F. A. Q. s

Q: Why Martial Arts Are Best for Exceptional Needs ?

The unique component of martial arts for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is the competition within themselves, not with others. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities must work on life skills, not competing with others for a trophy. That’s not to say they shouldn’t compete and receive those same rewards, because they should! However, the criteria must be carefully considered and achievable. Traditional Martial Arts is not a proponent of "everyone wins" because failure is part of life. Life skills are why you should consider martial arts, and if that’s all you receive you are a winner!

Q: Benefits ?

Many programs for typically developing martial arts are not suited for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Either the game cannot be played slowly enough, time cannot be devoted to learning the rules, adaptive equipment is not used, etc. So what should we do? Preparing the students in the most non-restrictive way, which is one of the life skills we must always keep in our minds. Everyone feels good when they know "something," so let’s prepare our students for life before allowing them in an unfamiliar situation.

Consistency and repetition create familiarity and, therefore, people on the autism spectrum do well with classes. Repetition of the same location, same faces, same curriculum, and knowing what to expect are all part of the recipe. With continuous structure, discipline and fun exercises, even the students with multisensory issues almost immediately rises to the occasion.

Q: DuMyon Thoughts ?

There are several styles of Martial Arts and different programs available so getting educated is very important. DuMyon believes that all styles of Martial Arts are good; the question is which style is the right one for you or your family. If the instructor is compassionate, patient, understanding, experienced and willing to dedicate his or her life to you or your family member then that’s the place to be. Regardless of the needs, learned behavior can only be achieved through behavioral momentum.