Martial arts can help kids deal with bullying, says Saskatoon instructor

Martial arts can help kids learn how to deal with bullying.

Troy Scheer, an instuctor at Scheer’s Martial Arts, told Gormley guest host Drew Remenda that it’s more than just learning how to fight.

“I’m hoping to instill in (kids) a sense of confidence. A sense of self-awareness, and a sense of respecting themselves,” he said.

He said these life skills teach students how to deal with their peers in a non-confrontational way.

“Martial arts puts your kid on a mat in a combative situation with another kid, and at the end of it they’re laughing, shaking hands, hugging each other,” he explained.

“They become friends over that.”

On top of the social and personal benefits, Scheer also thinks taking classes teaches a sense of discipline.

“It’s kind a ‘soft military’ setting. They’re learning how to stand in line, they’re learning how to sit up straight, they’re learning how to focus, they’re learning how to pay attention when someone’s talking to them, they learn how to look someone in the eye when  they’re talking to them,” he said.

“Those are important things.”

He isn’t a fan of the stereotype of a kid taking a karate class and becoming “bully-proof.”

“Some (parents) think ‘oh, I bring him, drop him off, and he becomes a walking death machine, and no-one ever touches him,” he said.

“I don’t like to use that catch. I prefer, more or less, to say ‘I’m going to give your child options.'”