Summer is winding down and Back to School season is in full swing.  Parents are anxiously getting their children prepared to return to school, while kids experience their own anxieties about making new friends, facing new peer pressures and unfortunately often having to deal with bullying, which these days often follows them home via social media.  In this article and video Mr. Beard (Owner of USA Karate & Krav Maga Centers, former Police Officer) discusses some anti bullying coping strategies to share with your child to help them avoid becoming a victim this upcoming school year. Bullying is a hot topic;  Most parents are aware of the eventuality that their child might face some bullying situations in schools or with their peers, however most parents also assume that if there were a problem the child would confide with them about the situation.  Unfortunately this is rarely the case, as children who are being bullied statistically do not share this information with adults.  Bullying has been around since the beginning of time, and is unlikely to end any time soon, so the best we can do is empower our children with the skills to not be a victim. Skill #1: Don’t be a Victim This is one of the first concepts we teach to our martial arts students;  If you carry yourself like a victim, you are much more likely to be picked on.  We teach some basic techniques about how to carry one’s self, look people in the eyes, and be in control of the situation.  Many people mistakenly associate the Martial Arts with the act of “Fighting”.  However Martial Arts is not about fighting, Martial Arts is about developing CONFIDENCE. When a child knows how to defend themselves, both verbally and physically, the result is increased confidence which usually help avoid both verbal and physical confrontations.  Martial Arts Kids don’t become Victims. Skill #2: Verbal Defense aka Bullies To Buddies The verbal skills we teach in martial arts help defuse situations and avoid conflict.