I don’t know about you, but ever since I ended up in this wheelchair I haven’t stopped feeling vulnerable. I can’t move my legs (or torso) at all, and my arms only work at 50%. It’s pretty hard to feel strong or empowered. Hell, I can’t even pull a trigger so getting a conceal-and-carry license, or even mace, are out of the question. What are folks like us supposed to do?
I recently read about a wheelchair defense program that definitely got my attention. At the Neuro Core Physiotherapy & Pilates Centre in Richmond Hill (a suburb of Toronto for those of you not Canada-savvy), Grant Murray, a taekwondo black belt, and Rich VanderWal, a recreation therapist at a rehab facility, have started teaching self-defense classes for wheelchair-users.
The classes focuses on making the wheelchair a weapon, not something that‘s just in the way (which I especially like). What would you do is someone came up from behind you and grabbed your shoulder? Shrink and cry for help? Not in this class. They teach you how to balance your chair and keep your balance simultaneously. And joint manipulation, the art of holding someone’s joint in place rendering them helpless (if it works that is), is also a key component of the class.
One of the coolest tips featured in this video is that if you’re attacked in your wheelchair, the attacker will have to lean over to get at you, which will always put them off-balance. And you can use this to your advantage. By simply pulling forward really quickly, you can at least get out of their grips for awhile, hopefully giving you the chance to get away or even better, scaring them off.
- Self-Defense for People with Disabilities
- Self-defense discussion
- Sports and Recreation discussion
