Unusual tactic deters schoolyard bullies

[BJJ-Blue]

"UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro this weekend will rightly include homage to the iconic Gracie family, creators of Brazilian jiu-jitsu nearly 100 years ago, creators of the Ultimate Fighting Championship nearly 20 years ago, creators of legendary family fighting figures and jiu-jitsu instructors that span the globe.

But the Gracies' most positive impact might be felt at a middle school in a Denver suburb where a seventh grader is unafraid of bullies for the first time since he can remember.

Martin Hendricks, 12, spent a week this summer at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, Calif., in an intensive program designed to make him "Bullyproof." He learned as many jiu-jitsu self-defense techniques as a kid can absorb in five days, he memorized a blueprint for dealing with a bully fairly and squarely, and he gained self-confidence. The first week of school he put the lessons into practice.

"I'm still a little nervous but it all went well," Hendricks said quietly in a phone call to Rener Gracie, his personal instructor at the academy. "He'll never bother me again. Let me tell you about it.""

Source: (full article, which was too long to post)
http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201108/real-it-gets-victims-schoolyard-bullying-can-fight-back-help-ufc-royalty

[David Jamieson]

why wouldn't you put this in the main forum or the mma forum?
It's relevant.

[BJJ-Blue]

why wouldn't you put this in the main forum or the mma forum?
It's relevant.

Because it's more about bullying among kids than combat sports, MMA, martial arts, etc.

If I made a mistake, I'm sorry. Just thought it would fit here.

[Lucas]

thats a great story!

[EarthDragon]

5 days doesnt seem long enough to learn anything otehr than self confidence, not sure but i remember bullies being pretty tough when I was 12 and 5 days of anything wouldnt change the fact

[Hardwork108]

"UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro this weekend will rightly include homage to the iconic Gracie family, creators of Brazilian jiu-jitsu nearly 100 years ago, creators of the Ultimate Fighting Championship nearly 20 years ago, creators of legendary family fighting figures and jiu-jitsu instructors that span the globe.

But the Gracies' most positive impact might be felt at a middle school in a Denver suburb where a seventh grader is unafraid of bullies for the first time since he can remember.

Martin Hendricks, 12, spent a week this summer at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, Calif., in an intensive program designed to make him "Bullyproof." He learned as many jiu-jitsu self-defense techniques as a kid can absorb in five days, he memorized a blueprint for dealing with a bully fairly and squarely, and he gained self-confidence. The first week of school he put the lessons into practice.

"I'm still a little nervous but it all went well," Hendricks said quietly in a phone call to Rener Gracie, his personal instructor at the academy. "He'll never bother me again. Let me tell you about it.""

Source: (full article, which was too long to post)
http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201108/real-it-gets-victims-schoolyard-bullying-can-fight-back-help-ufc-royalty

Inspiring story. Thanks for posting. :)

[Hardwork108]

5 days doesnt seem long enough to learn anything otehr than self confidence, not sure but i remember bullies being pretty tough when I was 12 and 5 days of anything wouldnt change the fact

You are right, but perhaps his newly gained self confidence "put off" the bully off his stride, long enough for him to apply some simple technique that had been drilled into him for those five days. Sometimes self confidence is the best self defense against bullies.

Of course, there is always the chance that this story is some marketing ploy....

[Lee Chiang Po]

5 days doesnt seem long enough to learn anything otehr than self confidence, not sure but i remember bullies being pretty tough when I was 12 and 5 days of anything wouldnt change the fact

It has been my experience that bullies tend to be larger then their victims, and most will not fight with someone that might be their own size or that they may not be able to beat. For this reason most do not really know how to fight, since they never really had to learn, as their size would usually get them through. I learned that quickly as I advanced through the grades in school.

[David Jamieson]

http://i.imgur.com/5qrXm.gif :p

Bullies come in all shapes and sizes and they aren't all slouches.
My experience is different than yours I guess.

[EarthDragon]

HW, LCP,
you both brign up very good points

[sanjuro_ronin]

There are bullies and then there are the "bad kids" in school, lets not confuse the two.
Bullies tend to be those that are bullies because they don't want to be where as the bad kids are the ones that are violent and cause trouble because they are quite simply, bad.
ANY "street proofing" or "bully proofing" will only give you the basic skills to understand, be aware of those situations and maybe the physical skills to "GTFO" and save your ass.
Beyond that you need consistent training and I am sure that was made clear.

[Brule]

Being picked on is not fun, good for the kid to learn skills to deal with it. Hope he continues his training, it will only make him better.

[Lee Chiang Po]

It is just human nature that small guys do not make a real habit of picking on large people unless they think the large guy is afraid of them. Large guys do not look for people that might be as big as or as tough as they are. They tend to look for those that can not fight back or are afraid of them. It gives them a sense of superiority. And they do not have to have a background of abuse against themselves either.
When I was in jr high and even in highschool I had a reputation that kept the bullies away. They knew it would be something they wouldn't want to do. For this reason I usually had a lot of lesser people hanging around me. I knew that they did so for protection. It got to be an annoyance eventually. Yet they kept hanging around me. Most were not at all begrudging when they gave me their lunch money.

[GeneChing]

Parents are hiring intimidating 'uncles' to protect their child from school bullying (https://www.allkpop.com/buzz/2018/09/parents-are-hiring-intimidating-uncles-to-protect-their-child-from-school-bullying)
By yckim124 7 days ago

https://www.allkpop.com/upload/2018/09/af_org/12163442/buzz.jpg

'Uncles' are coming to the rescue for the bullied students.

According to a report by Chosun Ilbo on September 12, the 'Uncle Service' is now a growing business.

The 'Uncle Service' comes in 3 different packages - the 'Uncle Package', the 'Evidence Package', and the 'Chaperone Package'.

https://www.allkpop.com/upload/2018/09/content/buzz_1536785531_package.jpg

The 'Uncle Package' is a service where a big, intimidating man in their 30s-40s pretends to be a student's uncle. The 'uncle' will give a stern warning to the bullies, and accompany the student on their way to and back from school. The service is provided for 500,000 KRW (443 USD) per day.

For the 'Evidence Package', the uncle obtains evidence of bullying by filming the scene with mini cameras. The uncle will report the evidence to the school, and tell them, "I'll submit an official complaint to the school board if you guys do not properly investigate the case. We want a clear resolution." The 'Evidence Package' is provided for 400,000 KRW (354 USD).

Lastly, the 'Chaperone Package' is where the 'uncle' visits the job sites of the bully's parents. The 'uncle' will protest in front of their office buildings, and scream, "A parent of a bully works here." The service is provided for 2 million KRW (1,772 USD) for a total of 4 visits.

Many are perceiving the 'Uncle Service' in a positive light. However, there are concerns about the service. Professor Kim Yoon Tae of Korea University stated, "Private sanction is just another form of violence. School violence needs to be resolved by improving the system."

Wow, that's a pricey service. A job opportunity for some of you here maybe? :p