Help Stop Bullying

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The U.S. Department of Education’s 2005-2009 school safety survey showed that 28 percent of middle and high school students reported being bullied in school.

At Tiger Lee’s World Class Tae Kwon Do, kids are not taught to use violence as a solution to bullying. Tiger Lee’s training is a great way to instill confidence. There is no greater deterrence to bullying than confidence.

Additionally, Tiger Lee’s focus on respect, discipline & self control can affect the bully as well as the victim.

Definition of bullying: Bullying is repeated forms of aggression toward another individual. It can take many forms. There is an imbalance of power where the victim/target cannot defend himself.

Children frequently do not tell anyone they are being bullied. They fear retaliation, embarrassment, or being blamed. It is important that parents (and school personnel) make sure kids feel safe in order for them to be able to perform to the best of their abilities.

Victims of bullying typically do not retaliate

Children targeted by bullies are usually intelligent, sensitive, creative, and have a low propensity to violence.Bullied children often possess a well-developed sense of moral values, and a clear understanding of the need to resolve the conflict verbally. Kids that are bullied will, rightly so, try to use dialogue rather than a physical response.

Unfortunately, children are often never taught how to defend themselves, either verbally or physically. (Yet children will sometimes hear that they need to ‘stand up’ for themselves, without any practical knowledge on how to do so.)

Martial arts classes can help
Children should always be taught how to handle bullies in a verbal manner, and with the help and support of school administrators and parents. A non-violent resolution is always the best outcome and goal of any bullying scenario.

However, it is useful for children to know self defense should a situation ever develop where a physical confrontation cannot be avoided. Martial arts classes will teach children various techniques for blocking, breaking an attacker’s grasp, and other methods to protect themselves from injury.

Some questions to ask when evaluating a martial arts program:Is there a firm philosophy that self defense is to be used only when everything else possible has been done first?
Does the program focus on the ‘how’ rather than the ‘why’? (practical instruction, not scare-tactics)
Are the teachers positive and encouraging? (Good instructors do not make negative remarks or allow others to do so.)
Is there plenty of hands-on practice? Children (and adults) learn more effectively through doing, rather than being shown or told what to do.

Why Tiger Lee’s Tae Kwon Do?
Choosing the right martial arts school is important. The attitude of the school and quality of the instructors make a big difference:

All students at Tiger Lee’s Tae Kwon Do are taught (and consistently reminded) that martial arts are to be used only as a last resort. Children learn (in their very first lesson) to only practice their Tae Kwon Do here at our schools. Self defense should only be used in an emergency.
Our students learn a variety of blocks, take-downs, and methods to disable an opponent that can be applied to any number of threatening situations.
Students are always taught in a positive manner. Instructors focus on what your child is doing right and how they can get even better.
At Tiger Lee’s, children learn by practicing self defense techniques regularly with a partner in a safe, controlled environment.

One of the greatest benefits your child will also gain by learning martial arts at Tiger Lee’s Tae Kwon Do is a higher level of self-confidence. Just having more confidence helps children avoid being bully victims most of the time. Plus, being more confident is a trait that will help your child excel in all areas of life.