Aims

The aims of Disability Martial Arts Jersey are simple. Set up under the stewardship of the Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled, DMAJ exists to encourage the disabled community at large to consider martial arts as a viable leisure activity; to act as a conduit for those Jersey martial arts clubs who wish to offer their arts to the disabled community; to be an information centre for both sets of people, clubs and potential students alike, and to offer, whenever possible training seminars and workshops to Instructors who wish to integrate able bodied and differently abled students.

Story so far

Sensei Nick Pitman, head of the Phoenix (Jersey) School for Therapeutic Arts, was appointed Director of Disability Martial Arts by the Committee of the Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled and had been quietly preparing the ground for the DMAJ.

The Phoenix School now has a dedicated Disabled Class at Fort Regent on a Thursday evening at 6.30pm and already has wheelchair and learning difficulty students.

Over the last twelve months, other Clubs representing Judo, Karate, Freestyle Jujutsu and Tai Chi have expressed an interest in disabled students.

The founding disabled student is Tyrone Nicholson who is keen to preach the message of inclusion in martial arts to those with disabilities and learning difficulties.

After an article featuring Tyrone appeared in the JEP, Jersey Mencap have asked to be linked to the School’s site and we have had interest from disabled students from an island secondary school.

Overseas Affiliations

Sensei Nick Pitman has been in contact, for the last six months, with an Aikido instructor from Norwich who has been blind from birth but is heavily involved with the promotion of disability martial arts in the UK. It is hoped in the near future that he can come to the Island to give a seminar on disability martial arts to interested parties.

Another group who is closely monitoring us is the Disability Martial Arts Association (UK) founded and run by wheelchair karate guy Dave Lee. He is interested in the progress in Jersey and we will remain linked to his group, which is a UK registered Charity.

Sensei Nick will be travelling to Eire in January to teach for the Aikido Organisation of Ireland after an invite from Sensei Simone Chierchini, on a truly international stage with Jersey, Ireland, Italy and France represented. Students from the Irish organization assist with teaching to visually impaired students.

Contact

If you are interested in martial arts for the disabled, whether as a student, carer, Club or Instructor you can contact Nick Pitman on 07797713370 or nickpitman@localdial.com