Hey Guys,

 I just got an email from a concerned mom about her son being bullied at school.  This is his first year in middle school and the bullies are all over him.  This kid is such a nice little guy, and he is a very small kind of shy kid, but has a heart of gold.  Any way, she just emailed me for advice on how to handle the bullies and her son.  As his Karate instructor, she has asked for my advise. 

 First time this has happened to me in the year and a half I've been open, so I'm kind of not sure what to say.   I say beat the snot of the little  *%#* heads but that probably is not good advice. LoL. 

  On a serious note, I need to help this little guy through this and am just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how they handled it.

Thanks

Robby.

Dead on point Mike.  Thanks for replying. I would have thought this topic would have generated some feed back but . . .

  This is what I did, seeing I had to deal with it on Tuesday.

 The little guy is 12 yrs old, 6 grade, welcome to middle school right. 

 He is a little guy, really smart, outgoing and always with a smile on his face.  Just a good kid period ! !

His parents obviously were very concerned since they contacted me advise on the matter.  So here's what I did . .

I told his dad, if HE really wanted to help get his son through this, to GI up and join the adult class.  Bring his son with him to class, because my adult class is run differently than my youth class.  Adult class is focused much more on Self Defense.  That way, he and his son can train together, in the dojo, AND at home.  Now he will be getting good professional instruction from me, AND if his father wants to add anymore juice or whatever he can help him practice at home. 

  2. I told him exactly what you said about location. I asked him "WHERE" are you being bullied at?

He said before school while waiting around and at P.E. where no one can really notice.

So I told him not to get to school so early and when there, find some friends to stay mingled in with and avoid the spots where the jerk is hanging around.

I also explained to his parents how "CONFIDENSE" is the key here.  We have to build his confidense up, and doing just what you said is exactly what I was planning to do. Get him working a lot of sparring drills in the youth class, and in the adult class with Dad.  That way, his Dad can really push him on the sparring side, and other big guys too.  But I think if I start him out with his dad, he won't be as intimidated to sparr other bigger guys. 

This is my first experience with this, and it might sound like an easy thing to deal with, it really isn't.  I personally do not promote throwing down to anyone, do to the RISK of an accident happening.  In today's world its just too easy for a wierd accident to happen and someone's dead or paralyzed over what?  Nothing worth the result.  So Confidense is the key.  Kids especially can since if other kids are shy, or intimidated, or scared.  Once they realize that this kid really isn't scared of them anymore, they'll probably switch over to an easier target to bully. 

  "Then my kid can recommend karate class to this kid and I get another student"    LOL

Thanks for the advise Mike.