The Right Side of the Dojo

Karate prep: Townsend Rebel Reliever leg splint to keep my lower leg in place. Shoulder sling and finger splints on the same side.  The enemy isn't going to ask if I'm okay, so it's time to train and find new strengths. KIAI!

I made it through half of karate class, but it was a very intense time using only the right side of my body! It gave new a chance to learn what I could do in different ways.

We started off with drills. Punching, I worked hardest on pulling my punch back to chamber, knowing that such a move could be used to jab the ribs of the person behind me, or to escape a hold, as is done in Seiyunchin bunkai.

Practicing blocks was the most interesting thing, because when we're doing a drill with both hands I don't think about the hand that's returning to chamber as much as I think about the front hand and its major movement. Having just one hand, I paid much more attention to the directions of its movement; the way in which my hand was facing; and what it was blocking, or leaving open. 

Working in pairs was fun because I had to get creative with bilateral blocks. If the punch was right-to-right handed I did the traditional block. Right-to-left, inside block.

When I got home I had some oatmeal, then I rested on the couch as is my Saturday ritual after karate. I slept for six hours, which was not part of the plan. I should have noticed this when I was too tired to set an alarm, because I slept right through the time to take my afternoon meds.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a lot to manage. I don't blame anyone who struggles with it so much that they don't do much else, but I do wish everyone could find a way to get a little exercise into their routine, or something they can look forward to doing with their bodies. 

It felt like the other people in the dojo were watching to see how I did things. Their faces said different things: I don't know how you do it; I would never do all that just to come to class; If they can do it, I can do it; I guess I have no excuse not to be here. These are things people say to me, so I know that this is what people are thinking. I'm not supernatural, and I have no intention of inspiring able-bodied people to go beyond what is reasonable for themselves. Able-bodied people are not used to being in crushing pain 24x7; if they had had the injuries I dealt with today, they might have rightly stayed home, for hope of healing. 

Much to my comfort, nobody said I was a distraction or that I should have stayed home. I would rather get a thumbs-up for splinting correctly and showing up than a pitiful face for being in splints. I'm always worried about hearing that I should have stayed home, or that I'm bringing everybody down, because that's how my family has reacted in the past. They seldom do anymore, but it's a doubt that I carry. At the dojo, however, people expect to see me in whatever I come with that day, ready to learn. We are all working through some challenge in this lifetime, and I'm glad that we all spend a few days a week going through it together. I can let my guard down; nobody is going to tell me I should have stayed home because I have EDS or because I can't hear.

My hearing seems to be failing further, that's bothersome. My hearing aid causes piercing pain.  My ear bone implant causes extreme pain and I want it taken out.  I'm not sure I understand how to let go and go back to deaf when all my friends are hearing; I am afraid that my hearing loss will be much worse now because I've had several years with Cognitive Auditory Processing Disorder to scramble up what is left of the hearing in my "good" ear.

I have more to say but my shoulder is killing me, even though I haven't even used it today. I'm confounded by this. I'm also totally wiped out. I slept all afternoon and will still sleep through the night if I can keep the pain under control. This day is still a success because I learned a new thing. 

Do You Tape or Splint?

I try not to tape up or brace my body for class unless I absolutely need it. My primary goal is self-defense, so I want my body to work as one cohesive unit, as I may not be taped or braced in the event of an altercation. God forbid. My Sensei keeps a very close watch on me and I have enough sense to sit out of--or modify--things that would be too dangerous for me to do safely. I follow all safety instructions from my Sensei to the letter, make sure I understand the instructions,  and I trust my partners to do the same. Rotten eggs don't stay in the dojo for long, it's all good people.

Quite a few of the people in my dojo, maybe even the majority of them, have prior combat and martial art training. This makes them well prepared to control themselves, and to taper their aggression. That's actually a part of it, being able to use the minimum amount of force required to be effective. So, they get something out of working with me, too!

Every one of us is struggling with something, whether we have a disability or not. We gather in the dojo to overcome what we can, and to help one another along those journeys. In fact, our ability to be a good partner is a part of our assessment for whether or not we level up. If we are not a good partner, we don't progress. Part of our success relies on how well we can help the people we are working with. Isn't that cool? It's easily my favourite rule in my dojo!

When I first began I only worked with black belts because they had the best control of their own movements, which kept me the safest. It also gave me the privilege of befriending people who had been there for a long time, and who were much farther along in their journeys than I was. As I became stronger and better at what I was doing, it became easier to work safely with lower belts, as I got better at defending myself and lower belts tends to not strike very hard at all.

Every day is different, and every day is a fresh start. You just have to overcome and adapt, keep a level head and keep going. You will learn volumes about your body in your first three or so belts, and after that you will get into learning about the martial art itself.

Don't forget that an enormous incentive of joining the martial arts is connection with the community greater than you'll ever fully access. For example, my karate Federation, IOGKF, is worldwide. We all do exactly the same exercises, and if I walked into any dojo I could expect the same results. It's also awesome to think about the fact that many of those people already have a lot more knowledge in physiology and combat than I do, many of them are medically trained in case I do get injured, and I park my car right outside the front door so that I have access to every mobility aid and pain reliever I can jam into the vehicle!

You're going to do great. Take the plunge!