How to Create a Bulletproof Force Field
Bullying is an epidemic among both children and adults. Bullying should not ever be taken lightly. We must all learn how to deal with this serious issue, especially children.
As parents, martial art teachers, caregivers, or community members, we are responsible for providing guidance and advice to the children. What advice can you give your children about bullying? And what guidance do you offer?
Although there is no way for children to be bully-proof, there are important skills, including martial arts training, that can help them reduce the impact of bullies.
1. To build a positive social circle
Connect with caring adults and friends
Social connections are an essential part of happiness.
2. Make the parent/child relationship a priority
Children should feel safe confiding in their parents.
3. Do your best to make as many positive connections as possible
Children should be shown "how to" make friends
Bully-Proof Forces are built on friendships and social skills.
What is Emotional Intelligence (EI)?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and control our emotions and better relate to others.
To a young child, however, emotional intelligence allows children to recognize different emotions, such as sadness, anger, fear, and despair. Being able to recognize emotions and assign them a name helps build confidence. A confident child can better deal with bullying situations.
It can be difficult for a bully to be identified. Bullying behavior is often wrong. We hope to eradicate the bullying epidemic by teaching children how to behave.
Recently, I was made aware of an incident at a local school. It involved one of my younger students in karate and two of her friends. I generally believe that bullying is primarily due to jealousy. However, this particular incident shows just how true I am. Child A (my student in karate and a girl) is attracted to Child B (a man), and they often play together. Child C (a young girl) intervened and encouraged child B not to play with child A. Child A was very angry at Child C and pushed him over.
Before you knew it, there was a lot of fun with several other children participating. Fortunately, no injuries were sustained. However, I spoke with my karate student A and her parents to discover that child C is often very mean and tries to exclude child A from her playground games.
Teaching children problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills is part of emotional intelligence. The children in this example are 7 years old. It is possible that the playground teacher wasn't aware of the situation or that more than one playground teacher was on duty.
Many reports suggest that bullies prey heavily on victims and children they intimidate. It is possible to overcome this by developing an assertive attitude. A child can be assertive and speak up for their beliefs without being aggressive or passive.
My favorite drill in karate class is the "Backoff." "Leave me alone!" drill. The children then create scenarios and role-play them. Then, two steps back with the hand open and the hand up.
This stance provides our students a tactical advantage because their hands are up, elbows tucked, and they have a quasi-fighting/protective stance. This will signal anyone that they are trying to create a boundary and de-escalate situations.
The James Martial Arts Academy kids program helps children cope with bullying and builds confidence.
Have you ever searched for "adult martial arts classes near me?" I encourage everyone to try our free trial classes. I guarantee you will leave that first night with something to protect you.
