"Bullying will always be present. It's human nature," said Renshi C. Matthew White, Instructor at Crabapple Martial Arts Academy. A bullying victim himself starting at age 10, White found himself without the support he needed to stand up for himself. He was then introduced to karate where he created a peer group with similar core values which, in turn, created his first line of defense, physically and emotionally.
So it's no wonder why White created a multi-dimensional developmental program for students at his dojo introducing kids not only to the physical aspect of karate, but also lessons in character building and leadership training. "There's little you can do with a bully," White said, "but instead the victim. We can build them up positively."
And that's exactly what their focus is at Crabapple Martial Arts Academy. Today, there are so many types of bullying. Not only do we have physical and emotional bullying, but today's kids are also dealing with cyber bullying. White explained that the world is so much smaller with social media. Kids can never escape it. There used to be two distinct places for a kid: school and home. But now, with access to social media, kids can be bullied all the time, he said.
When someone walks into a martial arts school, the electronics are turned off and and a peer group is built, along with working on relationship-building skills. Being around like-minded people, those who share common goals and morality, helps build confidence through failures and stresses, teaching you not to quit, White explained. Your peer groups are what get you through the day to day. "It's what kept me going," said White, speaking from his childhood experience.
The goal is to build that unshakeable self-awareness and self-confidence so that when a person finds themselves in a situation where they are being bullied, no one person's actions or words can impact them. White did advise, though, that if you see any change in personality or habit with your child, something may be going on, so to watch and be aware of the signs of being bullied.
Martial arts schools are built around character development, and when looking for the right place for your family, determine whether that school has the processes in place to fulfill that need. A lot of what is learned is dependent on the experience of the coaches and teachers, White said. He encourages you to find out how long instructors have been training and what kind of history they have with martial arts.
But it's not just about being able to protect yourself. Crabapple Martial Arts has also implemented programs to encourage their students to reach out to others. They will be running a "Be a Buddy" Campaign where kids, for example, will look for someone they don't already know and create a friendship with that person. This may start out small with little touch points, like saying "hello," moving to deeper connections. They create tracking sheets and actions for students so they may put some thought into how they are building relationships.
It's important to give our kids the tools they need to navigate through today's world of pressures. With thoughtful programs like White's at Crabapple Martial Arts, we can equip our kids with emotional and physical strength to stay strong in any moment of adversity.
Note: Thanks to Renshi C. Matthew White at Crabapple Martial Arts Academy for spending time with me to share his background on bullying and how martial arts impacted his life, and the life of his students. If you would like to learn more about Crabapple Martial Arts Academy, please visit their website or give them a call at (770) 645-0930. They are located at 12315 Crabapple Rd Suite 124, Alpharetta, Georgia 30004.
