Whether you have heard of active bullying occurring in your child’s school or your child has had to deal with a bully once before, you may worry whether or not your child will be prepared to make the right decisions if he/she were put in such a high pressure situation.   Childhood bullying can have both short and long term effects even if the bullying has diminished.  Children who experience being bullied usually undergo depression, low self esteem, or decreased confidence.  These effects can also cause a child to do poorly in school or become more anti-social with other students.

While most schools have a no tolerance program for schoolyard fights and bullying; this is only effective when the bullying is brought to a teacher’s or administrator’s attention.  To ensure your child’s safety while he/she is at school, your child must learn the skills to handle and resolve bullying before any physical actions are to occur.  The best way is to enroll your child into a martial arts program.  Studies show that children who take martial arts perform better in school, develop healthier, improved decision-making, and become less likely to be influenced by their peers.

You may wonder, “How will martial arts really help my child when it’s teaching him/her acts of violence?”  Although you may see actors or actresses beating up other characters in action movies or television, this is far from what martial arts is really about.  Mixed martial arts/MMA consists of several styles that have been around for hundreds of years.  These arts are also called ‘disciplines’ for a reason; they promote self discipline as well as control over emotions and the mind.  While there is a variety of types and styles of martial arts, overall, martial arts training is based on non-violence and well-rounded, moral teachings.  Most kids’ activities and sports are centered around fierce competitiveness and solely winning.  However, children in martial arts programs learn not just the sport, but mental and emotional lessons as well.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a discipline that consists of grappling and ground-fightingtechniques.  This martial art discipline can teach kids to be stronger, have heightened confidence, and become less prone to being bullied.  With Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a child can gain self-esteem, learn the meaning of respect and courtesy, and can achieve better focus and concentration.  BJJ’s basis focuses on how a smaller or weaker person can defend themselves against a larger opponent through the use of leverage and flexibility.  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/BJJprovides children with the knowledge and skills to handle bullying and other social elements they may be vulnerable to with making intelligent decisions or protecting oneself.