Dyslexia and Martial Arts

Did you know that I was dyslexic? There are many aspects of dyslexia and each person will exhibit different symptoms. The most common that you hear about is the difficulty in reading but there are many other aspects to it as well. One of mine is math. I have always had difficulty with math. The greatest software invention ever was Microsoft’s Excel. It allowed me to see math computations visually. Spelling and grammar is another weakness. I will often write something several times before I think it is correct. Dictionary.com is definitely one of my favorite websites as well as spell checkers due to my inability to spell.

However, one negative that is visual in martial arts is my lack of sense of direction. The joke in my house is that Mom would get lost in a square box. Although, it sounds funny, it is actually true. I have no sense of direction at all. I was never a cheer leader in high school because I could not learn the sequences of moves fast enough to keep up.

If you watch me in class you will often see me wiggle my fingers on my left hand. This is my way of determining which hand, foot, or direction is left. Learning the forms has been a huge challenge for me. Not only am I remembering a sequence of movements, I also have to remember which direction to turn and which hand or foot to use. Many times I get the left and right confused. My kids laugh at me when I jump up and down in frustration at myself.

I have learned that I have to learn a few steps at a time. I repeat those couple of steps until I have it memorized then add one or two more. I continue repeating the steps from the beginning and slowly adding until I have all of them. The interesting thing in learning form 2 was, because I wasn’t still practicing form 1, I forgot it. Now, that I’m learning form 3, I have realized that I must practice form 1 and 2 while learning it so that I don’t forget them. Thankfully my kids know them well and they are helping me.

It just takes practice and working on it outside of class. If you need someone to help you outside of class, just ask someone. Everyone in class that I have asked to help me has been very happy to and I know they will be for you as well.

Another aspect of dyslexia that affects me is coordination. I was the kid that tripped over my own two feet. The first time I ever rode a bicycle I literally ran into a tree. I could not get my hands and feet to work at the same time. Martial arts is actually helping me with this. However, right now I have to mentally focus on the small details of remembering my foot placement, posture, keeping my hands up and my elbows in with everything that we do. I hope eventually that I will have the muscle memory so that I can think of the big picture of what we are doing rather than the exact detail. This will allow me to think of combinations the way Soke tells us to in the intermediate level.

I’m not there yet, but I am practicing. It takes extra practice for me to get this but I think it’s worth it.

So, if you think that you are clumsy or could never do this, let me encourage you to try. You can do it too. For some people it may take a little extra work but desire is key. Sifu Allen told me that 90% of learning anything new is having the desire to learn it. 10% is actually doing it.

I’m proving this to be true. You will often hear me say if I can do it anyone can do it. Now you know why!

If you would like more information about dyslexia there are several websites with great information. Two of my favorites are:

http://www.dyslexiamylife.org
http://www.allkindsofminds.org


One of my favorites quotes:

I have to do it differently, the way that works best for me. Learning is like a tailored suit; it takes a while and is unique to everyone.- Girard j. Sagmiller

It's all about Posture

I've learned a great deal about posture recently. I've had problems with pinched nerves in my shoulders, first my left and then my right, since before the last belt test. So, I finally broke down and went to my chiropractor. He took an x-ray of my neck that shows that it does not curve the way it is suppose to. It is perfectly straight. As a result, I tend to roll my shoulders and head forward. I am now working really hard to remember to stand up straight (just like Mom said) and keep my shoulders back. If you see me in class and I'm not standing up straight, please remind me! I need all the help I can get to prevent this from getting worse.

But, I want to explain what I have learned from this. Have you ever seen a martial artist who has bad posture? Think about it. Visualize all of the martial artists you have seen in our class and in the movies etc. How did their posture look? Great, right? Guess what happens if you have bad posture. You also will have trouble with balance and if you have balance problems it affects everything else! All of your kicks and punches will be off and you will look like a weeble wobble. Posture is key to good balance.


Posture has a profound effect on breathing, if muscles and bones are compressed a certain amount of restriction has to be expected. It also creates neck strain, pinched nerves, arthritis, and can degenerate your disc's.

Are you wondering about your posture? How can you tell if you have good posture? Stand with your back to a wall. If your shoulders, bottom and back of head are all touching the wall, then your posture is correct.

Otherwise, you have some work to do. Here are a few tips:

Good Posture Tips While Sitting

Keep both feet flat on the floor (if your feet cannot reach the floor, adjust the chair or use a footrest)

Align your back with the back of the chair

Don't slouch or lean forward

Adjust the chair so your knees are even with your hips, or slightly higher, and your arms are at a 75-90 degree angle at the elbows

Keep your shoulders straight

Choose an ergonomic office chair with good back support

Get up often and stretch

Good Posture Tips While Standing

Keep your weight on the balls of your feet, not your heels

Let your arms hang naturally by your side

Keep feet about shoulder-width apart

Don't lock your knees

Keep your head level and in line with your neck and spine, not pushed forward

Keep your shoulders upright and stand up straight


An upright posture conveys confidence and self-esteem. What does your posture say about you?

My smack talker

My 14 year old son was talking smack to me all day long. Our Sensi had told us to bring our sparring gear to class tonight because we were going to spar. So, my 5’8” son decided he was going to ruffle my feathers. He told me he was going to beat up on me in class. I just laughed at him and told him to, “bring it on big boy”! We had big fun teasing one another all afternoon.

So, we are in class with all of our protective gear on and I’m face to face with this teenager who has been taking classes for 4 years. I have to admit I was intimidated more than once in class. The smack talker is at an intermediate level and is still learning to control his punches. Not only that, he is very powerful and fast. But, I am competitive (this has been a new revelation to me) and I wasn’t going to let this boy know it. Anyway, we had great fun trading punches and I feel like I almost gave as good as I got. Yes, he certainly landed more kicks and punches than I did but, I got a few in of my own.

Of course, when faced with my second son I thought it was going to be easier. Ha! He moves so fast with his punches I ended up closing my eyes and flinching, as I tried desperately to block what he was throwing at me. He just grins that big grin at me while he’s continually landing punches.

My two girls did well too. They are much younger and have the techniques down but have yet to gain a great deal of power. Both were hurt at different times and had to sit out for a few minutes, but neither gave up and they both continued sparing as the class continued. They are only 10 and 7 and took a few hard licks. They reminded me of the energizer bunny, they took a licking and kept on ticking. Now, don’t get me wrong, both of the girls have earned the right to be in the intermediate class and want to be there. My 10 year old is actually a higher belt than I am. However, their brothers are always very gentle with them and I think tonight was a bit of a surprise despite the fact they have sparred competitively, with trophies to show for it. They are just usually sparring with kids their age and not with older kids and adults. But, I’m proud to say they held their own.

So, as I am yet again nursing bruises, I am smiling thinking of the fun we had tonight. Everyone in class must have thought I was crazy when I laughed at someone who landed a good punch or kick on me. You could hear me laughing throughout the class. So, that tells you how often I got hit. But, if it landed, then I didn’t block! I’m learning.

You must be wondering if I’m getting beat up on and ending up with bruises, why do it? Well, if you are a woman, let me ask you a question. Have you ever walked out of the store late at night and felt uncomfortable? I have often felt nervous if I was out shopping too late, or at Christmas time. But you know what? I haven’t felt that way since I began learning martial arts. I am learning that I CAN defend myself. As a woman, it is truly a feeling of self-empowerment. If I can block most of the punches and kicks thrown at me tonight then in a real situation I can certainly block a few. Not only that, I'm somewhat prepared for how they feel. The statistics on women being attacked is incredibly high today, and I truly believe that all women should learn basic self-defense techniques.

But, if you’re a guy, then you probably understand the competiveness and plain fun of sparring with someone. I didn’t grow up with brothers so this is a very new thing for me.

As I continue to learn, I am realizing even more the importance of my kids growing up and learning how to defend themselves in different situtations. In addition, they are learning how to deal with confrontations and how to difuse things before they get out of hand. Don't you think all kids should learn this. Wouldn't we have less fights in schools or maybe even less shootings? Hmmm, interesting thought.


So, I’m off to bed and hopefully next time I’ll land a few more punches on my smack talking son as I learn better blocking and combinations! Look out baby, Mama is coming after you (grinning a very big grin!).

Momt5