Bully Proof

Why is there an increase in bullying occurring?

For a number of reasons, and today is our first step in making sure of two things. First, that the bullying stops, and second that if a child is ever faced with this type of situation, he or she will know how to react!

When we look at the type of children that tend to be bullies it is very clear that they are children who lack self-confidence. Hence, they take their anger and frustrations out on someone else. This not only happens to children at school, it happens in relationships, work and sports, as well. The reason it happens is because these individuals lack self- control. Every one has a bad day, or goes through a bad stretch in life, but those who have self control, are able to channel their anger. Maybe you are reading this and saying, “I am angry. I am not releasing my frustration on an activity like martial arts. I’m releasing it on my family or friends.” Well, if that is the case then you should be talking to an instructor today about getting involved in one of our programs.

When I first started training in the martial arts, I had a temper. However, I was never a bully towards other people. The arts showed me how to use my self control. It showed me how to count to 10 and take a breath before reacting. There are many people around me who have gained self-control and self-confidence from training in the martial arts, as well. By building a high level of self confidence, one is able to prevent bullying. This is done through individual accomplishments. When a student makes it through Black Belt Testing, it should be a transformation. For me it was a life changing experience. After finishing my test, I knew that I could do anything I wanted. Also, after going through the fighting part of the evaluation, I felt confident in the fact that I could defend myself. I noticed changes in situations or confrontations with others. I was not nervous; I did not get loud, just a cool, calm, and collected approach to resolving the situation.

What are we going to do to prevent this behavior amongst members of the school and the community?

We are offering this Bully Prevention course to help our community take care of these challenges with bullies, in a cool, calm, and collected manner. Self- defense will be a last resort; first we will take a few countable measures that can prevent an altercation. But first, we must start with self-confidence, self-awareness & self acknowledgement; these are some of the most important attribute of defense!

When your children go to high school, unfortunately it is even more difficult. Bullying, peer pressure, and social activities can become major obstacles for them. And one thing that I have noticed is the children who make the martial arts a life long commitment and train from a young age all the way through high school, have far less challenges than children who stop training. The point is that in order to reap the benefits of the martial arts, one must keep active.

Bullying will continue, until we reach a level of self-confidence where bullies will avoid us. There is no quick karate or martial arts move that can stop it. It is a life commitment of confidence, self-control, and self-defense training that can take years to develop. So start now the most important move is taking the first step.