From the Desk of Keith Hafner
Dealing with Bullies.
Bullies were a wretched, rotten problem when you and I were in school, weren’t they?
Well…
They still are today!
Unfortunately, our society still produces bullies. So it’s not a matter of whether or not they exist…
… but how to help your child deal with them.
There are a few powerful, simple (and peaceful!) ways the martial arts deal with bullies…
We have a very straightforward philosophy that works wonders:
‘Confront bullies confidently, and they disappear.’
Now, that doesn’t mean your kid should run up to them and start swinging!
What it means is the best response to a bully is to look them in the eyes, and show them you’re not afraid.
This is VERY easy to do when you truly know you can defend yourself.
So the first big lesson in dealing with bullies for your child is:
Make sure they know how to defend themselves!
If they don’t have to ‘fake’ not being scared – it will be 1,000x more effective.
BUT…
There’s an even MORE powerful lesson buried in that one!
When your child feels SAFE – they automatically exude more confidence.
They stand taller… project their voices… make confident eye contact…
Bullies are experts at reading these signals. A kid that cool and confident won’t allow him/herself to be picked on.
And bullies aren’t looking for somebody who will stand up for themselves. They are looking for easy targets.
So ironically, it isn’t the ability to kick and punch like a champ that makes martial arts so powerful…
It’s the peaceful, powerful, confident vibe your child emits when they know they can take care of themselves.