After-school defense class teaches young kids to combat bullying

I was not a victim of bullying growing up, but I know people who were. Statistically, you probably do, too.

Almost one out of every four students (22 percent) report being bullied during the school year, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. Not all of that is physical bullying, but a sizable amount of it is. I believe the earlier we combat the problem, the easier it will be to handle.

That’s why I was ecstatic to find out Phillippi Shores Elementary School hosts a self-defense class after school for its students.

The class is run by Derrick Clark, who has taught martial arts for 30 years, the past three in Sarasota. In addition to the classes he teaches after school on different campuses, he runs his own dojo, Clark’s Self-Defense, at 4952 Fruitville Road. Clark works with all ages at his dojo, but said he likes working with young kids the most. He has a way of getting even the most chatty kids to stop and listen to his teachings.

The class teaches Kempo karate, which consists mainly of low kicks, traps  and holds, in a “kid way,” through games and competitions. Clark said he tries to instill in them the power of using their words to combat bullies, but does teach them ways to neutralize situations with grappling instead of going straight to punches. Clark said he has seen the confidence levels of many of his students skyrocket.

Based on my one class visit, I can’t speak on how much it has increased, but I can report this group of youngsters certainly has confidence. They were not shy at all about performing their moves in front of a camera, even though some of them were getting tested for new, higher-ranking belts.

Max Miville, a third-grader, holds a green belt in the program. He’s so experienced, he helps demonstrate moves for other kids in the class. I asked Miville what his favorite thing about karate is, and he said sparring, which makes sense. Even a soft-hearted person like myself had a tendency to hit things as a child.

“It’s also fun to fight against your friends, because you can see what powers they have — and weaknesses,” Miville added.

Miville also praised the anti-bullying aspect of the class.

“We try not to hurt them,” Miville said. “We just try to keep them away from us. That’s why it’s called 'self-defense.'”

I asked Miville if he had ever used his self-defense moves outside of class to combat a bully, and to my utter delight, he said yes.

“A guy was trying to push me, and I flipped him onto some mulch,” Miville said with a shrug. “I had to.”

Emma Oliva is a kindergartener, and just started the program in the fall. She received her orange/black belt thanks to her effort, and she is proud of it. Like Miville, Oliva said her favorite part of the class is getting to practice her punches, which she throws with ferocity. She always looks forward to the class because she learns a lot and has fun.

Though the class is laid-back, Clark emphasized that the kids are not handed belts willy-nilly. They earn them. That attitude shows in the results.

I probably should not be comforted by the fact that these 6- to 10-year-olds could easily put me in a behind-the-back arm lock, but I am. It’s nice knowing that these kids have the skills to counter anyone who tries to put them down or make them feel bad about themselves.