Consensus on Bullies (they're punks)

Date: Weds, 24 May 2006

I didn't get a chance to do a newsletter last week.  Sorry.  Here's the reason.

I was very busy preparing a speaking engagement at the Army Training and Evaluation Command on Wednesday, and it went well.  200+ crowd.  The keynote speaker was Congressman Honda from CA and I was up right after him.  I was a bit nervous, but once I was at the podium and talking everything clicked and I remembered why I like teaching, and why working a crowd doesn't bother me a bit once it's going on.  Frankly, it's a blast.  I had them laughing within 60 seconds and it was a fun crowd.

I also did a Chin Na demo with a Colonel and he was sort of "resistant" and you could sort of hear his wrist pop all the way in the back row when he resisted my diagonal wrist grab counter.

Oops.

The crowd loved it and he was a good sport.  Anyway, no permanent damage.

Afterward, the coordinator came up to me and said we need to set up a seminar.

Teaching is the best job on the planet.

No bias.  Just my honest opinion.

Okay.  Let's look at the feedback I got on the Bullying Survey.

I received many excellent replies. Everyone seemed in agreement that bullies are punks who need to be stood up to.  People emailed me regarding both childhood and adult bullying.  A number of parents complained of school administrators whose hands are basically tied as far as letting children fight back is concerned.

Interestingly, my children's school principal emailed me saying she had been bullied in high school and it ended when she and the other girl "stepped outside" so to speak.  She said she'd shared this with the school counselor, but the counselor wasn't open to that point of view.  Hmmm.  I'd say the principal is more clued in than the counselor.

Also, Elaine Heron recommends reading a study that appears in the April online edition of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.  It concerns bullying of overweight children.

Since we all seem to feel that fighting back is definitely on the table when it comes to dealing with bullies, next issue we'll work on our jab!

Take care.  Train like you mean it.

Rob LaPointe