More On Bullies

© COPYRIGHT 2010 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Sword and Pen – March 2010 Issue

[Reprinted With Permission]

American Combato
Seattle Combatives


WE appreciate that some of our Site’s visitors have questions regarding how to teach their children (or where to send their children to be taught) self-defense. We almost never train children, our self. Our colleague Mark Bryans is an excellent teacher of children, and has conducted extremely successful childrens’ courses in the past. We frankly have little patience for children, and prefer adults only. Still, we are more than sympathetic with the problems that children have with troublemakers and bullies, and we believe wholeheartedly in parents preparing the little ones to protect themselves adequately, when and if necessary.

For whatever it’s worth, these are our thoughts on training children how to defend themselves against bullies:

• First, children should be taught unequivocally that bullies are scum, and that they (i.e. the intended victims of bullies) have every right on earth to defend themselves against these creatures, and to do so WITHOUT MERCY. This is, we know, unacceptable thinking for many "parents", who prefer fantasy and illusion rather than reality in their child-rearing endeavors. However, children who are bullied are being terrorized — and terrorism deserves MERCILESS retaliatory action.

• Second, whenever and wherever those worthless bums who pass themselves off as "school administrators", "teachers", and "school officials" forbid a child fighting back when bullied, parents should organize and confront the administration of that school facility and let it be known that their children have their permission to defend themselves. Those licensed child-abusers who would forbid children defending themselves — even penalize such action if and when it was undertaken — should be put on notice that they will personally be sued and held accountable by the parents if they dare to attempt to stop their children from acting in legitimate self-defense, when necessary. Forbidding a child to defend himself is like forbidding him to eat when he is hungry, get a drink of water when he is thirsty, or see a physician when he is ill. This is child abuse! And punishing a child as though he were equal in responsibility to his tormentor after defending himself against a bully, for the mere fact of having defended himself is nothing less than EVIL.

• Third, children should be taught no-nonsense boxing and judo-based self-defense skills. (Combato would be too severe, unless we are talking about gang type attacks and violent offenses such as those perpetrated by some middle and high school sociopaths who aspire to rise as gangbangers. In that type of predicament we have not the slightest problem with children learning battlefield skills. But we realize that there is almost no chance of persuading anyone else of the validity of our position).

• Fourth, children should be conditioned in the proper mindset. They must learn that there are times in life when violence, and only violence, will suffice to quell interpersonal problems. And whenever a child is set upon by a physical troublemaker from whom he cannot disengage without being attacked, THAT is one of those times. In such instances, the child must be taught, anything goes; and he is justified in dispatching his tormentor however he is able.

• Fifth, the child should be protected aggressively against the disgusting assertions made by those "adults" that fighting back is wrong, and he ought to be thus protected by having a proper dignity and warrior-spirit instilled in him. (A "warrior" in the noble sense and meaning of that designation is never a violent or troublesome person. He is a gentleman and a respecter of others’ rights and property. However, he is also the "first to fight" when and if threatened with unavoidable violence; and he stands up to evil and opposes it.)

• Sixth, as part of his moral education, every child should be taught to be gentle and kind to those weaker than himself, to those who are helpless, and to those who lack the capacity to protect themselves. He should be taught, as part of his moral and martial education, that it is the lowest act of unmanly cowardice to push others around, to bully, to start trouble, or to otherwise endeavor to lord it over other people. He should be taught to despise bullying, and bullies. He should be taught to respect and to admire strength and fighting ability that is properly controlled and utilized for the protection of those who are innocent and good.

We realize that we are a dinosaur. We also do not give a damn.

Children, just like adults, have every right to live free of the interference of predatory human garbage. When those adults who are responsible for their welfare and protection default on that responsibility it is reasonable and right that the children themselves should have the means of self-defense. Those who prey upon children — whether contemporaries or older scum — deserve no consideration or concern whatever. Innocent children deserve every consideration and all our concern.

In answer to the question, then, of what to teach children about defending against bullies, we say: Teach them first of all that they have an absolute RIGHT to defend themselves — and to do so ferociously — whenever anyone attempts to bully them.

Then, train them thoroughly in no-nonsense fighting skills that enable them to do just that.