General Information

On the mat tatami the visually impaired athlete competes and fight as the able bodied does, he does not feel any sense of inferiority, since he knows he is on the same level, therefore he expresses his personality in a better way. He feels totally integrated and realized. Judo does not have to modified nor its nature needs to be changed in order for a disabled to practise it: judo itself adapts with its many faces to the specific needs of the athlete.

There are two ways to walk on the mat tatami: the normal walk shintai and moving rotating tai sabaki.

THE BALANCE

Judo practice among visually impaired people is quite young; some athletes still do not have complete control over their static and dynamic balance, being subject to the unknown which surrounds them.

In order to be structured, balance though needs an underlying security, without which it might otherwise not be reached. Besides sight and self confidence, there are other important factors to its organization:

1. touch through the grip on the kimono one may feel opponent's attack preparation; pressure of the feet on the ground, being judo practiced barefoot;

2. information sense information coming from different parts of the body: avoid, contrast, anticipate, counter attack;

3. resting surface the smaller it is the harder it will be to maintain balance;

4. touching points stability is proportional to their number;

5. center of gravity its height conditions balance's state.