Hi Kendall,

The course is very short - 6 weeks- as our funding for it is very
limited.  The self defence instructor is the only one in Perth who is a
female (neccesary in our case as it is a class for wwd, and some would
feel uncomfortable with a male instructor) martial arts expert with any
experience in teaching pwd's. She has been teaching martial arts for
over 20 years, and has been studying it since she was a child.   She
also has a nursing background (useful in adapting techniques to
everyone's specific abilities - range of disabilities represented in the
class) and a great attitude, she's really relaxed and approachable, and
able to adapt her methods to any level of limitation, and not a
patronising bone in her body.

The classes run once a week for a two hour session with 1/2 hour break.
  She covers things like, how to identify and assess dangerous
situations, basic hits and blocking techniques, how to get out of holds
(I can do a move - when I'm sitting in my scooter - that could break
someone's wrist - taking advantage of my spasticity and use of leverage.
  It's very cool!), how to use your environment to your advantage -
including use of assistive equiment - I'm a whizz with my quad cane! -
and how to make your home safer.  She helps each participant work out
what they can and can't do, and designs an individual program for each
student detailing
the techniques that work best for them.  Everyone gets a copy of this so
they can really familliarise themselves with the techniques.

There is probably more I could say, but I can't think of anything else
right now.  If anyone wants to know anything else about this, please ask!

Rayna
Kendall David Corbett wrote:
> Rayna,
>
> Is there a curriculum for the self-defense course you're coordinating?
> That's become a hot topic for both women and men with disabilities
> around here, and we're trying to find ways it's been approached in other
> areas.
>
> Kendall Corbett
>
> An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's redundant!)
>
> The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
> persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all
> progress depends on the unreasonable man.
> -George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950