“Where do bullies hangout?” asked Glenn Handzlik, Chief Instructor of ATA Black Belt Academy.
“The attic!” one energetic child answered.
While there may not be bullies in his attic, there certainly are bullies of some kind in just about every school or social situation pre-college, even more so in recent times.
Glenn, along with the other seasoned instructors, took out time to teach elementary school kids about bully prevention. He focused on the rule that “confidence is key” and had the kids yell out “Confidence!” to practice speaking confidently. He also taught the different reasons someone would bully you.
“Bullies don’t attack people with friends”, he said, “so make sure you’re always with someone, and be friendly in school.”
He made note that it’s much better to avoid a bully altogether than give him or her a reason to pick on you. To drive this point home, he chased them around with two punching bags, the kids trying not to get touched.
The instructors all pitched in, teaching the kids the best methods to prevent and deal with bullies, even methods before running straight to the teacher.
“There’s a difference between someone who tattles and someone who is trying to protect themselves or their friends. It’s ok to tell on a bully if you’re doing it for the right reason”, said Jan Rubsam, owner of ATA.
The Black Belt Academy hosted a fantastic cause, and the kids learned about some great new tools to protect themselves and others.
Look out bullies, there are some confident kids coming your way.
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