Martial arts can be immensely helpful to a child if the bullying becomes physical. As long as the child has had the opportunity to train with real sparring, they will have an edge on protecting themselves against an actual attacker. A good martial arts school should train their kids to be able to fight their way out of bad situations and so they may escape the threat. A big challenge is to also teach them about restraint, escalation, and reading a bad situation. I don’t want my student’s getting into fights. I encourage them to avoid violence to the best of their abilities. With that said, I also don’t want my students hesitating and being physically harmed. So, when there is no way out, I believe people need to be able to throw down in order to get out of those bad situations, but with the intention of protecting themselves, not harming another.
In the end, I believe martial arts is a great tool to combat bullying. Though not a cure all, it gives kids tools to stay safe and an improved self-confidence that can help deter bullies. With that said, mentors need to make sure children know they can communicate with them and reach out for help. Addressing instances of bullying is essential. It is not something that just goes away on its own.