MAWD Articles

written by Clay Johnson

The two questions I’m most asked by new students when they come to my academy for the first time are: “How can you teach me, you’re in a wheelchair?” and “Can you fight?”

As for the first question, most of the students who come to my school are able-bodied, and I totally understand why they might ask, because when they walk in, they see a guy in a wheelchair. Then they ask to speak to the instructor. I reply, “You are speaking to him.” Sometimes people just turn and leave. Most of the time, I get strange looks and they ask questions about the class. Sometimes, they don’t ask the questions, but the look on their faces asks for them.

I give new students three free lessons, so they can see if they like the classes. I tell them,”Take three classes, and you’ll be hooked.” My teaching style includes breaking down everything to the bare essentials. I ask my students to try and picture in their minds what I’m asking them to do, and then do it, and it really works. Years ago, when I first started teaching, I had trouble teaching kids because I thought they wouldn’t understand me, since I teach not so much by doing as by talking. I learned that I had to break down the material even more for kids. Today, 50% of my classes are kids.

My teaching style comes from all my teachers. My first karate instructor, Eddie Thomas, had me start teaching at blue belt. I learned how to teach from watching and listening to him teach. I think this has helped me learn from my other teachers. I think I really surprise new students, and s easoned martial artists, who come to visit or train with me, that I am able to teach kicking skills so well without ever throwing a kick myself. I make a deal with new students, sometimes spoken, sometimes not. I tell them I will make them good, but they have to listen to me and they have to do 60% of the work, and I’ll do 40% of the work teaching them. As students go through the belt ranks, they come to realize over the years that I have to prove myself to everyone who comes through my door. I’ve had several of my students get their black belts in karate under me. Also, two students have rank in Thai Boxing, one at level one and the other at level 2. Several other of my students have rank in what I call my Multi-art Class. So, I guess the answer to “How can you teach me, you’re in a wheelchair?” is “Yes, I can!”

As for the other question, “Can you fight?” I have to say, the answer is yes and no. If you mean can I defend myself, I think so. In all the years I’ve been in the martial arts, I’ve been lucky and haven’t had to use my skills in a fight. As far as sparring goes, I love it. I’ve been sparring for over 20 years, and I’ve had my share of black eyes, broken nose, and bloody lips. I don’t do too badly for a guy in a wheelchair. Along with boxing, I’ve also done stick fighting and knife fighting. I like it better than boxing because the stick and knife make the fight or sparring more even reach-wise. Range is what makes a fight for me. If I’m boxing and my opponent stays at kickboxing range, he’ll beat me with no problem. If he stays at boxing range, I’ll do a little better. I will never say I’m a good fighter, but I do the best I can, and from the time I started training in martial arts, I think I’ve improved greatly thanks to my teachers. I do believe if I weren’t disabled, I’d be a greatly skilled martial artist. I know that sounds cocky, but that’s what I believe.

written by Ken Chun

Clay Johnson, a good friend and fellow disabled martial artist, contacted me a couple of times because he wanted to discuss disability awareness and accessibility issues in the martial arts community.Having been a disabled martial artist since 1984, this prompted me to write this article.

Let me start with a simple statement: Life is sometimes a daily challenge.I?m not talking about the daily grind of going to work and putting up with an irritating boss and then coming home to a stack of bills that need to be paid.I?m talking about something more basic than that.I?m talking about just getting through normal, dull, daily life ? but doing it with a disability.Whether it?s being able to get into a building, or being able to get into a restroom, or just being able to get in and out of my car in a parking lot, these are things that many able-bodied people take for granted.As a man who was born with Spina Bifida, I can tell you without hesitation that life is, indeed, a daily challenge.

You might be asking yourself, ?So, what?s your point with all of this, Ken??I am glad you asked!I will try my best not to get on a soapbox, but I think it?s a very important issue that is often mishandled, or just plain unhandled, because people just don?t know how to deal with these admittedly uncomfortable situations.

During my conversation with Clay, I could not help but think back to those times that I too found myself faced with school owners who were not as open to the possibility of disabled martial artists, or those who were open to the possibility, but were not, perhaps, as sensitive to the special needs of disabled martial artists as they ought to be.I would like to discuss these two points.

As has happened with probably most, if not all, disabled martial artists, when I began my search for a school I encountered a great deal of something that might not quite be discrimination, but it certainly was not acceptance either.The conversation usually went something like this: “Hi, I’m interested in taking lessons at your school and would like to get some information.”?Sure! You can come on down and check us out any day of the week.”Great!” I would reply.”Just one thing”, is your place wheelchair accessible? That was usually met with, “Uh, I think so”. Are you in a wheelchair??When I answered I was indeed in a wheelchair, I was usually discouraged by the instructor. ?Well, we?re really not set up for wheelchairs.?Or, ?We do a lot of kicking.I don?t know how much you?d be able to get out of our program.?

In my martial arts career, I have only come across five instructors who thought of me as just another student who was welcome to join in.They had no problem with modifying the curriculum so that I could basically learn what the others were learning.One of my instructors even went to a thrift store and bought an old wheelchair, which he used to modify Okinawan Karate kata (forms) for me.How cool!

There are two very important questions for a disabled person that I always ask: ?Can I get into your school?? and ?Can I get into your restroom??I have been fortunate to have found instructors who could answer yes to both of those questions.Sadly, during conversations with my disabled friends in the JKD/FMA/TB community, I have been disheartened to learn that there are some who have to answer no, even if they are more than willing to accept a student with disabilities.I was told of journeys of hundreds of miles to get to a seminar, only to find that while adequate parking was available for the handicapped, there was no way for a wheelchair to get into the school, or worse, for a wheelchair to get into the restroom.How silly!

There are usually two reasons given for not having adequate access: ?We just don?t have the money to do what needs to be done,? is one I can somewhat understand, because not everybody?s wallet is bursting at the seams with money.The second most popular reason given (and sometimes in the same sentence) is, ?Legally, I don?t have to do it because it?s an old building.?How convenient.What is this notion that the letter of the law is the be-all-end-all of moral and ethical culpability?Is there nothing in either personal or professional ethics that says you cannot do better, particularly in the martial arts, where we strive to improve ourselves physically, mentally, and/or spiritually?Why not go beyond the letter of the law?There are plenty of resources today that can help you improve handicapped access. At the end of this article, you will find a useful website to help you with just such an endeavor.

I used the term ?adequate? above.Some of you may be confused as to what this means.The best answer I can give you is that ?adequate? means making reasonable accommodations so that a disabled person has the same access to your school?s amenities as an able-bodied person.As to what ?reasonable? is, I refer you to the web page below.

I would like to leave you with one thought:If you don?t know what a disabled person might need in terms of accommodations, ask someone who might have an answer, or even better, put yourself in our place, and then you?ll find out quickly how challenging life is for us.

Useful web site for handicapped accessibility and the law: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

Khru Lynda Hatch tells her story of how a person with a handicap can still succeed in achieving goals.

TBA: You were born deaf, correct?

Lynda: Yes, but the politically correct word nowadays is hearing impaired.

TBA: How does this affect your martial arts training?

Lynda: Well, I miss a lot during seminars, lectures and dialogue with more than two people. Lip-reading helps, but it is sporadically understood. Everyone?s lips move differently. Most instructors move around, and I cannot read their lips. I rely on my husband, Dave, to interpret during seminars, which can be difficult for him at times because things move so fast. At best, I go by visual movements. During sparring/demos, I cannot hear verbal instructions or subtle sounds, such as an opponent?s breathing or foot and hand movements. It is strictly a visual event for me.

TBA: When did you begin studying martial arts?

Lynda: In 1969, I started learning martial arts when I was in my first year at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Michigan. It was a Japanese system of Karate called Shito ? Ryu. During that time, I met my husband, Dave, who was an assistant instructor. I received my first Black Belt in 1977.

TBA: What other martial arts have you studied?

Lynda: We moved in 1985, and Dave and I started going to seminars on Fun Fan Gung Fu / JKD and the Filipino Martial Arts taught by Guro Dan Inosanto, in Lansing, Michigan. I really wanted to learn how to handle knife attacks, and this seminar was an eye-opening experience. Since then, I became a part of Guro Dan?s Instructor program and achieved the Associate Level in 2001. I have several rankings, which include Mande Muda Pencak Silat under the late Pendakar Herman Suwanda, Lameco Escrima under the late Punong Guro Edgar Sulite, Wing Chun under Sifu Francis Fong and Muay Thai/Thai Boxing under Ajarn Surachai Sirisute.

TBA: How and when were you exposed to Muay Thai?

Lynda: During the late 1980?s, my husband and I attended a joint seminar in Chicago with Guro Inosanto and Ajarn Chai, and my first impression was, WOW! What a workout. It was tough, but it kept me in great shape. I had never even thought about testing for an Instructor Level in Muay Thai. My initial impression of Ajarn Chai was not too good. To me, he seemed mean and arrogant, but as the years went by, I got to know him better, and would enjoy seeing him smile. However, the training and conditioning were still tough and demanding. More than ten years later, I finally decided to take the Muay Thai apprenticeship test, six months after my husband took his test.

TBA: How old were you when you took your test?

Lynda: I was 48 years old. I am 5?2″ tall and weigh 112 pounds. My two feeders were LaTanya Charlson from Virginia and Oscar Kallet from Ohio. Both were taller, bigger and younger than me, and because I was over 40, Ajarn Chai said that they would not be as hard on me during the test as they are on younger people. HA! It was not quite true, as far as I was concerned. It was a tough and nerve-wracking test, but I was determined, and focused on getting through it as best I could

TBA: Because of your profound hearing loss, were there any adjustments to your test?

Lynda: I went through the same test as any hearing person would have had to go through it. Dave would interpret the instructions from Ajarn Chai for me. Due to not hearing the music for the Ram Muay Ceremony, I had to perform at a pace I thought to be correct. According to Ajarn Chai, I was a little too fast, but I had great form. During the two three-minute rounds of my test, I could not hear the counters for knee strikes and round kicks, or people cheering me on. Dave tried to fill me in on the numbers of kicks and knees when I happened to see him in front of me, but to get through it, I just had to depend totally on an inner strength and faith in myself. Knowing that the people supported me really helped a lot.

TBA: Any last comments?

Lynda: Yes. I hope that people reaslize that any worthwhile goal is valuable enough to keep the persistence to achieve it. Most importantly, regardless of the physical or mental handicap, never give up.

written by Foster Reves

In The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Sijung Bruce Lee stated, “Cultivate your awareness by imagining an opponent attacking you – while you are sitting, standing, or lying down, etc. – and counter that attack with various moves. Simple moves are the best.”

Enter Clay Johnson. Born August 10, 1961 in Clifton Forge, Virginia, Clay was born with cerebral palsy, a motor function disorder caused by a permanent, non-progressive brain lesion or defect present at birth. Cerebral palsy may result in a variety of manifestations including, in Johnson’s case, quadriplegia. Johnson has the use of his hands and arms, as well as a very strong neck. Clay is able to walk on crutches, but otherwise has very limited use of his legs.

Johnson states that he was approximately five or six when he first realized that he was different from other children, adding that during his school years, he did not have many friends, often being ostracized and even bullied.

Around the age of 10, Johnson became interested in the martial arts. When asked what factors influenced his interest, Johnson states, “I was watching a late night sports special on ABC and there was this amputee guy in a wheelchair that took out five or six other guys in a demo, and I thought to myself, I could do that.? Also around that time, Johnson states that his father took him to the movies to see “Fists of Fury” with Bruce Lee.

Finally deciding to pursue training, Johnson’s initial search was unsuccessful. He states that there was a school in the area and his uncle was willing to pay. However, he was not accepted at the school because of his inability to kick. After this initial setback, Johnson says that he did not pursue training again until approximately ten years later, when he was in college. Clay says, “I was taking administration of justice courses and thought that it would be good to incorporate some martial arts techniques.? This time his search was more fruitful. He found Jimmy Mays, a local tae kwon do instructor, who accepted him as a student. Clay trained under Mays for approximately one year, at which time, Mays was involved in an automobile accident and unfortunately had to quit teaching. After searching somemore, Johnson began studying American freestyle karate, eventually earning a second-degree blackbelt under Eddie Thomas.

Wanting to add to his training, Johnson had heard that Guru Dan Inosanto taught regular seminars in the region. On April 1, 1989 Clay, attended his first seminar under Guru Inosanto in Charlotte, North Carolina. During this seminar, Johnson was impressed on how Guru helped him personally on many of the techniques being taught, even to the point of pulling up a chair himself to see how the given technique could be performed from a sitting position.

Johnson was immediately drawn to the arts being taught by Guru Inosanto. This was due in part because they were so different from his previous training in karate, but mostly because the use of the Filipino weaponry opened up a new world for someone who does not have the use of the lower body. After the seminar, Johnson had a new goal: to begin training in the Filipino martial arts and Jun Fan Gung Fu as taught by Guru Inosanto.
After a few seminars, Johnson began training under Guru Rob Kelly in Charlotte, North Carolina once a month. Johnson asked Kelly if it would be possible for a handicapped person to become an instructor. Kelly said yes, but the process could take at least five or six years of rigorous training. Johnson then sent a letter of intent to the Inosantos expressing his desire to become a candidate in the instructors program. Over the next five years, Johnson attended every seminar that he could, and made regular training visits to Rob Kelly and other JKD/FMA instructors and practitioners in the region.

Johnson states that at times he became frustrated, but continued to work toward his goal. Clay realized that he must not only do his best to become proficient in the techniques that he could execute, but also have a clear understanding of the footwork in order to properly teach others. During this period, Johnson also began training in Muay Thai under Adjarn Chai Sirisute. According to Johnson, he was always curious about Muay Thai and went to one seminar just to watch, thinking that with all of the kicking involved, it would not be worth the time to actually train. Before the seminar began, Adjarn Chai walked over to Clay, introduced himself and informed Clay that he would be training. At Adjarn Chai’s request, Clay began training in Muay Thai as well. Johnson recalls that at a seminar in 1992, Adjarn Chai told him on Saturday that he would be taking his instructor’s test on Sunday. Not knowing what to expect, Johnson said that he became so nervous, he just wanted to go home. The next day, Johnson was given a lengthy written exam in which he had to detail the history and techniques of Muay Thai. His anxiety was prolonged because he had to wait for several months before he learned that he had passed.
On July 1, 1995, Clay Johnson received his certificates as an apprentice instructor in both the Filipino Martial Arts and Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu. When asked to describe his feelings at the time, Clay says, “Well, it’s kind of funny to see a 33 year old guy cry!”

Most recently Johnson attended a JKDU seminar held by Sifu Burton Richardson. Training against a resisting opponent was the key element of the seminar, and Johnson fought against aggressive opponents in all ranges. In order to simulate a potentially very real danger in a street situation, Sifu Richardson had Clay pulled out of his chair and wrestled down to the mat by a resisting opponent. Impressed by the emphases on ?aliveness training,? Clay has since joined Sifu Richardson’s Jeet Kune Do Unlimited Organization as well.

Johnson has been operating American Freestyle Martial Arts Academy in Covington, Virginia since January 1990. According to Johnson, he often gets strange looks when new students enter his school for the first time and realize that he is the instructor. Sometimes receiving criticism, Johnson states, “Don’t ever let anybody tell you that you can’t do something until you try it for yourself!” Johnson goes on to say that he often takes cues on how to conduct himself as an instructor and as a person from Guru Inosanto.

Sijung Bruce Lee has been quoted as saying, ?Training deals not with an object, but with the human spirit and human emotions.?

When asked about future goals, Clay says that he only wants to improve as an instructor: ?When I first started this, I never thought that I could go any higher than associate instructor, but now I want to keep on going”.

References:

Anderson, Kenneth N. (Ed), Mosby’s Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Dictionary, 5th Edition 1998, Mosby, Inc. St. Louis. PP 300

Lee, Bruce, Tao of Jeet Kune Do, 1993 (reprint edition), Ohara Publications, Inc. Santa Clarita, PP 27.

Photos by: Tim Dean

written by Clay Johnson

Hello. My name is Clay Johnson. I was asked by Simo Paula Inosanto to help with the setting up of this page, and I said yes, gladly.

I have Cerebral Palsy. I’ve had it since birth. The Cerebral Palsy I have affects my balance, and the left side of my body slightly. I also don’t have a left ear lobe. All this is a result of being born three months early. Because of my disability, I’ve undergone 30 corrective surgeries from age 6 months to 18 years old. I use a wheelchair to train in, and in order to be more expedient. I can also walk with crutches.

As a child, I didn’t have too many friends, except for adults. When I entered public school in 1967, I was the only disabled person in the school system. I liked school at this time. First grade was fun, and I met a lot of new people, teachers and classmates alike. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Eaton, was very supportive and didn’t treat me any differently than the other kids.

As I said earlier, I have had a lot of surgeries over the years. I underwent two, sometimes three surgeries a year. During my second grade year, I missed a lot of school because of this. I did pass second grade, but because I had missed so much school that year, it was thought I should retake that grade. I didn’t like the idea. First, I was losing the friends I’d had since first grade. Second, I was a kid and didn’t understand, if I passed, why do it over?

In the long run though, it was the right thing to do. This was around the time I started feeling different. I began to get picked on a lot, and called names. The class bullies told me I’d get beat up if I didn’t give them my milk and lunch money. This went on until I got to high school. Even in high school I was picked on and made fun of, but not as much. I didn’t go out, or go on dates then.

When I was in 10th grade, I took Driver’s Ed, like everyone else and passed it, but the school didn’t have a car at the time with hand controls in it. The only reason I can drive today is that my mom made them get hand controls put on the car when I was 18, so I could do the behind-the-wheel part of Driver’s Ed and finish it, and get my driver’s permit. The school system learned not to make my mom mad!

My interest in martial arts began when I was ten years old, but because of my inability to kick, I was not accepted at the local martial arts school that was in our area at that time. Ten years later, when I was in college, my interest in martial arts was rekindled because I was taking administration of justice courses. I thought that having some martial arts experience would be beneficial to being in law enforcement. At that time, I found a local Tae Kwon Do instructor named Jimmy Mays. I trained with Mr. Mays for approximately one year, at which time, he was involved in a traffic accident that left him unable to teach for a long time.
After searching for quite some time for a school that might be willing to teach a person in a wheelchair, I found a teacher who took a chance on me. In 1983, at the age of 22, I started training in American Freestyle Karate under Eddie Thomas of Salem, Virginia. I travelled to Salem once or twice a week to train with Mr. Thomas. When I started to train under him, I was very shy about being in public. Eddie noticed this, and eventually had me doing demos and competing in tournaments, and it was great fun. I got to meet new people. Once again, I was the only disabled person competing at that time, and there were no handicap divisions in these tournaments, so I competed with other able-bodied people. Sometimes I did well, and placed. Other times, I didn’t. Every once in awhile, I would hear that some guys I was competing against complained that I should have my own division, because I guess they thought the judges felt sorry for me and gave me a trophy. That would make me mad, and I would put my anger into my kata, or form, and end up beating them sometimes, not often, but sometimes. I would smile to myself and think, See, I’m as good as you are. As a result, I gained a lot of respect from the other competitors and black belt judges.

In 1986, I was named Karate Review’s Man of the Year. “Karate Review” is a Richmond, Virginia based magazine. I thank Mr. Thomas because he took the time to train me during countless hours of working on forms and sparring. I love sparring and lots of punching, and though I can’t kick, I took the time to learn kicking skills. After 5 years, I received my first-degree black belt on October 29, 1988, and received my second-degree black belt 3 years later on October 26, 1991.

On March 1, 1987, Mr. Thomas opened the Clifton Forge branch of American Freestyle Karate. This started my martial arts teaching career. I was Mr. Thomas’ assistant instructor and school manager for 3 years, and I did this on a voluntary basis, just to learn how to teach and run a school. Unfortunately, since Clifton Forge is such a small town, the school closed on December 31, 1989.

After receiving my black belt in 1988, I became interested in learning something new, and after searching, I heard from a friend that Sifu/Guro Dan Inosanto gave seminars in the Charlotte, North Carolina area once a year. So on April 1, 1989, I attended my first seminar with Guro Inosanto. I was very pleased that Guro Inosanto and Simo Paula Inosanto took the time to help me with several techniques, even getting a chair and seeing how a technique might work from a seated position. After the seminar, my passion became the study of Filipino martial arts and Lee Jun Fan gung fu/jeet kune do concepts. The reason I really liked the Filipino martial arts was that the use of weaponry gave me reach and better coordination on my left side. After the seminar was over, I remember Eddie telling me to have Guro Dan sign my copy of his book, The Filipino Martial Arts. I said, “No, way! He’s a living legend.” But I did go up, and he signed it for me. He told me to keep working out hard and he hoped to see me again.

At that same seminar, Simo Paula gave me a business card for the Inosanto Academy. I called Simo Paula every once in awhile to check on upcoming seminars in the area, and to ask her questions. I know I must have bugged her to death! I did ask her one time if she or Guro had trained anyone in a wheelchair besides me, at the Academy. I told her I was interested in maybe becoming an instructor under Guro Dan one day. She told me that I could do it if I worked hard. It could take years, but keep training. At other seminars, Simo Paula always encouraged me to try new things that I hadn’t done before, like shoot wrestling, Silat, and training on ground that I didn’t really like, but I train in it more now.

Also, in October of 1989, I attended a Thai boxing seminar in Charlotte, North Carolina, taught by Adjarn Chai Sirisute. I did not go to the seminar to train, but just to watch. Adjarn Chai informed me that I would be training. I did, and I really enjoyed it. As a result, I started training in Thai boxing along with the Filipino martial arts/Jun Fan gung fu/jeet kune do concepts.

After I completed these seminars, I started training with Guro Rob Kelly from Charlotte, North Carolina in January of 1990. Once a month, I travelled to Charlotte and trained with Guro Rob. The reason I only trained once a month was because Charlotte is 4 hours away from my home. My training with Guro Rob was very different that what I had done in karate, not better or worse, just different. Where Mr. Thomas was very flamboyant, Guro Kelly was laid back. From Rob and his training partner, Doug Braffford, I learned how to handle myself better in a real fight. I used different types of weapons, single stick or sword or double stick or double sword, single knife and double knife and stick and dagger, along with boxing and trapping and joint-locking skills. I love medium-contact boxing and full-contact stick sparring with gear on. It is so cool! Being an instructor in karate, I asked Guro Kelly if it would be possible for a disabled person to become an instructor in the arts that Guro Inosanto taught. He said yes, but it might take several years of training. I trained with Guro Rob from 1990 to 1996, at which time, he went to school to become a nurse, and he did not have the time to train me anymore. To me, he is still one of my teachers, and so is Doug Brafford. I owe them a lot.

Also in 1990, I started working out with Chip Reves from Radford, Virginia. We would get together once a week to train, and we would also go to seminars together. Today, Chip and I still get together to train every few months and travel to seminars. Chip is one of my best friends.

So, I decided to give it a try, and after several years of training in these arts, I received instructorships in them. They are as follows:

* Second-degree black belt in American Freestyle Karate
* Apprentice Instructor in Filipino Martial Arts and Jun Fan Gung Fu from July 1995 to July 2001
* Apprentice Instructor in Muay Thai, Thai Boxing (1993)
* Associate Instructor, Filipino Martial Arts (2001)
* Associate Instructor, Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do Concepts (2001)
* Senior Associate Instructor, Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do Concepts (2007)
* Senior Associate Instructor, Filipino Martial Arts (2007)
* I am the first physically disabled person to be certified under Sifu/Guro
* Dan Inosanto and Ajarn Chai Sirisute in their respective arts.

Currently, I have my own American Freestyle Martial Arts Academy in Covington, Virginia. I have helped several students to achieve black belts in American freestyle karate. I have trained several of my students in what I call my multi-arts curriculum. My goal with this page is to help other disabled people become interested in the martial arts, and help the ones who are already involved in the martial arts to become better.

If anyone would like to contact me with comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at cj1592@ntelos.net.

I would like to thank the people who helped me get to this point:
My parents
My girlfriend, Kimlee Reid
My teachers: Guro Dan Inosanto, Ajarn Chai Sirisute, Eddie Thomas, Rob Kelly, Doug Brafford
Future contributions will be added by: Glen Leonard, Ken Chun, Joe Singleton.
And a special thanks to Guro/Sifu Dan Inosanto and Adjarn Chai Sirisute. Also to Simo Paula Inosanto. Without her support and encouragement over the years, I would not be doing this web page.