How Martial Arts Stops Bullying

For parents, bullying is one of the biggest concerns around going to school, that remains outside of their control. While at school, children can run into situations with bullies that leave a negative impact on self-worth and personal growth.

Martial arts training offers practical skills for children to guard themselves against bullying in a nonviolent way and learn valuable character traits that prevent them from being targets of bullies.

The misconception of martial arts and violence 

The first thing that comes to mind for many parents regarding martial arts is whether learning martial arts promotes violence as a solution, which can escalate the problem of bullying.

While martial arts in film and media is commonly portrayed as a means of dealing with conflict, the reality of martial arts training is that violence is never encouraged. According to a 2010 scientific review published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, martial arts training was found to have a positive effect on reducing aggression in adolescents.  

Now that we’ve established that martial arts does not promote violent behaviour, let’s look at how martial arts training stops bullying.

A confidence builder for kids

One of the most effective ways martial arts can stop bullying is by helping children build confidence. Bullies often look for signs of fear, hesitation, and low self-esteem, meaning that they are less likely to target kids who display a calm and quiet confidence.

Martial arts teaches children to stand tall and speak clearly through repeated practice, belt progression, and personal growth. As students progress through martial arts training, they learn to trust in their own ability to handle pressure and challenge. This confidence removes the emotional reaction bullies seek in targets.

Teaches children restraint 

Sometimes bullies want to show off how tough they are by picking on the kid who knows martial arts, which is where the value of restraint comes in. Martial arts students are taught to focus on building themselves up instead of flaunting their skills, which may end up making them the target of tougher bullies.

A good martial arts mentor will teach students that violence has consequences for others and for themselves. Instead of responding violently to a confrontation with a bully, martial arts students learn how to show restraint by walking away.

Imparts character values

Discipline, patience, perseverance, respect, and humility are some of the core character values of martial arts training. The structure of traditional martial arts reinforces the importance of these values through routine, such as respecting mentors and helping their peers improve.

These character values contribute to a child's personal growth and development and set them up for success when dealing with challenging situations in life - like dealing with bullies. Not only that, but these values also serve as a moral compass for children to avoid becoming bullies themselves. 

Learn skills for self-defence 

There's a clear distinction between learning martial arts to compete and for self-defence. Self-defence skills in martial arts are about avoiding harm, not winning fights. Martial arts training gives children practical skills to escape grabs, break free from holds, and protect themselves without escalating the situation.

When confrontation becomes unavoidable, martial arts training provides children with a clear mind and the ability to reduce the risk of injury, both physically and emotionally.

Will learning martial arts turn children into bullies?

No. Despite developing greater physical ability and self-confidence from martial arts training, students do not become bullies. Martial arts dojos are built on community and personal growth - children who learn martial arts in a healthy setting are taught from day one that the purpose of training is personal development, not control over others.

Martial arts does more than equip children with defensive skills - it gives them a foundation that changes the way they see themselves and the world around them.

At UMF Academy, our martial arts training programs for children focus on equipping them with the skills to resolve conflicts nonviolently. Our training incorporates the Bully Buster system, a 12-step process for gaining confidence in dealing with bullies developed by renowned author Dr. Terrence Webster Doyle.

We also work closely with parents using the industry's #1 Character Development System, which combines martial arts training with character values like honesty, respect, and integrity. We are the only Townsville martial arts academy that is licensed to deliver the Character Development System, which is what makes us the best choice for anti-bullying martial arts programs.  

Give us a call to learn more about our martial arts programs for children in Townsville and how we can help end bullying for your child.