Stop Bullies With Martial Arts

 

Bullies at school are a concern for parents and children alike. Unchecked bullying can lead to deeper problems for children, and affect them long into adulthood. At Dark Horse, we take bullying very seriously.  Our goal is to end bullying involving our students. 

 

What is bullying?

Bullying is the repeated physical, verbal, emotional or mental harassment of an individual perceived as weaker.

 

Bullying is the use of superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what the bully wants. It is repeated social behavior where one person or a group: makes threats, spreads rumours, uses exclusion, or verbally or physically assaults/harrasses an individual.  We recognize bullying as the REPEATED imbalance of power where one person uses their power (be that physical size, strength, popularity or sensitive personal information) to control, manipulate and cause harm to another person. The key for an instance to be truly considered a bully is “REPETITION”. 

 

Martial arts provides training, tips and tools to help your child deter and prevent bullying. It  gives kids the means to deal with bullying problems through effective instruction and through proper techniques. Our martial arts classes in Longmont keep children safe while teaching them proper techniques and strategies to address any situation they may face. 

 

We must understand what a bully is and why another person may resort to bullying. Having a clear understanding of what bullying is allows your child to assess whether the situation falls into a “bullying” situation or just someone being bad. After that they will be able to resolve the issue by using the tools they are taught. 

 

What bullies do:

Bullying can be insidious and never reach the physical level. Bullying can occur via text on a cell phone, through email, through social media, during passing periods in school, in classes, in the cafeteria or even in a public place. It can happen anywhere to anyone at anytime! 

 

Many of us have grown up in a culture which taught and insisted that “sticks and stones can break my bones but words cannot hurt me”. Regretfully research shows that psychological harassment and abuse is also equally or in some cases more damaging than physical abuse. Social media has opened a completely new medium where children can be harassed and bullied. Here are some great ways you as a parent can help. 

 

How to Deal with Bullies

There are a range of opinions regarding how to deal with bullies. While each has its own merit, we will focus on the options we think best here at Dark Horse Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. At Dark Horse Jiu Jitsu, we teach your child five rules of engagement which empower them with the most effective ways to handle a bullying scenario. These rules work in order of escalation so your child can deter and diffuse most situations before they begin. Having the tools to be confident prevents bullying from taking place. By practicing verbal and physical engagements, kids improve their abilities in identifying and dealing with a bully. 

 

We teach kids what bullying is, to identify why someone acts as a bully, and how to use verbal communication to shut down the incident before it can escalate. We will instruct them how to insure they have done everything in their power to avoid a physical altercation. Dark Horse will teach your child to use verbal techniques, and to first and foremost, “Avoid the fight at all cost.” Along with the verbal techniques that are covered, it is important for children to have the backbone of martial arts for the worst case scenario. They will learn confidence through physical training in Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) techniques which will allow them to deal with a physical altercation if they are forced to. Brazilian jiu jitsu will also help develop their perseverance, resolution and toughness. 

 

We teach effective techniques to deal with an incident if it becomes physical. Our jiu jitsu training is focused on learning how to deal with larger or more skilled aggressors through use of leverage, position and submissions which take away an attacker’s primary weapons, fists and feet. While we stand by our first rule of engagement, “avoid the fight at all cost” we also firmly believe that “It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener at war.”

 

We have a great staff of coaches who are always available for one on one chats. We encourage all of our students to seek out coaches if they are experiencing a situation which may be bullying, whether they feel like they need help or not.

 

How Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Teaches Kids to Prevent Bullying

Through weekly training in jiu jitsu, your child develops self confidence as they master the physical techniques. They are inspired by their success on the mats. Success helps build self esteem and confidence. Bullies are typically cowards and insecure. Like predators in the animal kingdom, they will generally look for the weaker prey. Jiu jitsu teaches kids how to handle fear in a safe environment, giving them a place to practice and improve their confidence. This is usually  enough to deter a bully. Jiu jitsu helps the insecure, showing them a road to confidence and respect for themselves and others. 

 

Not only does training martial arts stop bullying by growing confidence, it also teaches kids to not be bullies. One motto you will hear around any Jiu Jitsu gym is “Leave your ego at the door”. Martial arts trains your child to be confident yet humble. We look for a balance between the two. By focusing on this balance, jiu jitsu gives kids a foundation to develop empathy within themselves which can assist in redirecting them away from bullying behaviour . 

 

We all have differences, which make us unique and diverse. On the mats we must adapt to these qualities. The mat is the equalizer. Size, culture, religion, economics, skin tone or gender, jiu jitsu teaches to remove these thoughts and just focus on getting better. With acceptance, bonds of friendship are formed. Jiu jitsu teaches empathy so students are more likely to befriend the new person or stick up for those who cannot. 

 

At Dark Horse, we spend some time every day discussing why it is important to be a “true martial artist.” Your child will be taught problem solving skills in our mat chats and through training. Jiu jitsu is as much a mental game as it is physical. We engage your child in daily discussions, giving them a non judgemental platform to think and articulate their thoughts and ideas. The physical portion of jiu jitsu is also a very cognitive process. Some moves are complex and must be visualized in the head as well as practiced on the mats. Jiu jitsu is a physical chess game, with moves and counters which have to be processed and connected mentally. 

 

Parents Role

We encourage parents to be actively connected and involved with their children at Dark Horse. Through our monthly email correspondence and home work from mat chats we foster a healthy parent child relationship. We give your child tools and concepts to help them stay engaged with you and give you common ground for meaningful and even thought provocting dialog. You are the single most influential person in your child’s life. We honor this by giving you a connection to your child through jiu jitsu. 

 

The Best Martial Arts Longmont Has
We take bullying seriously at Dark Horse. Is your child being bullied? Do not hesitate to set up an appointment with Professor Andrew to map out a course of action for you and your child. We take your child’s safety seriously, and teach the best martial arts Longmont has to offer. Do you know of someone who is having challenges because of bullying? Are they being Bullied? Are they the bully? We can help both. Do not hesitate to recommend Dark Horse to friends, family, acquaintances. Anyone you know who is involved in a bullying situation. We can help!