Japan Karate Association in Armenia starts the project “You can defend yourself”, the goal of which is to enable people with disabilities also be engaged in martial arts and take part in the republican and international competitions. Within the frameworks of the project there will be organized a unique flash mob to which famous people will join.Today during the meeting with the journalists said the chief trainer of Japan Karate Association in Armenia Sevak Hakobyan. He emphasizes that this project will enable to break the stereotypes in our society that people with limited mobility cannot lead an active way of life, go in for sports and realize themselves. “It is possible to go in for sports even in case of scarce mobility”, assures S. Hakobyan, “the experience shows that there doesn’t origin any kind of a problem: people can attack and defend themselves sitting on weelchairs”.
The launch of the project is envisaged on February 20. “After the formation of the team everything should be adapted to them, the distance from their houses too. We have already solved the issues concerning their clothes and bags and now we wait for the regulation of the issues concerning the transportation”, said S. Hakobyan. He informed that the offer launched a week ago and they had received almost twenty calls. S. Hakobyan finds it difficult to answer how many people will join them by the end of the offer.
The NGO “Unison” has also joined the project, which will provide consultancy on how to make the environment more comfortable and available for the people with disabilities. “The biggest problem that we have is our mentality. These are the stereotypes that hinder from going ahead”, says the president of the NGO “Unison” Armen Alaverdyan. “At first glance you wonder what connection karate and a person with disabilities can have, but the international experience shows that they have a very direct connection. We organize beauty contests, hundreds of people with disabilities work in different organizations and so on. Parents cannot be with their children forever, and life shows that the children succeed most, which are active in all the spheres. People came to us and they even couldn’t say what they liked, what they wanted and now they already work”.
One of the first participants of the project Manik Gevorgyan is 15 years old. She says that she has never thought of being engaged in karate: “I will participate in the project with great pleasure and will try to reach the best results. Not only the participation, but also the victory is important for me”, said M. Gevorgyan and advised other people with disabilities also to take part in the project. “We do not differ from other people’, she underlined.
Siranush Hayrapetyan
http://www.aravot.am/2015/02/12/541695/から取られた材料
translated from Armenian into English by M.Vardanyan