Jiu-Jitsu The Anti-Bully

Bullying is a problem. And it goes unchecked for a variety of reasons. The question is what can a parent do? You could walk behind your child every moment of their day to prevent the bullying. But this is more likely exasperate the situation. Kids are often encouraged to run and tell an adult but that does little for a child's self-confidence.

Jiu-Jitsu is a system of self-defense that offers the means for a child to develop the self-confidence to stand up to a bully. Bullies operate from a position of power through intimidation. In the end, they only keep taunting because nobody stood up to them. Eliminating your child's fear of injury through learned techniques and drilling gives them the ability to confidently confront a bully and tell them, "No. Stop."

Of course the preferred outcome is that when confronted the bullying stops. But there is always the case that a bully may retaliate by becoming verbally or physically abusive. Jiu-Jitsu offerers the child the ability to push back, take the bully to the ground, and subdue them without use of violence.

The idea here is to first stand up to the bully by assertively, not aggressively, telling them to stop. Then tell a teacher or adult that the bully will not stop even after you have told them to. The final lesson is, if physically assaulted, to subdue the attacker and take control. This not only stops the attack but it instill more self-confidence in the child.

Check in with Fox Fitness about upcoming anti-bullying classes.