Working with older adults

[KatieJo]

I am needing advice on how to work with a new student, who happens to be an older adult with disablilties.  He finds it difficult, but not impossible to kneel for the beginning and end of class. If he were a student in your school what postures(sitting, standing, kneeling) would you find acceptable?

I appreciate any advice.
Thank you,
Kathy

[NickS]

Have him"guard the doors"  in standing position or horse stance facing an entry door. Sitting displays the least respect, in my opinion.

[envisiontj]

I have a student with VERY bad knees.  On the days that she can kneel, she does so, but when she can't, then she can't - that is life.  I look at the practicality before the "tradition".  Respect, etc can still be instilled in many ways without making training/class detrimental to a student.

[Rick Kingi]

  I have had my school now for 33 years and have had all students that have learning disablities, bad knees,bad backs and so on, but I treat each one with respect and only ask them to do what they are able we can't force them,  the rest of the students should  understand there disablities. don't lose them for what they can't do you can make a big differents in their life..
Much Respect
GM Rick Kingi

[kevin m smith]

am a 52 yr old male with  dejenitive disk dease,in my opinoin standing would be the best option.find the streanths in the student not there weaknesses.people in wheel chairs,can get a black belt,and there just as good as someone with good legs.work around the problem,with every problem there is a solution.

[envisiontj]

Yes Kevin, you are very right.  Find the strengths.

This past week has been an extra good example of practicality before protocol/rules/traditions.  My older student with the bad knees still has to stand to do her belt sometimes.  I have a student in kids class with a cast on a fractured wrist that requires help in tying his belt.  I broke my foot on Tuesday, and cannot kneel to do my belt at the moment either.  This is life.  Our goal as instructors is help improve our student's lives.  Every student has their own challenges and own strengths.  The sooner we can recognize those and utilize that knowledge, the better the training will be for them.  Spirit, Mind and Body - we are to be developing all of those.  At times, we need to put one aside and work on the others for the moment.

[kfarny]

Just train. Then when you are done training.............just train.

Congratulations to those who push through those difficulties. It is easy to stop do to injury, (temporary or chronic). I often wonder how I would fare, faced with something like that. Perhaps not as well as these folks.
My instructor asked me what I thought my best skill/quality was. I told him it was persistence. That's all I have. I'm not fast, I'm not young, and it takes me much repetition to remember things. I just keep showing up to train..........but then again, I have never been faced with those kinds of obstacles.

[KatieJo]

Thank you to everyone who has replied.
I've realized that we all come with "disablilities". Some may be physical(acute or chronic) and others may be a fear of some type(ie. monkey rolls, falling, sparring), and that many times in our "weaknesses" we find strengths that we never knew we had.

Respectfully,
Kathy

[kevin m smith]

Thank you folks,for your feedback.I feel student ,teacher relationships are a must! get to know your student.has he or she ever been bullyed,hit as a small child,made to fight,ect.am from the old school,dont cry,ill give you something to cry about!.I went into a shell,i never want to hurt someone.thats why i feel its good to have a sit down with your student,before thay leave and dont come back.I once heard,bring the body,the mind will follow.This Kajukenbo cafe is a great tool,for all of us ,to let each other,know how to become better teachers,while still being students ourselfs.

[Gints Klimanis]

I'd rather respect the privacy of the student and let them volunteer information on their own time as personal details are rarely disclosed to a new, not-yet-trusted source.   The result is an inadequate interview.  Though, I've polled for injuries before workouts or classes and usually alter the workout to accommodate them.

[Greg Hoyt]

I agree Sifu Gints.  It takes time to build up a training relationship.  Until one is in place I watch closely, observe, and slowly ask questions.  We have a place on our waiver that asks about physical limitations, and that's a good place to start.