As we’ve mentioned in a previous post, having your child enrolled in a martial arts program is great for preventing them from being a target of bullying. But what if your child is the bully? Can BJJ, muay thai, or kid’s karate in Raleigh help prevent your child from bullying others? Absolutely!
Martial arts training is great for helping children on both sides of the bullying spectrum. You see, martial arts is more than just learning how to fight. The values and life-lessons that are learned from training in a discipline far transcend the gym. Students learn confidence, discipline, respect, self-control, leadership,and stress relief, as well as self-defense.
Below you’ll find a few ways that martial arts helps children who are bullying others:
Low Self-Esteem and Bullying – From our years of working with children, we have often found that a lot of kids that bully others really have low self-esteem issues. They try to make others feel worse than they do. Some bullies act out just to seek attention; and some just do it because they want others to fear them. Martial arts can change all of that. We build up your child’s confidence and self-esteem so they no longer feel the need to act out. Instead of seeking negative attention, we turn that around and allow them to seek positive attention from their coaches and mentors. Once they are awarded their first belt, things really start to pick up.
Discipline, Structure and Preventing Bullying – Martial arts can help prevent your child from bullying others by providing them with clear and consistent structure and discipline. Our coaches will help them learn the types of behavior that are, and are not acceptable.
Learning How to Respect Others – A lot of bullies do not respect their victims for various reasons, mostly to exert dominance and control. Martial arts will show your child that everyone deserves respect. At Gracie, we work as a family first and team second. No one deserves to ever get mistreated and we instill that in your child.
Learning Self-Control – A lot of bullies act out because they are impulsive and they easily lose their temper. It can be hard at a young age to understand how to properly process strong emotions. Martial arts helps kids become more aware of their surroundings, their thoughts and emotions, and how these affect others. Our training will help them control their negative impulses by giving them a positive outlet instead of reverting back to bullying tendencies.
Stopping Bullying by Developing Leaders – There has been research that reports that some bullies lack empathy and can develop antisocial personality disorder. This condition causes people to disregard the rights and feelings of others. Martial arts can help by giving your child a different outlook on the people around them. We help your child develop teamwork and trust building skills within our big family. As your child advances through the belts, they become mentors to younger students. This helps build leadership skills and compassion for others.
We hope these tips have helped you understand how martial arts can help change your child’s bullying behavior. For more information on how Gracie Raleigh can help, read below.
Kid’s BJJ Is Different from Kid’s Karate in Raleigh
Our Junior Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Program was created so that your son or daughter will be armed with a strong set of values and solid personal character. Our world class instructors will teach them how to persevere through life’s tough goals. This program is specifically for girls and boys ages 6-12, and there is no contract required. We provide a safe and nurturing environment where your child will experience real team building, cooperation and respect. They’ll also learn other positive core values such as focus, discipline, persistence, and dedication. Please give us a call today to learn more.