too much muscle tone)
    Athetoid - 'extra' movements not controllable by the person
    Plus a couple others, less common.

    Don't necessarily worry about CP, just worry about the needs and abilities of the person you are dealing with. Problem solve- if your art can be used to help with an issue this person is having, you will be doing a good thing.

    Matt
     
  9. BentMonk

    BentMonk Valued Member

    CP & MA

    You said that his parents want him to study MA for confidence and other benefits. Why does he want to study? I have fool CP. I have studied MA for nearly 13 years and taught for almost 9 years. I currently have 13 students with a wide range of abilities, and motivation. I began studying MA to defend myself and my loved ones. Since I am unable to kick and have poor balance, my instructor changed all of my kicks to knees and elbows. Most of my fighting is done at zero distance while holding onto my opponent or taking them to the ground. In addition I have stretched and conditioned a great deal. My arms and hands work well, so I strive to develop fast, hard punches, and an iron grip. I also spar very hard with a great deal of contact. The additional benefits to such intense training have been; improved balance, mobility, dexterity, and over all body strength. What ever your student's motivation, be sure to adapt his techniques in such a way as to retain their effectiveness, and be sure that he conditions himself so that he will be strong enough to realistically apply them against a resisting opponent. Anything less is IMO just going through the motions.
     
  10. Matthew Barnes

    Matthew Barnes Valued Member

    I don't think we're going to get a better answer than this...

    Thank you for jumping in here. Really, this is as good an answer as anyone could have hoped for. I wish you continued good training and teaching.
     
  11. BentMonk

    BentMonk Valued Member

    Thanks

    Thanks for the kind words Matt. I hope that what I have written helps the young man with his training. If I can be of any further assistance do not hesitate to ask. Peace and happy training. :)
     
  12. Clay Johnson

    Clay Johnson Valued Member

    Hi everyone thanks for including me in this thread anything to help. Check out this site. http://inosanto.com/mawd/

    Happy New Year!!

    Clay Johnson
     
  13. Joshua Powell

    Joshua Powell A white knight

    Greets Viper. My name is Josh. I was born with Mild fool Cerebral Palsy. I'm glad to see your doing this part in the forum. Awhile ago I also did kind of the samething...I don't know if my forum is still in here, but if it is I will tell you where it is. Anyway. I'm a good friend of Clay Johnson, and he and I have alot in common...however I myself am not in a wheel chair. When I started in the MA I was kind of like what your student is. I had really bad balance. and I couldn't move the most part of my muscles, but I did try hard. I'm sure that's what your student will do as well. As a result I am now a 1st degree black belt in my martial art, and I will be starting my first class in a few months with my Dad. I'm sorry if this message is short, but I don't have alot of time. If you want to know more about me email me, or send me a PM. Hope to talk to you soon.

    Joshua P
     
  14. Joshua Powell

    Joshua Powell A white knight

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