Bully Prevention Program
In the United States, every month over 3 million children miss school due to a fear of bullies. The Bully Prevention Program we teach here at the New Mexico Jiu-Jitsu Academy is designed to instill such confidence in your child they will be able to overcome bullies without the need to resort to violence. Of course, if the unthinkable happens and a bully does attack your child, they will be well prepared for that too.
Step 1 (Physical Self-Defense)
We utilize a multi-layered approach when teaching your child how to handle a bully. The first step is to teach them how to defend themselves against a physical attack. This will provide your child with the confidence they need so they can stand up to the bully before it ever reaches the point of physical violence. Your child will learn defensive tactics from the martial art known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They will learn leverage based techniques that will allow a smaller child to defend themselves against an attack from a much larger bully. These techniques never require your child to punch or kick the bully as often times that can cause more harm than good.
Step 2 (Mental/Verbal Self-Defense)
Once your child has the confidence to defend themselves physically, we next teach them how to defend themselves mentally. Verbal bullying is a much larger, more common, and in many ways a much more dangerous form of bullying than is physical bullying. All too often verbal bullying can lead to fear, anxiety, depression and sadly even suicide. Therefore, we take it very seriously! We teach your child when to stand up to the bully, what to say to the bully, and even how to say what they need to say. Step by step we give your child all the tools they will ever need in order to successfully stand up to a bully.
Step 3 (Character Development)
The last step is to teach your child how to be a positive role model for other children. The skill of self-defense is an invaluable tool that children should never take lightly. Therefore, we teach them rules they must follow so they will never abuse their power and become bullies themselves. Every day we also discuss with them different aspects of personal character development because our goal is to help your child grow into healthy, well balanced, young adults. We discuss with them a wide range of topics such as: responsibility, respect, humility, manners, healthy eating, good citizenship, caring for others, proper hygiene, and the list goes on and on.
Little Champs Class (4-7 Years Old)
At this age children are often too young to understand the value of learning martial arts. All they want to do is play and have fun. Therefore, we give them exactly what they want, we “play” Jiu-Jitsu with them! The New Mexico Jiu-Jitsu Academy has numerous Jiu-Jitsu games which secretly teach your children the foundation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. These games will develop their reflexes so they will be able to execute the fundamental techniques of BJJ if they ever need to use them and once they have mastered the games or become of age they will be promoted to the Jr. Grapplers Class.
Jr. Grapplers Class (8-13 Years Old)
This is the age group where bullying is the most prevalent, therefore this is when we spend the most amount of time incorporating our Bully Prevention Program. In this class they will learn nearly all of the techniques taught in the Adult Gracie Jiu-Jitsu class (Grand Master’s Fundamentals). The purpose of the curriculum is to teach your child how to defend themselves from any type of physical attack. Without ever having to throw a single punch or kick they will be able to neutralize a bully’s attack and establish control over them until help arrives. With these powerful tools under their belt, they no longer have to live in fear. They will gain more confidence than ever before and self-confidence is by far the single most effective deterrent to bullies.
Black Belt Club (Instructor Recommendation Only)
Once your child is confident in the techniques they learned in the Jr Grapplers Class they will be eligible for the Black Belt Club. This is a preparatory course that will enable a smooth transition into the adult class at 14 years of age. In this class they will learn techniques beyond what’s taught in the Jr. Grapplers Class. They will also learn how to apply the techniques they do know effectively against a resisting opponent (aka Sparring) and it will set them on the right path for their journey to the black belt.
