Quote From: jnoklebyAs young children, 2 of my 3 sons joined TaeKwonDo. I had taken self defense classes a year prior to this and I felt it was a good step. Small town (less than 4,000) even so, going to larger communities for trips, etc. I felt I needed to make a move towards their safety.
How right I was. During the next few years, issues came up, bullies, challenges, the education in self defense through TKD allowed them to move past the bullies with self confidence and challenge them to their gym to wear safety equipment, then accept their challenge. No bully ever showed up, showed their faces again, also knew my kids stood up for less fortunate students who continued to be bullied. The principal of the high school issued an invitation for anyone who wished, could join my son at his gym to see what they could do. Announcments of advancements in rank and also tournament results would be announced and posted in the schools. The list of students in TKD grew longer--alot happened to be those being bullied as well as special needs students. The bullying within the students dropped off. This made the problem public, as well as the names of the bullies were coming forward too.
My sons never had to fight a bully anywhere, their own personal safety was enhanced.
Kids need to know it is o.k. to fight back and how to get away from danger--safely and swiftly. You don't have to fight back--only when you have no more options--being taught how to get away is part of the TKD skills learned.
I am at 15 years later, now a practicing Grandma--with 6 and 2 year old granddaughters who also know the sport. They also have been taught to show self confidence in their personal space. The 2 year old has high kicks, powerful hits, as well as a sqwack that is similar to her taught yell.
I don't give opportunity to leave them alone, nor do their parents. The 6 year old is known as a playground peace maker, yet, she carries herself with self confidence and stance and her classmates know she studies TKD.
If you don't learn and practice, practice practice, you can't expect the natural thing to happen of what is in their minds, hearts and souls in how to respond. You can't take a half hour lesson in a classroom, parent talk, etc. You must allow your child to be safe in the realm they can function in. And this takes practice all the time.
My 4th grader and 7th grader continued with TKD, the oldest studied up to 2nd degree Adult Black Belt and 1st in Hapkido, before moving on from home. He was also the gym head instructor for 3 years too.
the 4th grader, well he is now known as MASTER MARC. He has studied all levels, gone to Korea to study, has other martial arts black belts added to his skills and one of his 2nd jobs is teaching TKD since he was 18. He became the head instructor and teachs 2 night a week. His goal is for kids to learn how to be safe, show their parents the skills their children have in being safe. His pay is not much--he keeps his class fees down to make sure all who want TKD can have it.
The side note is the teachers find students are easier to teach in classes, they show respect and manners more than other children. Master Marc also teaches special needs children. They are of many levels and feels they also need a sense of personal safety. He has has students who have graduated come back for continuing classes--even special needs students. They school special needs teachers also recommend his classes to parents.
Oh, he holds his classes in the school gyms which helps students in their own surroundings as well.
Master Marc teaches from the World Federation TKD from Seoul Korea. They are the last association in the US still connected ONLY to Korea.
I hope this makes sense, let's keep those kids safe.
Sign me PROUD MOM.
I agree that all children should be taught to defend themselves in this way. I know a family and they are in Uechiryu Karate. Two of them are 5th degree black belts, one of them is a third degree black belt, and their dad is a seventh degree black belt. All of them teach classes. The children have been in this since they were 5 years old and I've heard a lot of stories of them growing up and standing up for themselves against bullies and standing up for kids that are getting bullied. I think getting kids involved in self-defense classes is a good start to getting them to protect themselves against any and all people who want to hurt them. It may not protect them from EVERY situation but it's better than sending them out into the world with no defensive skills. I myself recently started taking classes and find that it's helpful in many aspects of my life.
To Shawn and Jessyca, I'm glad that you're home safe and just concentrate on the fact that you do have another chance at living a great life. It made you stronger and someday soon you will realize that. Good luck with everything you choose to do.
You see photos of missing kids on billboards, flyers, at the post office and even in grocery stores. Child abductions are a reality, and friends, neighbors or even relatives could kidnap your youngster! In 2002, 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck vanished without a trace. His parents, Craig and Pam, lived their worst nightmare, until four-and-a-half years later when Shawn was found alive at the home of a child predator. Hear their emotional story and Shawn's courageous tale of how he survived captivity. Next, Jessyca was 13 when she was abducted, held captive and raped by a neighbor. After three months, she was returned home, but her mother, Monica, says she wasn't the same little girl. It's been 13 years since Jessyca's abduction, but the wounds haven't healed. Hear about the pain she still lives with every day. How can she pick up the pieces of her life? Then, in the new film, Gardens of the Night, Tom Arnold plays a pedophile who targets and manipulates an 8-year-old girl to abduct her. Hear why he and the filmmaker, Damian Harris, were compelled to make this movie. And find out the five things all parents need to know to keep their child safe. Talk about the show here.
