Happy New Year from Popkin-Brogna Jujitsu !!!

Happy New Year !!

2015 starts with a BANG !! Or should I say a Light Saber !

http://member-site.net/?EV--MggM

Saturday night, January 3rd is our second light saber night !!!

Don't miss it !!

www.pbjjc.com

Awesome resource - Please look !!!

http://www.stopbullying.gov/respond/be-more-than-a-bystander

Self Defense Skills are VERY Important !

"Learning physical self defense helps most children become more confident, even if they never have to use these skills in a real-life situation. Just being more confident helps children to avoid being chosen as a victim most of the time."

Being left out Hurts !

Being left out is a major form of bullying. Exclusion should be clearly against the rules at school. A child can practice persisting in asking to join a game.

Pretend to be a bully who wants to exclude.

Have your child walk up and say, “I want to play.” Coach your child to sound and look positive and friendly, not whiny or aggressive.

Ask your child the reasons that kids give for excluding him or her. Use those reasons so your child can practice persisting. For example, if the reason is, “You’re not good enough,” your child can practice saying “I’ll get better if I practice!” If the reason is, “There are too many already,” your child might practice saying, “There’s always room for one more.” If the reason is, “You cheated last time,” your child might practice saying, “I did not understand the rules. Let’s make sure we agree on the rules this time.”

Using your Voice !

Using Your Voice

Yelling and speaking up loudly calls attention to a bullying problem and can help to prevent it from becoming worse.  Suppose your child has somebody who is trying to push or hit or knuckle her or his head. You can practice by holding your child gently and very carefully acting as if you about to do this.

Coach your child to pull away and yell NO! really loudly. Coach him or her to say “STOP! I don’t like that!” Coach your child to look the bully in the eyes and speak in a firm voice with both hands up and in front like a fence. Teach your child to leave and go to an adult for help.

If the bully does not stop, coach your child to yell for help.  For example, “STOP! GET OUT OF MY WAY! HELP! GET THE TEACHER!

2. Leaving in a Powerful, Positive Way

2. Leaving in a Powerful, Positive Way

The best self-defense tactic is called “target denial,” which means “don’t be there.” Act out a scenario where maybe your child is walking in the school corridor (or any other place where he or she might bullied). You can pretend to be kid who is acting aggressively by standing by the wall saying mean things. Ask your child what these mean things might be because what is considered insulting or upsetting is different for different people, times, and places. If you can’t think of what to say, just point your finger at the child and yell, “BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!”

Coach your child to veer around you when you are pretending to bully in order to move out of your reach. Remind your child to leave with awareness, calm, and respectful confidence, glancing back to see where the “bully” is. Let your child practicing leaving in an assertive way saying something neutral in a normal tone of voice like “See you later!” or “Have a nice day!”  Point out that stepping out of line or changing seats is often the safest choice for getting away from someone who is acting unsafely.

http://www.kidpower.org/library/article/prevent-bullying/?gclid=COnT0bb_zL4CFTAV7Aod1hMA-g

What to do ????

1. Walking with Awareness, Calm, Respect, and Confidence

People are less likely to be picked on if they walk, sit, and act with awareness, calm, respect, and confidence. Projecting a positive, assertive attitude means keeping one’s head up, back straight, walking briskly, looking around, having a peaceful face and body, and moving away from people who might cause trouble.

Show your child the difference between being passive, aggressive, and assertive in body language, tone of voice and choice of words. Have your child walk across the floor, coaching her or him to be successful, by saying for example; “That’s great!” “Now take bigger steps”, “Look around you” “Straighten your back.” etc.

https://www.groupon.com/deals/kids-love-martial-arts

Our dojo is part of this incredible GROUPON for new members.  Please pass this along as it is ending soon.  If you know anyone in the area who might be interested, there is no better deal going !!!!  Thanks !

School Environment

Create a Safe and Supportive Environment

In general, schools can:

• Establish a culture of inclusion and respect that welcomes all students. Reward students when they show thoughtfulness and respect for peers, adults, and the school. The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Technical Assistance Center  can help.
• Make sure students interact safely. Monitor bullying “hot spots” in and around the building. Students may be at higher risk of bullying in settings where there is little or no adult monitoring or supervision, such as bathrooms, playgrounds, and the cafeteria.
• Enlist the help of all school staff. All staff can keep an eye out for bullying. They also help set the tone at school. Teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, office staff, librarians, school nurses, and others see and influence students every day. Messages reach kids best when they come from many different adults who talk about and show respect and inclusion. Train school staff to prevent bullying.
• Set a tone of respect in the classroom. This means managing student behavior in the classroom well. Well-managed classrooms are the least likely to have bullying.

How to talk bullying !

How to Talk About Bullying

Parents, school staff, and other caring adults have a role to play in preventing bullying. They can help kids understand bullying, keep the lines of communication open, encourage kids to do what they love, and model how to treat others with kindness and respect.

http://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/index.html

a great resource for anti bullying !

http://www.pacer.org/bullying/

"I know what it feels like to be pushed around, called names, or have someone harass you...it is one of the worst feelings in the world.

I think every person should know that everyone deserves complete respect and understanding. Bullying is a seriosu issue that many people take lightly. There is nothing light about it. It is often done out of jealousy or for attention. 
If you or someone you know is being bullied; do something about it. Tell a teacher, tell your parents, stand up for yourself.
Bullying, name-calling, or fighting is not the way.
It's a cliche for a reason: Treat others the way you want to be treated, because there is nothing in the world that hurts more than someone saying or doing something to another that is pure evil.
Stop bullying. Start understanding. Keep living."

Andrew Lee Vincent, 17, Lafayette, Louisiana