How Kids Jiu-Jitsu Combats Bullying

Bullying can be a sign of other serious antisocial or violent behavior. Children and youth who frequently bully their peers are more likely than others to get into frequent fights, be injured in a fight, vandalize or steal property, drink alcohol, smoke, drop out of school, and carry a weapon.

Bullying creates a climate of fear and disrespect and has a negative impact on student growth and learning. The U.S. Department of Education’s most recent school safety survey showed that from 2005 to 2009, 28 percent of middle and high school students reported having been bullied in school. One in 16 students said they were bullied every day. Although many parents wrongly assume that MMA for kids will encourage violence, martial arts training actually helps counteract bullying by developing self-confidence and teaching respect, conflict resolution and leadership skills.

Building Confidence and Mental Fortitude

For Bullies: Bullies often enjoy the power and prestige of being feared by others. Their behaviors often indicate a ploy for attention. Building children’s confidence eliminates their need to resort to bullying for attention or approval.

For Kids Who Are Bullied:

Bullies aren’t typically looking for a fight. Instead, they pick up on signals that suggest intimidation or weakness to find an easy target. Kids jiu-jitsu training and kickboxing for kids will decrease your child’s likelihood of being targeted by bullies by giving them the confidence of knowing that they can defend themselves against a bigger or stronger aggressor.

Reinforcing Discipline

For Bullies: Inconsistencies in discipline at home or at school increases the likeliness of bullying behavior. MMA for kids helps prevent bullying by providing concise and consistent discipline that shows kids the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Students in MMA programs are expected to exhibit proper behavior at school and at home as well. Failure to do so results in consequences such as extra exercise or exclusion from promotional belt testing.

For Kids Who Are Bullied:

A program structure with clearly defined rules, rewards, and procedures helps students develop a sense of accountability for their actions. Kids MMA prevents bullying by teaching students to manage their behavior in ways that avoid provoking negative behavior from their peers.

Promoting Respect

For Bullies: One of the reasons kids bully others is a strong need to be in control and assert their dominance over others. Kids MMA classes teach students that everyone, regardless of age, intelligence, gender, or physical ability is entitled respect and no one deserves to be mistreated.

For Kids Who Are Bullied:

Kids who are bullied frequently experience low self-esteem and poor self-image and don’t have many friends. Partner drilling and team-building exercises creates a sense of belonging and camaraderie among students.

Mastering Self-control

For Bullies: Martial Arts promotes self-awareness by teaching students that they are in control of their own thoughts and emotions and requires that they exhibit control over their negative impulses and actions.

For Kids Who Are Bullied:

Developing self-control will help kids stand up for themselves without bullying back or getting into physical altercations. Teaching kids to control their emotional responses to bullying will reduce the future likelihood of getting picked on.

Developing Leadership and Interpersonal Skills

For Bullies: Studies have shown that bullies lack empathy. Martial arts training will help children develop the capacity for understanding the rights and feelings of those around them. More experienced students will model proper leadership skills.

For Kids Who Are Bullied: Social isolation makes children more likely to be targeted by bullies. Participating in MMA will create opportunities for children to make friends. The respect required of students embraces diversity and creates an inclusive environment.

Relieving Stress

For Bullies: Bullying often results from a person’s inability to cope and self-regulate emotions. Kids jiu-jitsu and kickboxing for kids teaches students to control their anger and frustration by allowing them to blow off steam in an appropriate and productive way.

For Kids Who Are Bullied: According to the CDC, students who experience bullying are at increased risk for poor school performance, sleep difficulties, anxiety, and depression. Preventing and stopping bullying involves a commitment to creating a healthy and stable setting where children can thrive socially and athletically.