Being an instructor of a martial art I see the benifits it gives to most kids, however there are always one or two that I feel are not training for the right reasons and I have had to take them from the class as they are using their skills for bullying! Have you ever been bullied or know of young martial artits who missuse the arts?

As a instructor myself, I also know what you meen by the odd child that is doing this just to use his or her classmates, but at the same time this also happens with adults.
Yes I was bullied myself as a child, not only at school but also at home by my kid brother ( who grew up to become an all round athelete. At latter part of secondery school I took up judo, after a few months I was able to defend myself against him, and even started to go to school happy to know I was able to defend myself there as well,yes and it worked.The other kids stopped picking on me, YES! I think it is inportant that children are able to do a martial art and in the 30 odd years I've been in this game, nine times out of ten most of the bad apples change and become great karateka. I except that every now and again you have to step in, but not very often.

I am a 13 year old who was picted on at school for a long time. I sterted martial arts and now they do not pick on me anymore. It makes me feel as thouogh I could use it on them if i had to.

NOT ONLY DOES MARTIAL ARTS TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO DEFEND THEMSELVES IT SHOULD ALSO TEACH THEM HOW TO DIFFUSE A SITUATION.I ALSO TECH JUDO TO BE BASED ON FUN AND DISCIPLINE.IN THE SIX YEARS OF RUNNING MY CLUB, NONE OF MY JUDOKA'S HAVE HAD TO USE THEIR SKILLS IN SELF DEFFENCE. ANY BULLIES WISHING TO PICK ON SOMEONE WHO KNOWINGLY DOES A MARTIAL ART IS FOOLISH. IT IS UP TO THE MARTIAL ARTIST TO ADVICE ANY UNKNOWN BULLY OF HIS SKILLS THEN LET THE BULLY DECIDE IF HE WISHES TO CONTINUE.AT HIS OWN RISK.....

I'd like to add that as an student in martial arts and student instructor, it is vital that children do martial arts not only for their protection, but for them to have an understanding of helping others and to take responisablity.

I think children have an awful lot to gain from studying martial arts. Firstly there is the sense of achievement that they get from learning a kata or passing a grading. Secondly for many kids today, martial arts training can be the only training in self discipline that they get. Thirdly, there are kids in my dojo who help teach, an extremely useful life skill. Where else would an 11 year old have the opportunity to do something like that?

I am thinking about taking up TAI CHI so i can use my life force as my weapon which is the best abillity of them all but i am 14 and not really fit so i cant know if i can

to the above question anyone can start trainning. no one expects a beginner to walk into the dojo a full super bruce lee. trainning the body takes a long time, there are many differeent arts out there for all different individuals. as for training your ki/chi metthods this will depend on what art you choose jujitsu, aikido, tai chi,and many others, all work where you use your oppents ki against them. to develop this the student will learn techques, brething exercises, ki testing, these train the physical as well as the mental being. any good school will ask you to be the best you can be within your own limits i have sceen disabled people do high ki tests with wonderful results so take a deep breeath and go for it.

Great topic! 70 kids train at my academy. we use the term "blackbelt excellence" as a metiphor for personal excellence. our students should strive for "black belt excellence in all aspects of ther lives. we must teach more than punch and kick,we must teach life skills ie.bully awareness, stranger danger,first aid and so much more.