Adaptive Judo
The Washington DC VA Medical Center’s Adaptive Judo Class participants and instructor perform warm-up exercises before each class.
The Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s Adaptive Judo is helping to improve the lives of Veterans who are blind, have low-vision, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Since 2011, the program has grown to become an award-winning, nationally-recognized Dojo. Most recently, DCVAMC’s Adaptive Judo Kata Team members, Harvey Lee Guary and Christiana Markia Jones earned first place in the Maryland Open Judo Competition.
Adaptive Judo Class participants meet once a week, every Friday, at the medical center as part of their rehabilitation treatment. The sessions are taught by certified judo instructors. Most classes have five to eight men and women Veterans of various ages.
According to Udobi Ikeji, one of the medical center’s blind rehabilitation specialists, judo has been shown to improve the overall quality of Veterans’ lives. "From judo, Veterans learn self-confidence, develop balance, strength, mental alertness and gain sensory coordination of motion and thoughts," said Ikeji.
Veterans with no or low vision or who have PTSD or TBI often lose the ability to interpret the visual cues that support the defense mechanisms that warn us when danger is near. Judo helps overcome this disability.
Ikeji says that with judo, believe it or not, sight is not necessary. "Judo and Adaptive Judo both use the same throws and the same floor and standing techniques." The only difference is at the very start of the match—the students begin by touching shoulders. And, they keep track of each other by following their feet. “It is amazing to watch, it’s a bit like an elaborate dance,” he adds.
If you are a DC-area Veteran and interested in Adaptive Judo Class, speak to your primary health care provider.
