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Health & Fitness

Bullies: Teach Your Kids to Defend Themselves

When I was a kid, I was pretty small for my age. So bullies loved picking on me. One day I got sick of it. So I went to the library and checked out a book called, "Better Boxing for Boys."

When I was a kid, I was pretty small for my age. So bullies loved picking on me.  One day I got sick of it.  So I went to the library and checked out a book called, Better Boxing for Boys. 

I went home and took my pillow out of its case. I stuffed it with jeans and shirts and then hung it in my closet. I used it as my punching bag.

It was a great idea because it taught me to punch straight towards my opponent and not telegraph my punches because if I got wild, I ended up hitting the door jam of the closet. I learned very quickly. I tied a string of yarn to me ankles so that my feet would be the proper space apart. 

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Until I got confident, I had to use my words to try to keep the bullies at bay.  Some of the bullies moved onto someone else. One, in particular was hell-bent on picking on me no matter what I said to him. 

Soon the day came when I had had enough. He started in on me and I just decked him. Yes, I got into trouble because this happened at school. But he never said another word to me. He left me alone. And all the other bullies saw what I did to this kid and they left me alone too.

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Parents, teach your kids how to defend themselves. Violence is not the answer in most cases.  But there may come a time when fists will win out over words.

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