Can Martial Arts Encourage Bullying?

By Lorra Garrick | Last updated 04/24

If a child or teen takes martial arts lessons, might this encourage him or her to start bullying other kids?

A parent might think that as a child progresses in martial arts training, they will use their new-found physical abilities to go around bullying classmates or kids in the neighborhood.

In other words, somehow, someway, learning the side kick or upper block will turn young Emma into Evil Emma.

Master Dan Vigil of Dan Vigil’s Academy of Taekwondo in Northville, MI, was on the receiving end of bullying during childhood.

Vigil knows all about childhood bullying; he was the victim of bullies himself — not one bully here and there, but many classmates on an ongoing basis.

And only when he discovered the discipline and dynamics of the martial arts was he able to put an end to the bullying (without using physical aggression) and go on to develop a healthy self-esteem.

Can martial arts make a bully meaner or turn a nice kid into a mean one?

“It’s possible, but not likely,” says Vigil. “It’s much more likely the reverse will happen. A good martial arts instructor will instill a sense of responsibility for the proper use of their physical skills.”

Bullying behavior is never tolerated in a quality martial arts school.

Kids are taught an art form, a form of self-discipline.

They are not taught to be more psychologically, let alone physically, aggressive.

Even whispering while an instructor is talking is not tolerated.

Students must bow in and out of the dojo (classroom).

They must bow to each other before partner-training, and bow at the conclusion of the drill.

A bully will have no choice but to learn how to work with other kids (and adults) without behaving like a tyrant. He or she will be humbled.

Martial arts training provides an incredible physical outlet for a bully to channel their restless energy.

One hundred kicks, 30 pushups and 50 sit-ups — as a warmup to a class — will go a long way in mellowing out a mean-spirited individual.

The bully may become quite passionate about perfecting the tornado kick, and will be too mentally preoccupied with this to bother with harassing the bookworm in his class.

And the “nerd” who takes up martial arts will certainly learn to walk with more confidence and stand up to the mean kids, but this doesn’t mean they themselves will convert to bully-dom.

“Parents whose children suffer from chemical imbalance or deep emotional issues should speak to their physician prior to engaging in martial arts training,” says Vigil.

“For these parents, it is vitally important they select a school with experience dealing with these kinds of issues.

“You don’t want to arm a child with a violent predisposition with advanced fighting skill.”