“If you feel like there's going to be a hurdle, just give it a go”

When Matt joined a martial arts class three years ago, he knew following the live demonstrations would be a challenge because of his sight loss and considered not going along at all.

But, three years on and he says Brazilian jiu jitsu has helped boost his confidence and enabled him to ask for help - something he has struggled with since he was diagnosed with Stargardt in his childhood.

Matt, 35, said it was his mum that first noticed changes to his sight when he was playing PlayStation in his bedroom, and he couldn't see her when she stood in the darker hallway outside his room. 

He was initially given glasses, but at a later appointment was told he no longer needed them. After another check-up he was referred to Moorfields Eye Hospital.

Remaining independent

“At the time they thought it was macular dystrophy, and then later on down the line, years later, they started to say it was Stargardt's."

As a child he never really understood the impact of his diagnosis.

“I saw what I saw and I didn't really know any different," he said. From an early age, independence became important to him.

“I've never really been reliant on anyone. I just wanted to be more independent. I didn't like asking for any help or anything like that.”

That determination helped him throughout his life, but looking back, he said there's been a downside to refusing support.

“There is things now that I look back at and think maybe if I did ask for help here and there, I might be in a better position.”

Matt said he struggled at school because he could not see the board, but never told anyone.

Even recently, asking for help could feel uncomfortable. In shops, if he couldn't find what he wanted then he would go without, rather than asking a member of staff for help.

“Whereas now I've just changed a bit and I don't even care now," he said.

Finding Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Matt said one of the biggest changes in his confidence came after finding Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

A friend mentioned a jiu-jitsu gym opening near him she he signed up. But, before going along his sight loss nearly stopped him from walking through the door.

“I didn't want to go because I was like, am I even going to see what I've got to do? I was just basically telling myself not to go on the day, but I just ended up forcing myself to go and I haven't looked back since, three years down the line.”

He said he enjoys the high level of concentration Jiu-jitsu requires and described it as “a game of human chess”.

“You've got to be in the moment. You've got to be thinking ahead and trying to solve problems.”

He said much of jiu-jitsu was based on physical contact and awareness.
“The only barrier I could see would be not actually being able to see the demonstration properly. But once you know what you're supposed to do it's all touch-based.”

Helping visually impaired people onto the mat

Matt has now created Rolling Blind BJJ to make Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu accessible to blind and partially sighted people.

He has now delivered sessions for people with sight loss step onto the mats and compete. 

From hiding sight loss to talking about it

For a long time, many of the people Matt trained with didn't realise he was registered blind.

But he decided to make a video on social media, explaining his sight loss as he wanted other people with visual impairments to see what's possible.

"That was my start to try and influence other visually impaired people into being able to take on something, because I didn't think it would be something I could do at the start.”

It was thanks to one of Matt's coaches that he started to be more open about his sight, after he revealed he had prostate cancer.

Talking about his coach, he said: "Just watching him be vulnerable, speak up and be vulnerable about it. This is a guy that beats me up on the jui jitsu floor, but yet he's just vulnerable and, and open.

“So, I felt like that helped me as well. Because obviously where I grew up in South London, you just try and grow up and be tough-skinned and don't need help from anyway.  It was just good to have that."

Having discovered what jiu-jitsu could do for his own confidence, he is now beginning to introduce other visually impaired people to the sport.

“For what it did for me, I just wanted to pass that on to other people and hopefully inspire them to want to continue in it.”

“If I work with people that are visually impaired and get them into learning basic fundamental stuff, it might give them the confidence to then go into their local gym and start going into mainstream sessions because they would already have some sort of understanding on what they need to do.”

He added: “If you feel like there's going to be a hurdle, I'd probably just say to still give it a go.” 

Adapting to parenthood

Matt has also been used to overcoming challenges with sight loss, as he juggles being a father of four.

On the school run, he said he has turned spotting the bus into a competition.
“I play a game with them in the morning for who's gonna spot the bus first, which helps me, but they think it's a game."

He added: "As a parent, you can't even think that you can't do it or you're not able to - you just have to get it done."