Bully Proof Your Child
Bullying has become an epidemic in our country. The effects of bullying can cause psychological problems like insecurities and low self esteem which will also effect their school grades and social activities. According to statistics from the Bureau of Justice, 6 out of 10 teens witness bullying in school once a day. A study from the Journal of Development and Behavioral Pediatrics show that 90% of 3rd - 6th graders get bullied.
In the past, the martial arts were taught as a method of survival and warfare, and, as a by product, students became more confident, focused and self-disciplined individuals. Throughout history, every culture has had a warrior class that rose to the top levels of that culture. They earned their status because they literally had the power of life and death in their hands. They looked at death in the face all the time; and that experience taught them to appreciate life in a much more meaningful way than the average person. Many warrior classes lived by a code of ethics: Chivalry in Europe, Bushido in Japan and Hwarang in Korea, for example.
Our society is not much different than those of the past. You can change the ages of the attacker and the victim and place them in different locations and time peroids, but it’s still person-on-person violence that has occurred throughout time.
A proven therapy that eliminates bullying is a self defense program specifically designed to teach children hand to hand self defense with a non-violent philosophy. With a skilled instructor and a specific curriculum, a child will build his confidence and the bullying will stop.
When a parent enrolls their child in a Karate, TaeKwonDo or Mixed Martial Arts school, they assume that their child will be learning self defense along with the moral values that martial arts teaches. Some schools teach the moral values but have taken away the elements of self defense and now teach the sport aspect of martial arts to compete in tournaments where there are rules and regulations. On the other hand, some schools teach the fighting aspects like Mixed Martial Arts but they seem to lack structure, discipline and moral values. It is OK for adults, but it does not have a children friendly environment.
Before you decide to enroll your child in a school, first ask your self these questions:
Do I want my child to learn self defense or become a tournament champion?
Do I want convenience or a qualified school that is maybe 10 minutes further?
How long has the school been established?
Does the curriculum include only one style or a combination of different styles? To learn self defense, the curriculm should include Brazilian JiuJit-su, Wrestling, Judo, Boxing and any kicking style such as TaeKwonDo, Muay Thai or Karate.
Once you have decided exactly what you want, then have your child participate in an actual class so that you can see the how the instructor teaches and what kind of curriculum is being taught. Now you can shop around and compare the best program.