Bullying Wrap up

So, what can we do about this problem, "bullying"

For the community, we are offering a bully prevention seminar. (Sept. 11th) If needed we will continue offering these type of community events. I have also been asked to go into the schools and speak with kids about this.
We will continue to train our students to deal with these challenges with bullies in a cool, calm and collective manner. Physical self defense techniques will be a last resort; first we will take a few countable measures that can prevent an altercation. (these are covered in the seminar) Most important is self confidence....this is the most important attribute of defense.
Once kids get into high school, unfortunately it is even more difficult for them. Bullying, peer pressure and social activities can become major obstacles for them. One thing that I have noticed is that the kids who made martial arts part of their life from age 6 on up to high school have far less challenges than those who never trained or stopped training with us. For example, we had a student who made it to black belt and was active until 8th grade when she stopped coming to classes. After that, I noticed a steady disintigration of her self confidence, focus and drive. My point is, to keep the benefits, you must keep active.
Bullying will continue until we reach a level of confidence where bullies will avoid us. There is no quick martial arts technique or trick that can stop it. It is a life commitment of confidence, self control and self defense training that can take years to develop. But, that commitment is so valuable and can pay off in so many ways.