Real and practical self defence for a person with a disability

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Look at you, the instructor, sitting down for some of the focus mitts work, but in general I would be recommending that you work from a standing position. It is important that you look at the height you hold the mitts. Unlike holding the mitts for someone who is standing, the height you hold it will have to be adapted. Remember that areas we can strike are reduced.

The most important areas are the eyes, throat and the groin. Remember to sit down yourself to get a sense of what these target areas are like for a person sitting in a wheelchair. You will notice that if you get a colleague to stand in front of you the head only becomes a target if they reach down to strike or grab you.
The head does become a target however if the attacker moves in to grab a person using a wheelchair. (See Pictures). You will notice that I am striking in an upwards direction. This simulates the direction of attack at the head if someone is reaching down to grab a person in a wheelchair.

It is interesting if you can get hold of a copy of "Bruce Lee's Fighting Method, Self Defence Techniques" and look at page 118. You will see that Bruce thought about the reality of defending yourself from a sitting position.

Basics and foundations of Wheelchair Jeet Kune Do

Jeet Kune Do Bai Jong “On Guard”

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The Bai-Jong also know as the “on guard”


Bruce Lee designed this stance to provide the most effective use of your striking weapons in Jeet Kune Do.

It provides you with the opportunity to use your longest weapon to the closest target, in our case as wheelchair users this is our hands.

In the two pictures you can see the
similarities between the Bai-jong from a standing position and a sitting position.

Notice that I am facing with my wheelchair slightly angled to facilitate by reach with my lead arm. It also allows me to protect my center line.

Crucially and most important it reduces the chances of an attacker tipping you back out of your wheelchair.

The Bai- Jong is your power base

Four Corner Defense

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Four Corner Defense. The basis of your defense is based on an imaginary line going down your center line and another line going across your body creating four areas know as the “four corners”. Ideally you are defending these four corners with you rear hand. The idea is to parry rather than block moving your hand just enough to

Note: for illustration purposes I am
facing forward. In a real self defense situation I would angle my wheelchair to facilitate me striking with my lead hand.

Bil Jee

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Bil Jee or Lead Finger Jab was one Bruce Lee’s favorite weapons. It is ideal as a weapon for us to use because it does not rely on strength but rather on speed an accuracy. The Bil Jee perfectly illustrates the principle of Jeet Kune Do “the longest weapon to the nearest target. The target in this case being the eyes.

In these two pictures I am showing two variations on Bil Jee. The picture on the left illustrates the spear variation where your fingers are pressed together to form a spear.

The picture on the right shows the fingers more relaxed. This variation of Bil jee is executed as a flick. The idea is to cause pain and create an opening for further strikes.