ANTI-BULLYING . . .

Bully Proof Your Children

Bullying, Anti-Bullying, Bully Prevention, and Handling Bullying situations are important topics often addressed at home, in school, and in the media. At Millennium Martial Arts we believe that it is our duty to  complement these efforts in several ways. First and foremost, we strive to create a safe haven for all children, a place where everyone works toward a common goal of creating a friendly community of like-minded martial arts practitioners. We do this, in part, by instilling in our students the character building, morality and spirituality contained in the way of Karate. These are embodied in our five Dojo Kun (principles);

We believe that internalizing these concepts helps to develop a true martial artist – one who gains confidence through their training, and develops anti-bullying skills that enable him/her to diffuse situations. Fighting becomes a last resort. This is the true embodiment of the art. Sun Tsu, in The Art of War wrote that “For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill.To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.”

The true martial artist seeks to protect those weaker than themselves, understand his/her surroundings and the motives of others, and works to exist in harmony with his/her environment. The term Bushido which is often interpreted as the Way of the Warrior is often misunderstood as an aggressive term, whereas the meaning that we teach is the “Putting Down of the Sword.”

By teaching a student to be aware of their surroundings, how to sense danger, how to deal with strangers, hostile situations, and other stressful circumstances, they become less fearful, better equipped to rationally handle them, and more able to avoid or control them in a safe and efficient manner. The anti-bullying tactics we teach in effect “bully proof” them. We take great pride in the fact that our students have improved situations where they were being bullied, or where they observed others being bullied, by using the anti-bullying methods taught to them at the dojo.

Relevant Japanese Phrases
jozai senjo – “Be ever-present on the battlefield of life, prepared to meet any challenge”