Judo in the lives of people with ASD can be beneficial in increasing psychomotor ability, self-esteem, along with promoting healthy behaviors and improving social interaction.
In previous articles we have talked about what sports have an impact on the development and well-being of autistic people. This well-being can be achieved at different life stages, and depending on the individual interests and motivationswe could talk about different sports that can be a good option to consider, from those in early stages to those in the phases of adolescence and adulthood.
On this occasion, in this article we would like to talk about the benefits that the judo practice. Judo is beyond sport, a philosophy of life. Judo or judo is a modern Japanese martial art created by Jigoro Kano in Japan in 1882. The Japanese term can be translated as «flexibility path«, influencing physical, mental and emotional development through practice. The practitioners of this martial art are called “judocas” or “judocas”. With a moral code that includes virtues such as self-control, friendship, prosperity, and mutual respect, this Japanese martial art has become a truly useful sport for all, not only because of its inclusiveness, but also because of the benefits for the health it brings.
In the initiation to judo, with a ludic character, it is a form of discover the body, increase body awareness and preparation for sports practice which requires some technical aspects. As teenagers, their practice will be more technical and discover cultural aspects. As an adult, the judoka will be able to follow the traditional practice, since judo is a sport that balances psychically and mentally.
Physical benefits of judo practice
Practicing judo does not mean participating in a sport that involves fighting or aggressiveness: judo it is not an aggressive sport, since the intention is not to harm the opponent. Judo is a combat sport for individual practice, it is carried out in a delimited and stabilized terrain, in which the only thing that changes is the behavior of the judokas, with the aim of provoke the rival’s imbalance and maintain one’s ownwith attack and defense movements.
In terms of physical factors, all muscles are exercised without exception, which achieves in early stages a harmonious and symmetrical development in muscle and bone formation: it strengthens the bones and increases muscle mass, as well as increasing the elasticity of muscles and tendons. , especially in growing ages. If we go to aspects that can be interesting in ASD, apart from increasing the well-being of the organism in many of the aspects of sports practice, we can highlight these benefits:
- Protects the cerebral cortex through a inhibitory mechanism.
- Regulates the vegetative nervous system, increases tolerance to pain.
- Respiratory system: regulates the rhythm and increases the volume of pulmonary ventilation.
“The practice of judo helps improve gross motor coordination, which is linked to the individual’s body control, such as running, jumping, kicking, going up and down stairs. The profit from these simple actions has a direct impact on the social issue of these children. When we talk about fine motor coordination – picking up a pencil, opening a bottle or even taking a glass of water to drink, actions that seem simple – there is a high degree of difficulty for most ASD children”
Marcos Oliveira, judo teacher in Brazil.
Psychological benefits of judo
Many studies have shown the benefits of practicing judo, especially in hyperactive children, with mental problems or in children and adolescents from dysfunctional families, who present behavior problems both mild and severe, judo being one of the most recommended sports disciplines for these cases. The practice of judo provides a series of psychological benefits how can they be:
- Development of self-esteem at a personal, social (school) and family level.
- Development of self-control skills.
- It favors the expression of affectivity.
- Avoid emotional conflicts.
- Increases self-confidence.
- Development of psychomotricity.
- It favors the perception of oneself, of others and of space. Autistic people may find it difficult to build their own image, the fragmented perception of their body makes bodily phenomena alien and extremely complex.
The evidence of the benefit of judo in the TEA
Of all the scientific literature, we have to highlight this recent study, in which the researchers thought that judo might be a good option because their approach promised to address some of the challenges faced by people with ASD, such as communication difficulties, high levels of anxiety, difficulties with social interaction, and preferences for structured and repetitive activities. Judo promotes social interaction, emphasizes mindfulness, and focuses on balance, strength, and coordination, while alternating between low-, moderate-, and high-intensity exercises.
The University of Central Florida (UCF) study published in December 2019 in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among participants during and beyond the study period and a reduction in time sedentary, although the researchers say the amount was not statistically significant. However, the children in the study were eager to continue judo lessons beyond the scope of the study and the few that did not continue did so due to scheduling or transportation problems rather than lack of interest.
Parents of participating children (ages 8-17) also noted during the 8-week program in weekly 45-minute sessions that their children felt more comfortable with social interaction and physical contact, daily difficulties with which people diagnosed with autism live on a regular basis. The sessions were specially designed for the autistic participants and included general warm-up with light jogging, stretching and somersaults and later judo techniques.
The sessions consisted of a progression of techniques that focused on safety, stability, use of limbs, and visual cues. Individual completion of these exercises gradually transitioned to pair or small group completion as the program progressed, with group interactionsyes Each session concluded with time allotted to practice breathing and mindfulness techniques, including participants reflecting on the activities performed.
“While karate, a form of martial art, has documented benefits for the autistic population related to social interaction, we hypothesized that the emphasis on mindfulness and self-defense that judo promotes would provide additional benefits for youth. with ASD,” says Jeanette Garcia, an assistant professor in the UCF School of Science and Health Professions who led the study.
ConecTEA Foundation and judo
At Fundación ConecTEA we support the practice of sports, it is one of our principles, as we are aware that it represents many benefits, not only in terms of bodily health, but also of the mental balance that it can also bring, as well as the creation of spaces where social interaction and inclusive practices for autistic people can be encouraged, increasing their opportunities for personal development.
For this reason, in our entity we have signed an agreement with CDE Judoma, which understands that the fact that people belong to certain groups sometimes constitutes an obstacle with the immediate consequences that this entails for their level of social inclusion. For this reason, CDE Judoma has decided to support social initiatives promoted by private non-profit entities that develop projects aimed at specific groups, with common needs or problems, as is the case of the ConecTEA Foundation, through the project “JUDO FOR ALL, JUDOMATEA”.
We are very happy to start this collaboration and we hope that initiatives of this type can help many autistic people and their families, to improve their quality of life and therefore that of their families and their circles of life.
You can write to us at info@fundaciónconectea.es in case of any doubt or leave us a comment.
We are #JuntosenelAutism
References
Rivera, P., Renziehausen, J. & Garcia, JM Effects of an 8-week judo program on the behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder: a mixed methods approach. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 51, 734–741 (2020).
Morales J, Fukuda DH, Garcia V, Pierantozzi E, Curto C, Martínez-Ferrer JO, Gómez AM, Carballeira E, Guerra-Balic M. Behavioral improvements in children with autism spectrum disorder after participating in a followed adaptive judo program. of harmful effects during confinement by COVID-19 Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021.
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