enough confidence to simply
use their voices.
Using their voice is part of an
“anti-bullying pledge” that True
Martial Arts encourages stu-
dents to take as an effort to pre-
vent and reduce bullying. The
pledge includes promising not
to display bullying behaviors,
while also making a commit-
ment to stand up if it happens

to others.

CHALLENGING THE
STATUS QUO
As part of the international
organization Martial Artists
Against Bullying, which aims
to raise awareness for bullying
worldwide, True Martial Arts
has woven anti-bullying mes-
saging and techniques into their

everyday programming.
“Our focus is to make a cul-
tural shift in the way that peo-
ple think about bullying and to
make sure that kids understand
it’s not cool,
” Sikora says. “It’s
OK to report it when you see it
happening.
”
By role-playing common
bullying scenarios, True Martial
Arts practices “five rules of
personal safety” within their
anti-bullying curriculum. The
rules include: use your mind,
use your words, use your legs,
ask for help and defend your-
self.
“Hopefully, it never ends with
self-defense,
” Sikora explains,
“but they can step into the sit-
uation with the confidence that
if it were to go in that direction,
that they have tools to protect
themselves.
”
True Martial Arts hosted a
“Buddies Against Bullying” class
on Oct. 30 as part of Bullying

Prevention Month. There,
youth learned how to overcome
harassment, defuse situations
and defend themselves, if nec-
essary.
Yet the event is just one of
many efforts put on by the mar-
tial arts school, which also par-
takes in speaking engagements,
school assemblies and works
with West Bloomfield’s Temple
Shir Shalom, where Sikora
belongs, to teach self-defense
classes.
“Bullying often happens in
the shadows,
” he explains. “If
students witness this happen-
ing, and the majority of people
stand up and say something or
don’t put up with that kind of
behavior, then it’s less likely to
happen.
“More kids will have each
other’s backs,
” he continues.
“
And that’s what we really want
people to take from the pro-
gram.
”

Matt Sikora talks to students about bullying.

NOVEMBER 25 • 2021 | 33

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