A child’s helplessness to stand up for themselves against a bully is rooted in fear for their personal well-being. The victim knows that they need to defy the bully in order to make the harassment stop but they are scared. In fact the victim would enjoy nothing more than to stand up for themselves but they can’t because of a paralyzing fear of the physical harm that the bully might unleash. Therein lies the challenge – how do you instill in a victim of bullying with the confidence to face the tormentor, look them in the eye, and back them down? The answer is simple; teach the victims to defend themselves against physical attack and the rest will follow.
Parents are often concerned about their child learning martial arts because they fear their own child will become a bully. While we at Gracie NEPA appreciate this concern that sentiment could not be farther from the truth! Every martial artist will tell you that the best trained students are the least likely to find themselves in a fight. Why? The answer is that the confidence that comes from being able to defend themselves against a physical attack manifests in other areas of life. A trained martial artist exudes confidence in their behavior and body language. Children that exude this confidence are less likely to be targeted because a bully wants a target that is afraid. In addition child martial artists are remarkably less inclined to start a fight because they know they have nothing to prove by doing so.
Beyond this, you as a parent may still have the concern of “Well, I do want my child to stand up for themselves but I don’t want them punching or kicking another child.” Great! We share the same concern. Most martial arts programs rely on striking an attacker with punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. These martial arts that rely on strikes deliver no way to limit the level of violence: “You punch me, and I’ll punch you harder. You push me and I’ll kick you in the face.” There simply isn’t a way to mitigate the violence of a punch or a kick. Essentially, you’re fighting violence with violence.
In the anti bully program at Gracie NEPA, we take a different approach. We want your child to stay the same polite, sweet kid they are; not turn them into a “savage” or an “animal that no one will ever mess with.” All the techniques we teach are 100% defensive and utilize no strikes. Moreover, we teach children how to defuse aggressive confrontations with words and to never instigate violent behavior. We offer techniques to your child to neutralize the bully in a non-violent way and gain control until help from trusted adults arrives. In our curriculum we teach the children how to fight fire with water!
Don’t wait until AFTER the fight to learn Gracie Jiu Jitsu,be prepared BEFORE the fight with Gracie Jiu Jitsu! Click here to begin your personal transformation at Scranton, Pa’s best Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu learning grounds!
About The Author:
Jeff Reese, Gracie Jiu-jitsu black belt, has had the honor of learning from two generations of Gracie family members including Royce, Royler, Rodrigo, Rolker, Ralek, Rener, and Ryron; he teaches at Gracie NEPA in Scranton, PA.
