Thanks for posting Scot. What part of the world are you, if I may ask?

Just found this entry, so pardon the late comment.

I’ve studied martial arts for most of my adult life (around 25 years, now): Okinawan Kenpo Karate Kobudo, aikido, capoeira, and some krav maga, as well as iaido, some ko-ryu, and European rapier and broadsword techniques.

Pardon the “Me too!” but I agree with what you and your commenters have been saying: Once you realize that you have the necessary skills to defend yourself against the aggression of others and that you can, if need be, kill to do so, you also come to the realization that you don’t necessarily need to. Other options open up. As one of your commenters said, once you have the skills of a warrior, you can always be merciful.

This is why true warriors are, more often than not, men and women of peace.

I also agree with your assessment of the value of knowing how to fall and roll. That was the most valuable thing I took away from my aikido training, and I have since come away uninjured from some harrowing falls and spills.

And, despite my years of training, I too am merely a mediocre martial artist. I am capable of many things most men my age couldn’t hope to do, but for someone aspiring to the Heroic Path, I am merely adequate.

1) I have never heard of a more pure or noble motivation for martial training than that.

2) No respectable dojo would laugh you out no matter what your starting skill. More and more dojo are open to women, beginners, and even the meekest people. I don’t want to push you at all, but allI can say is I hope you can leap that hurdle and find a teacher that seems right for you. What starts out as an act of devotion to your son will quickly become a passion of your heart,.

My answer is this: no, I absolutely don’t believe disabled persons are unable to be heroes. I think every person living the Heroic Life has to choose what skills they are going to build up and how they will develop themselves. If certain skills are completely off the table then choose other skills. Martial arts help with a wide sphere of activity but there are so many other vital skills as well.

That said, I also recall that the greatest martial arts teachers I’ve seen have worked closely with disabled people. No matter what limitations a body may have, there are still optimal ways to move it within those limits. I’ve seen a one-armed student and a one-legged student both excel at jujutsu. In some cases techniques had to be adjusted, whih took expert guidance, but there are still ways for them to move their body to block, defend, escape, or strike.

I don’t know your unique situation but if you love the idea of martial arts then I would consider asking a variety of teachers what you could do in their system. Some will turn you down, others may just theorize. But there are some true masters out there who can work with you to learn to defend yourself.