Psychological and Spiritual Factors in Martial Arts Programs for People with Physical Disabilities

The field of psychology has a long history of addressing diversity, but people with physical disabilities remain an overlooked group. Worse, the disabilities usually mentioned in psychology courses are learning disabilities, adding to the stigma that all people with disabilities are mentally impaired. This book contains literature reviews on the psychology of people with physical disabilities, Buddhist mindfulness of body, and the application of mindfulness to martial programs designed for people with disabilities. The author spent two weeks at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Massachusetts, and visited martial arts schools in Maine, Illinois, North Carolina, Nevada, and Ontario. He earned ‘Advanced’ rank in the American Cane System, a Black Belt and instructor’s license in Defense-Ability, and certification in the C.R.I.T.I.C.A.L. Approach™. The book concludes with brief sections on positive psychology and resources for martial artists with physical disabilities.