Self-Defence Lessons for ASD

At Arakan Martial Art®, we provide inclusive self-defence training designed to empower children, teens, and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), asperger’s, ADHD, and other neurological or learning differences. Our experienced Instructors are dedicated to creating a safe, supportive, and trusting environment where every student feels understood and respected. Each lesson is personalised to meet the unique needs and goals of the individual, helping them build confidence, focus and
resilience. With patience, care and expertise, we ensure that all students progress at their own pace, developing valuable life skills and self-defence techniques in a welcoming atmosphere. Parents can trust that their children are in capable hands, with a program designed to nurture growth, safety and empowerment.

Arakan Martial Art® is particularly beneficial for individuals with ASD, as research shows that martial arts can improve focus, emotional regulation and social skills.

Training helps:

• Emotional Regulation: Teaches self-control, reducing anxiety, anger and stress.
• Anger Management: Provides tools to channel emotions positively.
• Social Skills: Enhances communication, co-operation and teamwork.
• Stress Relief: Physical activity helps release tension and anxiety.
• Fitness & Resilience: Boosts physical coordination and mental strength.

PERSONALISED APPROACH
Each lesson is customised to the student’s abilities, energy levels and goals. We consider their skill, confidence, and progress to ensure they get the most out of every session.

PROVEN IMPACT
Parents of children with ASD have shared inspiring testimonials about the positive changes they’ve seen - improvements in social interactions, self-confidence, emotional control and focus.

NEUROPLASTICITY
Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new neural connections, plays a key role in how Arakan Martial Art® helps individuals with ASD. Martial arts stimulate the brain, improving cognitive skills, emotional regulation, and executive function over time. Arakan Martial Art® empowers individuals with ASD to build resilience and confidence while developing vital life skills. Join us and discover how we can help unlock your full potential.

At Arakan Martial Art® we incorporate many of the principles required to reorganise our brains, into our training. Dr. Michael Merzenich, a leading pioneer in brain plasticity research and co-founder of Posit Science, says “there are steps people can take to tap into plasticity and reinvigorate that machinery” and that “these circumstances include focused attention, determination, hard work and maintaining overall brain health”.

Here are some principles required that may help reorganise your brain:

• Being switched on: By being alert, focused and ready for action, the brain turns on neurochemicals necessary to reorganise the brain.
• Intense focus: The more intensely focused you are on a task, the greater the change or reorganisation to your brain.
• Practice: The more you practice something, the stronger these connections become and the greater the experience of change.
• Continuous flow: This enables your brain to know what comes next. By strengthening your connections, your brain is able to work seamlessly and not in fragmented pieces.
• Visualisation: It’s just as important to rehearse from memory as it is to make physical changes.
• Memory guides: When practicing a new skill, your brain reorganises and remembers the good attempts and discards the not-so-good attempts. It is therefore important not to focus on the one attempt that was not so good (as this reinforces poor attempts) and focus on the good attempts instead.
• Reducing the ‘noise’: Every time you practice a new skill, your brain reduces the ‘noise’ in your mind. As you strengthen new pathways, you naturally weaken old ones.
• Neuroplasticity goes both ways: It is important to remember these changes go both ways. It’s just as easy to reorganise your brain to reinforce positive changes as it is to reinforce negative ones.

Initial changes in our brains are temporary at first. Our brain determines whether what we are learning is to become a permanent change or not, which is why continual learning is so important. It reinforces the new behaviour, and helps reorganise our brains to program in the changes.

Arakan Martial Art® uses a systematic approach to learning, which follows the above neuroplasticity principles to positively reorganise our brain. One must first be ‘switched on’ and ready to learn. We then give our undivided attention to the moment and have intense focus on what we are about to learn. Each lesson is structured to be experiential and hands-on, so that a new skill set and technique can be practiced. We then practice, practice and practice the new skill until we have successfully
created a new neural pathway.

Arakan Martial Art® is unique in its ability to flow from one continuous movement to another, allowing students to become incredibly adaptable yet unpredictable when protecting themselves on the street. We use visualisation when practicing our skill sets and reinforce good behaviour. Each time we practice a new skill set or technique, we are reorganising a positive pattern and discarding what no longer serves us.

We are here to guide, coach, mentor and teach you Arakan Martial Art®. It is more than just learning kicking and striking - it goes well beyond the physical. Our members gain greater focus, empowerment, discipline, and self-awareness, as well as learn efficient self-protection techniques. All attributes which translate into other areas of our member’s lives.

Brain function by Dr Andrew Bartlett

Dr Bartlett has been an Arakan member for over 15 years, with a special interest in the brain and clinical neuroscience. Dr Bartlett shares his beliefs on the many benefits of training Arakan and how it improves focus, discipline, fitness and wellbeing, as well as being a vital tool for helping us live happier and more confident lives.

“Arakan Martial Art® is a very good system for fi ring up the brain and allowing integration of the various sensory systems to take place. It creates focus and discipline. It works both sides of the body evenly, developing great connection between the two hemispheres of the brain.

Arakan Martial Art® helps develop the vestibular system in a very profound way to help with better integration of brain function and a happier and healthier life.”