martial arts great for Autism/aspergers

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hey,
just to let you guys know.
I recently read some interesting articles that explained how martial art training was really good for helping some people with autism to cut down on some of the fidgiting and rocking symptoms that some people suffer from.

The article was written by clinical psychologists who made a study of a group of autistic people who suffered from these symptoms (something like 60 of them) and gave them karate kata lessons a few times a week.

Apparently, after a month or so of training in this way, the rocking and fidgiting was reduced and stayed reduced even over a month after they stopped training.

I thought this was really interesting.
I was recently diagnosed as being on the spectrum, and funny thing is, I grew up doing karate, which i loved.
And thinking about it, for some people with autism / aspergers, i can understand why i loved it so much.

Training had routine, structure, allowed perfectionism, allowed me to socialise but without speaking too much. The people who did karate was a cross section of people from all walks of life, so were very accepting.
So allowed me to do excel by exploiting my autistic traits.

Now, I know that contact sports aren't for everyone. But did you know... there are many martial arts that have a non contact aspect to them, and some which have no contact aspect. So ideal for aspies who want to encourage brain activity that cut down the rocking etc.

Tai Chi, Kung Fu, WuShu, Traditional Karate etc. all have Kata or Forms which are pre arranged sets of martial art movements which you can practice without anyone touching you or you touching them.

If it works to reduce the rocking and fidgiting, may be worth considering if you are able bodies and interested.
The exercise also is good for stress reduction and training can also have a slight social aspect.

It may even be worth some aspie groups to set up specialist classes, perhaps even with aspie instructors!
Hope this helps.
cheers

for more info search
psychologytoday

TBH, I haven't practiced martial arts in a long time. Now that you mentioned it, I would like to practice it again.

I got to be a blue belt in Karate, but I felt quite frustrated for a number of reasons:
1) I kept injuring myself
2) I pushed myself too hard, to my limits
3) I never cared about belt levels or gradings
4) I never cared about tournaments, and each event would usually overwhelm me so much, along with gradings [I've won gold and other medals before, and a trophy, but mostly I forget that I even have them.]

I eventually stopped, and usually dance [for my own benefit] instead.

I agree that martial arts could be potentially great for people on the autism spectrum, but I would say it could be a decent recommendation for just about any able person in need of confidence building. I did briefly practice Tomiki style Aikido as a young teen, and though I would be physically shaking with nerves before every single class, I always came out of them feeling a lot more self-assured and happy.
Sadly, those days ended the moment a closet-psycho joined our class. Ugh.

I neither fidget nor rock, but I believe martial arts will benefit us all. Someone is pushing me to go to martial arts class downtown. He says that it will help reduce anxiety. He himself practises martial arts and teached me some katas, but we don't have much time to see each other.
Almost a decade ago, I practised Karate and sadly I injured my leg, so had to stop. I liked the structure and routine and certainly I did not have to speak much.
I want to join the class. The thing is I am exhausted from work and study, plus I don't like driving after 9 p.m.

i kick really good in Karate,i'm trying to improve my muscle & body tone

My son, also autistic, does Judo and he loves it. It has been great for him.

i use it,along side mixed martial arts,to quell the social oppression of aspies everywhere,as well as auties & to physically prepare for social encounters,especially the ones involving not making visual contact with girls & women my age,with the potential to go bad,while visually avoiding them like a ninja

above all, YMMV. if your motor cortex is not wired right from the git-go, a less violent physical activity is preferred.

In some cases, it could help, stay the same, or hrrt, if you disclose autism before taking lessons

But unless the instructor is a clinical psychologist, they would be hard pressed to know, even the slightest thing about autism

Some instructors were not receptive when I tried to explain sensory processing dysfunction and how it impacts wearing a gi jacket

They thought I was making excuses



It is not an essential job function of martial arts instructors, to know about Diagnosic statistical manual


And I wonder how anxiety prevented relaxation during ikkyo (aikido)



Nobody in the dojo has had a background check, not even the instructor

Instructors and customer have their own rap sheet and mental illnesses

and if you have relatively weak bones and spinal issues/joint issues, frontal lobe issues, in addition to general asymmetry of frame, martial arts are contraindicated.

A former high school classmate said that a karate instructor touched her in "all the wrong ways"

Some dojos are scams, mcdojo

One instructor (rightly or wrongly) thought I was intellectually challenged (current emphemism for mentally ret*d) . And asked if I had a high school diploma and knew what a ninety degree angle was.

But "beggars can't be choosers"

What I found disturbing, was that he was a structural engineer. Skinny smart handsome cisgender neurotypical white man. Not skinny.


He was, everything I wanted to be when I grew up.


Tried and failed.



Some instructors are self important lil dipshits. They act like they have a moral right to get whatever they want and otherwise it is a violation of their "rights" and "disrespect" . Everything they do not like, is "extremely disrespectful". For example, coming late, without begging permission to take the class.


Some instructors expect you to read their mind. He told me that I should have done something, but he did not tell me

Some instructors are homophobic


Some instructors take personal phone calls during class

One instructor had the nerve to tell me to leave class early because I reeked. Then her husband (the head instructor) said he didn't smell anything. (No apology)


When they (she, he) thought I did something wrong, it was like, inciting a riot


When it turned out they were wrong, not even an apology


Much less financial reparations

Sooner or later, "miscommunications" happen. And every time, I get injured

Not one time does one of those entitled lil dipshits get injured


A former aikido instructor let an 11 year old spoiled upper middle class brat take the class

The lil f****r was the closest to me, in rank, height, weight


A disproportionate amount of the time, I had to have it as a partner


What the flying f**k s**t?


The instructor should have paid me for babysitting!! !! !



Aunt blabby

Not everyone with those conditions has had a diagnosis

I took an aikido class once. Admittedly, I can only take in so much information at a time. I did buy some aikido books. I'm willing to try a live class another time though. Martial arts has interested me since I was a teenager.

You can learn math from a book.

Reading a book about aikido will only get you so far.

One aikido instructor had the nerve to tell me to call him "sir". He barked at me, out of control. "Move faster!". Wtf? He earned salary or hourly. He was not in a hurry to go anywhere or do anything

One instructor let an 11 year old spoiled upper middle class brat take the class. The lil dipshit had the nerve to threaten to take my wallet. The instructors response? "That's not respectful.". Wtf? Petty larceny. Also not legal


Seriously though. Nobody in the building has had a background check. Not even the "instructor".

It's not like, rapists and murderers outside and "perfect character" inside


Any old rapist could prance into the building, and pay $$$$. If the instructor refuses service, it's "discrimination"


Way too much grey area


And who is there to tattle to? Precious lil "people" will win any competition with me, because they are heavier, faster, stronger, more skilled, more socially adept, more $$$


A wrestler once told me "I would never hurt you"

He was 270 and I was 135 pounds


f**k that ass hole


See? You have to rely on "kindness"

Otherwise b*****s get away with anything they want

Subject to imagination


I would have tattled on them (plural), but you do not know whom the instructor is having sex with.


(Bias)


Not to meant to discourage you from taking lessons