This post assumes that the martial way is distinct from the martial arts. The martial way is the means by which one selects the manner and circumstances of their own death. The martial arts can be seen as the explicit means of accomplishing this goal. There are times where the martial arts actually detract from a person's adherence to the martial way by rendering them more likely to engage in conflict, or removing their inhibitions for violence. Those individuals exhibiting ASD and other antisocial tendencies are particularly likely to fit this description.
For the uninitiated, ASD is a behavioral and social disorder characterized by social insensitivity or oversensitivity, insufficient empathy, and abnormal repetitive behaviors and fixations. Much like bipolar disorder and other psychological disorders marked by antisocial tendencies, high functioning ASD sufferers will sometimes self aggrandize their disability rather than accepting its limitations and working to correct them. With respect to the martial arts, this particular tendency can result in destructive behavior patterns and confrontational attitudes toward violence/conflict which guarantee a life characterized by conflict and frustration.
In some ways, ASD drives many sufferers to the martial arts as a means of restoring a psychological sense of safety. ASD sufferers are almost guaranteed to be bullied at some point in their lives, often to the point of painful trauma. This author understands this reality and does not lack empathy for those afflicted. However, this blog holds the position that rather than helping ASD sufferers prevent future bullying, martial arts training can result in more violent responses to future bullying that could be prevented in other, nonviolent ways.
In order for a typically developed person to succeed in martial arts training, they require certain basic skills. These include empathy, physical coordination, and the ability to accept sometimes contradictory and vague instructions. All of these basic capacities are lacking to some extent in ASD individuals. As such, it is not only useless, but dangerous for a person with these deficits to train in a martial arts setting.
Below, this post debunks some popular arguments for the inclusion of ASD individuals in the martial arts.
The Martial Arts Teach Teamwork, Communication, and Cooperation
This very well may be true, depending on the school, however, the students at a dojo do not pay monthly tuition to offer unpaid social sensitivity training to the disabled. They pay to learn the martial arts. A sensei may or may not choose to keep such a student, as the martial arts are not appropriate for everyone. ASD individuals often respond poorly to instruction, slow down class progress, and can even be dangerous during the training of certain techniques which require students to 'tap out' or risk irreversible bodily injury. This author has personally witnessed an ASD student hyperextend the elbows of several students before finally understanding that 'tapping out' means to stop cranking another person's elbow! This is not an appropriate or ethical way to learn social cues! An ASD sufferer should find other, safer outlets for learning social sensitivity than a potentially injurious, deadly art.
The Martial Arts Can Teach ASD Sufferers Confidence to Overcome Bullying
Firstly, most ASD sufferers do not lack confidence and in fact have a tendency to disdain normal people. Self esteem is hardly an issue for the typical ASD sufferer and they have little need for more. Secondly, by teaching a person who already lacks social skills to solve normal social problems with violence, a martial arts school has just taken a technical sociopath and taught them how to best hurt people instead of teaching proper deescalation skills. Most martial arts schools assume that its students already know how to normally interact, and teach for worst case scenarios. An ASD sufferer may risk using the last resort techniques of normal people as typical responses to teasing, exclusion, and frustration, thus increasing their likelihood of conflict with others and reducing their control over the manner of their own death.
The Martial Arts Can Keep ASD Sufferers Active and Physically Healthy
Again, this very well may be true, but why not encourage less dangerous forms of physical exercise? Running, swimming, weight lifting, and yoga replicate or exceed the health benefits of a martial arts class with none of the already described disadvantages.
So, What Should an ASD Sufferer Do Instead?!?
Before an ASD sufferer is ready to train in the martial arts, they must first master control of their anger and fear, gradually practice social engagement, seek to understand social cues by trial and error, criticize their own faults before those of others, and improve their physical fitness. All of these necessary skills can be mastered without ever setting foot in a dojo and will greatly improve one's quality of life. If an ASD individual feels threatened and wishes to defend themselves, they should seek to avoid all contact with those who mean them harm. If conflict is inevitable, pepper spray is a cheap, nondeadly solution to most physical altercations and requires little skill to implement.
The author understands that this post will upset many individuals who fit the ASD or antisocial profile, but urges those affected to consider their own preparedness for a martial arts setting. Work on becoming a less dangerous person before attempting to learn a skill which could unnecessarily injure and kill. ASD sufferers have no business training the martial arts or weapon handling until they have honestly improved their social skills and tendencies to act out aggressively, and teachers have no business offering dangerous techniques to those have not demonstrated proper deescalation skills.
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