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Old 03-13-2003, 08:05 PM   #1
jducusin
 
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Dojo: Open Sky Aikikai (formerly the North Winnipeg Aikikai)
Location: Winterpeg, Manisnowba
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 144
Canada
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Cool Training a Blind Aikidoka?

I was wondering if anyone here has had this experience before and wouldn't mind satisfying my curiousity on the matter. While I was training under my first sensei, about 2-3 years ago, I had been working for a blind entrepreneur for some time and through this experience. During this time, I was exposed to a lot of the issues in regards to adapting "sighted" tasks and giving intuitive and descriptive direction to someone who was unable to see and thus was not able to learn from a visually-demonstrative presentation of information.

At the time, when I asked my first sensei how he would theoretically teach someone who was blind, he responded with a gruff and insensitive, "How could I?" And implied that it simply could not be done; an answer which I was not satisfied with, and needless to say (for many reasons aside from this) I am no longer training with him.

I recently read a new article at the Aikido FAQ page which was written from the perspective of a visually-impaired aikidoka, but was wondering if any instructors out there would be able to indulge my curiousity and answer this challenge with some of their own intuitive teaching techniques or theories on how they do (or would) teach in this situation.

Thanks in advance!

Open Sky Aikikai - http://www.winnipegaikido.com
"Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead." - Morihei Ueshiba
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