COURAGE TO SPEAK UP

Anti-Bullying or Resilience programs is something SHIRUDO is deeply passionate about delivering.

Bullying is a problem that affects children and adolescents everywhere. Every school and community across the country has or will experience some form of bullying, bullying in any form or for any reason can have an impact on victims and bystanders for decades, and in some cases a lifetime.

The SHIRUDO youth resilience and lifestyle program is UNIQUE to SHIRUDO and specifically designed to help those who have had their young lives significantly affected by bullying.

In fact, our program has been successfully running for the last 5 years with the Illawarra Police in NSW

At SHIRUDO Martial Arts we teach courage, confidence, leadership, respect, self-discipline and self-defence. These tools help kids navigate the tricky situations they may encounter on the playground, in the classroom, on the bus or around town.

What can we do, as educators, community members and parents to nurture qualities of empathy and kindness in our children?

SHIRUDO martial arts anti bullying program empowers students. It teaches them how to use their voice and let others know it is not OK to treat people aggressively or in a hostile manner. Students gain confidence in themselves, making them mentally strong enough to stand up for themselves or someone else, and have the courage to speak up when they know a situation is wrong. There is no doubt that martial arts involve self-defence, but often a physical altercation is saved for the last resort and is never used intending to harm.

The best defence when confronting a bully

At SHIRUDO, we believe you should not “fight fire with fire.” Instead, our students our taught how to handle themselves in the face of intimidation by mastering the situation before there is a need for a physical confrontation. Training focuses on teaching students how to defend themselves both non-physically and physically against a bully.  The real master of the practice rarely must fight because he or she is in control of their emotions and the circumstances at hand. Many times, people assume that when they take martial arts to guard against bullying, they learn how to physically defend themselves as their primary form of defence. Self-Defence does not always have to be physical.

Mental toughness in the face of intimidation

SHIRUDO programs teach students how to be mentally tough and in the appropriate mindset to execute any type of defence technique, should the need arise.  Possessing physical defence skills are important, but if you lack the mental toughness and tenacity to execute them properly, you will not be able to perform – especially under duress. This can lead to poor decision making, such as resorting to physical force before trying to verbally control the situation.

SHIRUDO Martial Arts is not purely about the physical martial arts training. We focus just as much on character building, including respect and self-esteem, so all our students are prepared throughout their lives, no matter the situation.  Being able to handle a bully now will give students the confidence to face larger situations later in life.

Bully-proofed for life

As a student continues training, their confidence grows, as does their ability to handle adverse circumstances for themselves as well as for others. With a solid foundation in mental toughness, as well as the confidence in their physical abilities, students are better equipped to handle those that seek to negatively challenge us. We often have parents inquire about martial arts because either their child is being bullied, or they are proactively looking to have their child learn how to diffuse a bullying situation, should they encounter one.

SHIRUDO resilience and lifestyle programs provides children and youth with the tools they need to become bully-proofed for life, through building courage, leadership, respect, teaching and developing verbal assertiveness.