Hi everyone, I haven't been here in a while, have I? Well, never mind that. I recently tested and earned my brown belt. I am getting closer to getting my Black belt. It'll probably take a couple more years, but when that time comes I plan on teaching others. However, I worry about my potential as an instructor. I train from a vseat the majority of the time and sometimes I havemy assistant hold me up to do my katas standing. I sometimes test my self defense techniques and takedowns on my stubborn; resisting assistant and they either don't work or I'm doing something wrong. But I'm good with katas and other stuff. I know there are instructors in wheelchairs, but I just don't know how they do it.
Hi slapstick, I think you just gotta stick with it. obviosly there will be techniques that you can't do either at all or as well as able bodied but I bet you came up with alternatives that work for you? Myself I have some joint mobility probs, nothing like as limiting as yourself or plenty other guys but, some of the prescribed techniques in my style I just am physically unable to do so I use my own interpretation alternatives. Now that means that the flow ( in the drill patterns) no longer follows the prescribed progression but so what? I make a new flow route and rejoin the progression. The prob for me comes in teaching others when I have to say "the official method is a.b.c but I use x.y.z" As long as I explain both methods then I think I have done my duty to both system and student. Mainly, don't give up and remember that the style should adapt to you and not you to the style.
