When a Schoolboy Has To Defend Himself
An urgent case for Self Defense tactics?
My Response to a
Boy Who's Being Bullied At School
Punched and Kicked
This is an email I woke up to read first thing one
morning.
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Hi David,
At school I get bullied by a boy, he keeps
punching me in my head and kicking me.
I have had enough, and am going to fight him,
but I need to do something that will cause him
pain and make sure he doesnt mess with me
again.
Can you help?
Jim (not his real name).
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My reply:
Dear Jim, Be careful that YOU don't end up in
trouble, even if you are defending yourself.
I taught my kids that they should fight back if
they were bullied. (My wife had twins, a boy and a girl.) And
we both decided Aikido was too complicated for the kids.
So when Jordan was punched in the mouth by one
of the boys at school, he did exactly as I had shown him and
kicked the boy in the balls. End of fight... BUT
The schoolboy, who was Australian Chinese, told
his parents when he got home. I know the Chinese culture, since
I lived in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. They are extremely
sensitive about damage to their family jewels, after
all, maybe their son wouldn't give them any grandchildren? (He
had been hurt and shocked, yes, but he wasn't actually
injured.)
The parents complained to the Principal, and he
lectured Jordan and called me and my wife, the parents in to
complain to us.
I told the principal my son had been
taught never to pick fights, but he had been instructed to
defend himself. And no, we weren't apologetic. The headmaster
didn't like that.
In the end, my son Jordan and the
Aussie-Chinese lad became excellent friends.
But as for you, young Jim. I cannot see what's
been happening with my own eyes, and I won't be there to step
in if either of you goes too far in a fight.
The law in Australia and the U.K. is very
strict about assault and self defense. Magistrates get very
nasty if they think you have used more than MINIMUM FORCE
to protect yourself.
Is there a Judo club in the local area where
you can join? And if you find one, you must KEEP YOUR TRAINING
A SECRET.
Why? Because it takes time to build up skills,
and if the bully hears of it, he will beat you up all the more
(before you have the skill and the MENTAL PICTURE) to be able
to whip him). I know because it happened to me like that as a
kid.
Just one thing. When you do fight back, you
must hurt the bully quickly and keep on hurting him until he is
down and he calls out "Enough!" Don't freak out because now
he's going to be angrier than ever. (I did that once, as a kid,
and was walloped for it.)
You make sure it's YOU who uses anger, and YOU
keep hitting and kicking him, until there's no more fight in
the bully.
BUT you must not do any permanent damage. If he
is loses an eye, for example, you will go to jail. Teeth
knocked out? Broken jaw? Maybe the same, because it makes YOU
look like the aggressor. The bully may also try to sue you for
damages, medical bills etc.
You have been warned!
Real Life Is
Different from the Dojo
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