By Xavier Smerdon
SCHOOLS in Wyndham are taking a serious approach to bullying by teaching their students how to defend themselves with martial arts.
Nick and Elly Conduit from Conduit Hapkido in Werribee have joined forces with Kelly Sports to run self-defence classes for children.
Elly Conduit said that the objective of the classes was to teach kids that they can stand up to bullies.
“It’s all about empowering kids,” Mrs Conduit said.
“It’s about showing them that even though they are small they are still significant and important members of our society and they can still be powerful.”
Mrs Conduit, who is also a mother of three young children, said martial arts allowed students to control the situation when they are being bullied.
“We seriously don’t want our students just to resort to the physical side of self defence,” she said.
“We teach them how to diffuse a situation verbally.”
Mrs Conduit said schools and students had reacted positively to the classes.
“Everyone experiences bullying at some stage at school,” she said.
“It’s important that kids know how easy it can be to diffuse a situation so it doesn’t have to escalate.”
Bullying has been in the headlines recently after a video of a child fighting back against his bully was circulated on the internet.
Conduit Hapkido have also approached Wyndham Council about running a women’s self-defence class targeted at dealing with domestic violence.
For more information call 0401 322 218.
