Why The American Cane System
In the Beginning There Was a Need
I often wonder how things are invented. The American Cane System is an exciting and fun, way to learn self-defense techniques, while gaining strength, independence and confidence. But I wondered why the American Cane System was created. It is certainly a different kind of martial arts. An active lifestyle and especially martial arts training would seem out of the question for People who suffer leg injuries. How did that change? Eight time martial art champion Mark Shuey while visiting family, heard of a nearby attack on some elderly women. The women must have looked like perfect targets to the muggers. One of the ladies was disabled enough to need a cane for their walk, and all were elderly.
The attackers got away, after delivering injuries to the innocent group out for their walk. The point of frustration to Grand Master Mark Shuey, is one of the women had a cane. She actually held a great weapon of self-defense in her hands, had she known how to use it. Mark Shuey created the American Cane System and Cane Masters to provide canes and training to be used in combat, wellness exercises and self-defense techniques. He developed the program especially to be used by disabled, weak, injured and elderly students. It was his hope to protect many disabled from becoming victims. In reality, it gave them much more.
The program took off. People who once struggled to get around were suddenly gaining independence, strength and flexibility. The cane, once a symbol of weakness, became the weapon of self-defense, hidden in plain sight. Cane Masters provided canes specially designed for combat as well as a medical aid. They are made from American hardwoods and the crook is slightly wider to make it more effective in self-defense. The American Cane system went well, and Grand Master Shuey began to recognize more needs in his followers.
Self-Defense for Disabled Veterans
Veterans seemed especially to be a neglected group. Despite their service to and sacrifices for our country, when they came home with missing or damaged legs, they became invisible to many. It was humiliating. Mark Shuey and his good friend, Thom Forman developed a new program within the American Cane System. They Called it the Warrior Cane Project. Thom and Mark developed a series of techniques that can be executed from a sitting, lying or standing position using a cane. The training and a cane was offered free to US Veterans. Shuey and Forman ask for contributions and or travel expenses to cover the program costs, but the Warrior Cane Project is a nonprofit organization offered strictly for the benefit of veterans. As Forman and Shuey trained more veterans, they began to get more and more feedback. Veterans were experiencing renewed confidence, strength, flexibility and independence. It seems the Warrior Cane Project was doing more than teaching self-defense moves.
Cane Chi as an Aid to Rehabilitation
If the American Cane System could build strength and flexibility in disabled, perhaps it could actually help in rehabilitation. For this project, Grand Master Mark Shuey worked with the help of Dr. John Ruberto, Bruce Vinciguerra and Timothy House. The team customized exercises from classic martial art forms into cane-based exercises. When combined with resistance bands as well as the cane, this series of exercises makes a great physical rehabilitation program. Cane Chi became popular with rehabilitation clinics, and feedback on rehabilitation began coming in. Today, therapists are known to assign exercises with a cane to rebuild muscle strength in arms as well as legs. Mark Shuey Sr. offers sessions in his virtual dojo featuring stretches, balance sets, isometric exercises and resistance band exercises. Each of these exercises are designed to improve your strength, flexibility and overall fitness using a cane.
How You Can Benefit From The American Cane System
Every technique, every exercise, every meditation in the American Cane System is designed to benefit you physically, mentally, emotionally. As an added benefit, it is available to all, especially to those who thought they couldn’t be active anymore. And it is a fun way to regain the mobility you may have lost, or prevent you from losing that mobility.
You can subscribe to the virtual dojo sessions for just a month, a half year, or a full year and enjoy live and recorded training sessions. Train in the privacy of your own home or go to your nearest park to stream the Dojo. The American Cane System covers self-defense techniques and exercises with your cane that help rebuild strength, balance and confidence. Sessions are live Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. PDT / Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. PDT. Try it and experience the ease of technique training and mobility enhancing exercises.