I would expect improvement in proprioception to be noticable, perhaps even substantial, unless there is a severe limiting neurological or spinal pathology.
Proprioception is very, very 'trainable'.
Practicing with severe hypermobility is another matter. I can ask HQ for formal guidance but it may well be 'No'.
Mild-to-moderate hypermobility, the advice will probably be to work within the framework of relationship with a physiotherapist: the exercises of an Aikido class extend your range of movement in parallel with strengthening and stabilising your joints.
The exercises we use to strengthen and stabilise are effective for most of the general population, but not good enough for people with hypermobility. We would need a student to work with a qualified physiotherapist, to confirm that their joint stability is improving during the time they are practicing; and to advise on whether each exercise was safe, or best deferred until specific improvements in stability are measured, or vetoed altogether.
I would stress that this is a personal opinion: our insurers could say no; or impose additional requirements for both the practice itself, and the monitoring, that make it effectively impossible to teach that student.
And anyway, it's not my decision to make!
Ask anyway. We can and do both teach and grade students who require a modified syllabus that excludes exercises that they cannot or should not do. I say 'modified', rather than 'limited', because we look to bring them up to the overall standard of our kyu and Dan grades by strengthening the abilities and exercises that you *can* practice.
no subject
Proprioception is very, very 'trainable'.
Practicing with severe hypermobility is another matter. I can ask HQ for formal guidance but it may well be 'No'.
Mild-to-moderate hypermobility, the advice will probably be to work within the framework of relationship with a physiotherapist: the exercises of an Aikido class extend your range of movement in parallel with strengthening and stabilising your joints.
The exercises we use to strengthen and stabilise are effective for most of the general population, but not good enough for people with hypermobility. We would need a student to work with a qualified physiotherapist, to confirm that their joint stability is improving during the time they are practicing; and to advise on whether each exercise was safe, or best deferred until specific improvements in stability are measured, or vetoed altogether.
I would stress that this is a personal opinion: our insurers could say no; or impose additional requirements for both the practice itself, and the monitoring, that make it effectively impossible to teach that student.
And anyway, it's not my decision to make!
Ask anyway. We can and do both teach and grade students who require a modified syllabus that excludes exercises that they cannot or should not do. I say 'modified', rather than 'limited', because we look to bring them up to the overall standard of our kyu and Dan grades by strengthening the abilities and exercises that you *can* practice.