Does Martial Arts Combat Bullying?

There is no cure for bullying. Unfortunately, it is just one of those bad things that most people have to experience as they journey through life. Over the years, many parents have signed their children up for martial arts classes hoping it will help them protect themselves from bullies. Does it work? Well, it does to an extent. The answer is complicated.

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.

Well, what about the real majority of bullying? The psychological attacks children make on each other? The dark things that come out of people when they have a computer screen to unload their hate onto? What can martial arts do for that? Well, there is something to be said about an individual who is confident in themselves. When a child has something they are proud of, it shows. When a person knows that if things get physical they can protect themselves, that confidence deters those that are looking to prey on the weak. That confidence has a lot of value, but it doesn’t necessarily stop verbal abuse or the keyboard warriors.

The only thing I have seen to be truly effective against this is communication. Victims have to communicate with parents, teachers, and mentors. Too many kids suffer in silence. Sometimes they think being mistreated is normal or that they are at fault. Overtime, hearing terrible things said about themselves becomes normal and they may start taking them as truths. Parents and mentors need to make it clear that communication is available and encourage kids to reach out. If kids have no one to talk to, they may feel alone and trapped. Communication doesn't necessarily solve the problem, but it is the only way to pressure those in positions of power to get up and do something.

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.