For most parents and kids, back to school time should be filled with excitement. New teachers, higher grade, new clothes and shoes, cool new school gadgets and the chance to make new friends are all things to look forward to. However, for kids that fall victim to bullying, the start of a new school year brings more feelings of anxiety and fear over joy and excitement.
If your child has been bullied, or you fear that they may encounter one, you have a specific set of problems to deal with, and you have many options as well. As a martial arts instructor, I feel like one of the best ways to prevent bullying is by instilling self-confidence in your children. No matter their age, martial arts is a great way to gift your child with boatloads of self-confidence.
First though, regardless of the option you choose you should openly communicate with your child about any bullying incident that may have occurred. You want to make sure your child is comfortable talking to you about these things. This way you can fully understand what happened. Be a good listener and ask them open ended questions to avoid “yes or no” answers. If you have your own personal story to share with your kid about bullying, tell them and give them an example of how you overcame it. This will build a relatable experience and make it easier for your child to talk to you about being bullied, or witnessing an incident.
How Martial Arts Helps
Role Playing – One of the great ways martial arts can help your child with bullying is by role-playing real life scenarios. With our Junior Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai programs, your child will learn how to deal with stressful confrontations and various self-defense scenarios. After enough practice, he or she will be able to instantaneously recall their training and respond appropriately.
When you are at home, role-play some bullying scenarios with your child. Think of it as confrontation practice. If/when they find themselves in a difficult situation, he or she will have more self-confidence and be better prepared to handle it.
Top Level Training – Having your child train, and develop their martial arts skills at Gracie Raleigh will provide them with some of the best instructors in North Carolina. We do not promote the use of violence, but will teach your child how to defend themselves, if need be. We believe the best offense is prevention first, but sometimes having specific knowledge and training will allow a person to move more instinctively and confidently when threatened.
Besides, learning self-defense skills can be fun, and useful for the entire family. When everyone in the household gets involved, the entire family can even bond more as a unit. The life lessons and skills learned while training at Gracie will increase confidence levels in students of any age.
Never take a bullying situation lightly. Be a proactive parent and prepare and educate your children on how to deal with these situations.
Kid’s BJJ Is Different from Kid’s Karate in Raleigh
Our Junior Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Program was created so that your child will be armed with a strong set of values, solid personal character, and great self defense skills. Our kid-friendly 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. At Gracie Raleigh, we provide a safe and nurturing environment where your child will experience real team building exercises, cooperation and learn how to respect others. They’ll also learn other positive core values such as focus, discipline, persistence, and dedication. Please give us a call today to learn more.