I've been watching a lot of tournament websites and more and more are offering "physically challenged" divisions. Has anyone competed in these or have opinions about them. I have a friend who is visually impaired and may want to go to a major tournament that offers this division in the spring, but he doesn't know what to expect.
I have never competed in one since I would not qualify (although I am a disabled Vet it is not a disability that would keep me from competing in the regular divisions.) I did however judge a Weapons/Disabled/Men’s 30-40 division once at a fairly large local tournament. From a judges point of view we were told to look only at the execution of the form and presentation and not to look on the difficulty of the form as a major factor. Confidence, poise, determination, respect, sportsmanship, spirit, showmanship, appearance, imagination, technique etc. are judged within the confines of their capability. It is my thought that many people don't want to be treated totally differently because they are disabled. Competition in the Martial Arts gives people a greater sense of independence and confidence. Martial Arts are already great in this respect so why not include absolutely everyone. Please tell your friend for me not to be overly conscious about his eyesight and to recognize it is a problem but to never think of his self as being worse off than other people. He is just different. Martial Arts can be for everyone regardless of mobility, sensory impairment or learning disability. Tell him to compete, to do his best, and not to worry too much about his impairment. I am sure he will find that almost all Martial Artist are understanding and committed to being supportive and compassionate. Tell him he may need to work a litter harder at times to compensate for the sight problem but that's the great thing about martial arts, you'll get back what you put in and then some, if you work hard enough.
He wants me to escourt him to the middle of the ring for forms and he also didn't know if stepping out of the ring would score against him. I'll do whatever I can for him (actually a she). I know she'll do well once she gets the rules and requirements down.
I can only answer as if I was the one judging. I would have no problem whatsoever in letting you assist her to the center of the ring. Also I would not make deductions for her stepping out of the ring if it was a slight out of bounds. A extreme out of bounds would show to me that the form was not prepared well enough to stay within the ring and may suggest a disregard for safety concerns with other competitors. However, I don't think you are talking about a drastic out of bounds if you are referring to a minor out of bounds due to the impaired vision then I would not deduct anything for such an infraction. I believe with adequate preparation she will not have any trouble. Find out the ring size and tape it off, then practice practice practice.. Again, this is how I would judge the division. You might try talking to the promoter or the school that is putting the event together. Express your concerns and see what they say. I think you will find they are more than willing to work with you in this regard. In a tournament here in MN I watched a colleague compete in a wheel chair. During the form his wheel chair malfunctioned. He was not only permitted to stop and repair the chair but was allowed to re start the form without any deductions. In another instance a young man fell into the ring of a competitor during their form. (he had slipped on some bags and lost his balance) The competitor was not physically interfered with but the disruption was enough so that he was not only allowed a restart without penalty but was given a bit of time to recompose himself. In instances that are beyond the control of the competitor no deduction should be issued. Infractions that are within the control of the competitor should receive a deduction. In all tournaments I have competed in or have been a spectator at the goal of the promoter is to ensure that everyone is treated just. No promoter wants a competitor to leave their tournament with a feeling of unfairness. They want you to test yourself against your peers but they also want you to enjoy yourself and benefit from their tournament.
Hi My name is Clay Johnson and I have CP. I have been studying martial arts since 1983. I competed in tournaments from 1984 until 1990. I competed in a wheelchair. Back then in VA. there were no disabled divisions and had to compete in with the able bodied divisions of kata and self defense. I was not allowed to spar as a under belt because it was thought my chair would be a danger to the other competitors. As for the judges for the most part they were great to me over the years. Now the people I competed with didn't like me competing with them because they thought the judges would feel sorry for me and let me win. I had one judge years ago while i was competing and he was judging me he didn't watch my kata and he gave me a very low score. I guess he didn't like my kata. All and all my years competing was very rewarding.
