Hello All, I haven't posted in awhile. Kids going through high school, then starting college this Fall 2018, kept me occupied. Along with age, there are health issues. Diabetes, although manageable, does take it toll. In lu of loss of energy at any given time, the disease is playing havoc with eyesight. I have been discouraged to a point of no longer on the martial art path. I keep trying to search for answers and motivation to restart.
Reading his post, I think he meant he is discouraged himself, not that any other person has discouraged him. I may be wrong though!
Can't help with motivation, as that comes from within. That said it seems your diabetes is just the excuse you need as justification for stopping martial arts. If you've fallen out of love with training then stop and put your energies elsewhere, be that family, or another hobby. If you miss training then you'll get back to it and the diabetes won't hold you back.
I had thought you had had surgery to help your eyesight? Did that not work? If so, sorry to hear that.
I’m very sorry to hear about your diabetic retinopathy. I hope you can find a way to restart martial arts. Training would certainly help with your diabetes (better glycemic control and improved cardiovascular health: vital stuff for someone with diabetes). I’m sure you already know this. More importantly, martial arts are fun!
And the joy is knowing there is so much more to do. As I said previously you need to decide if you need martial arts or not.
So, how does one spar with poor eyesight? How does one grapple with loss of energy? How does one perform in any live traing with such condiitons?
It’s not easy - neither physically nor psychologically - that’s for sure. I’m not in your shoes, so don’t know what it’s like, but suspect the psychological side of things may be the tougher fight. I’ve had debilitating injuries over the years, including not being able to walk for a long period. It was tough to find ways to continue training (but I did). Physically, the right expert advice should be able to help manage your energy (e.g. carefully planned pre- and post-exercise nutrition). Are you on tablets or insulin? If so, a sports physician or diabetologist should be able to advise on timing and dosage of medication. People with diabetes have won Olympic medals, e.g. Steve Redgrave’s gold medals in rowing. Eyesight isn’t easy, but some arts are more focused on sensitivity (e.g. kung fu styles that do a lot of ‘sticky hands’ or some grappling styles). This might take a bit of research, trial and error.
I've recently had The Kent Association for the Blind accept my offer of a free seminar. There is so much more to martial arts than sparring. How much sparring did you do beforehand? Steve Redgrave won an Olympic rowing medal while suffering from diabetes. If you want it you'll find a way to control the diabetes and improve your energy. My area of expertise? My wife has been a Type 1 diabetic since she was 4 years old. What conditions? You have diabetes, not the sudden loss of a limb. Like I said previously it seems you are wanting an excuse not to train. If you want it then find way to actually train.
Hey, I will offer you the wise words of my long time instructor. I don't have diabetes, but I have had some long term issues -including chronic knee issues that flare up worse sometimes. She told me "don't focus on what you can't do, focus on what you can do." Those words have guided me and helped me a lot. When I feel down about not being able to do something, instead of focusing on that, I focus on what else I could work on. I hope it helps. Also, have you ever done TCC? Might be a good time to do that. Push hands is all about using your sense of touch instead of eyes. Sometimes, in stationary step, I close my eyes. Keep us posted on how it goes.
