Hi All,
As someone with a strong interest in serious, martially sound, Chinese martial arts, particularly TaiJiQuan, I am planning to begin attending the seminars offered through GRTC and AYMTA as soon as I complete my graduate training next spring and land a job. Although I have several excellent internal martial arts teachers about an hour away from where my wife and I live, I have a serious visual disability, preventing me from driving, and it is very difficult to arrange regular drivers for such distances, both as a matter of time required (finding someone who can give up 6-12 hours a week) and financially (high price of gas, etc.). Thus, I am considering studying at a Wing Chun dojo that is very close to my apartment and college for regular practice, and regularly travelling to seminars in order to learn TaiJiQuan.
As a partially blind martial artist, I have primarily trained one on one with past instructors or with an assistant who could help demonstrate the techniques in a larger class. I have never attended a seminar and am not sure what to expect or who to contact to discuss the matter. The last thing I want is to show up unprepared or complicate the lives of those taking the time to teach these skills. So, for those who have attended seminars, what might I expect, and who might I contact to arrange accommodations for my disability? Thank you all in advance for your thoughts and suggestions.
Regards,
William Nutt
Seeking Advice on Training and Seminars
Moderator:Scott M. Rodell
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Re: Seeking Advice on Training and Seminars
Having taught many seminars over the years, I would think that if you were able to learn martial arts before, you should be fine at seminars. But one qualifying question would be how does your "partial blindness" effect your vision? At seminars, one is often standing further back from the teacher, with the distance depending on the size of the group. So if you need to be very close to see, that could be problematic. In any case, it is worth attending a seminar & just seeing how it goes...
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Re: Seeking Advice on Training and Seminars
Scott,
Thank you for our reply. I appologize for my lateness in getting back to the discussion; some medical problems sufficiently distracted me the last several months.
As far as my vision goes, the clarity functionally fluctuates depending on the light level and quality of light; however, it is usually insufficient to observe the movements of another. I usually learn through touch in martial arts. Naturally, the situation is more complicated than this, but the above summarizes the general situation.
Regards,
William
Thank you for our reply. I appologize for my lateness in getting back to the discussion; some medical problems sufficiently distracted me the last several months.
As far as my vision goes, the clarity functionally fluctuates depending on the light level and quality of light; however, it is usually insufficient to observe the movements of another. I usually learn through touch in martial arts. Naturally, the situation is more complicated than this, but the above summarizes the general situation.
Regards,
William