johnnytai

I actually do know a guy who's even a more achieved Martial Artist than my self here in Canada. He is totally deaf, and blind, and that's exactly how he performs in competitive judo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pier_Morten

By listening to the movements they make, feet scraping on ground, clothes moving on their body, the words they speak, and the echo of these sounds. Also quite often I can sense the movement of air on my skin when someone moves around me- that's how I can tell when my cat's came near me before he brushes up against me too :)

Not everyone's wired the same way, or have the background or envirnment to develop the same way. It's like why some abused people grow stronger, some become abusers, some just break. You kinda have to look at disabled people the same way...we're like superheroes in comic books, some can fly, some can heal fast, but we don't all have the same superpower :)

At first, my parents forced me into Martial Arts cause I was small, sickly, blind, half deaf, and ...weak... My father didn't want me to constantly disgrace the family by being easy target. I hated every minute of it until maybe when I was 14, then I realized that I had in me something strong that I could treasure and get better at. That's when I signed up with the Taiwanese Military's Junior bootcamp program- the first ever blind person allowed in the program in Taiwan. No, I did not past the training with flying colors cause I couldn't shoot worth jack, but I past, and from there I went into other Martial Arts, bodybuilding, and other sports full speed. About when i started college, I realized that since I needed to put my self through school, I needed work, so what's better than doing what I enjoy, what I'm good at, and make money? So I started promoting my self as a trainer... About ten years ago, I realized that I have been selfish in just making money with what I can do, I wanted to pass on what I know to blind people, disabled people, low-income people who can't afford training. Thus started the long road of trying to bring Martial Arts/self defense into the disabled community.

Since my goal is self defense, I am a firm believer that the more you know, the more prepared you'll be. That is not to say that you should learn 100 styles and be good at none, but I think by being fanatic about only one art, you are limiting your self- shortchanging your self to alot other good options. I think of Martial Arts as tools in a toolbox...yes you should be able to use a hammer well, but there are times when you'd also need a screwdriver as well.