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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