Martial Arts Print Marketing That Fights Bullying in 2024.

I want to tell you a story from my childhood where I was the victim of bullying.

The last thing I saw before everything went black was the bottom of a Doc Martin boot - that struck me dead in the nose (and broke it).

Last week, I told you a story about getting bullied in Elementary School. I'm going to tell you a story about when I was 19 years old - and hospitalized for fighting with six guys.

To truncate the story, I had a friend whose name was Matt. We were really cool, but we had some stupid falling out over Graffiti writing. Dumb, I know.

We went out to a club on Utica Ave and off Ave N.

I am trying to remember the name it's been almost 30 years. Long story short - we are on the dance floor and this dude who we were once cool with - comes up to me beefing.

I am there with four friends—one of them is my friend Fernando (who is now a special forces operator protecting our way of life), and a few others are childhood friends: John, Vinny, and someone else I don't recall.

On the dance floor, we notice a few guys start to surround us, and this guy, Matt, whom I used to be friends with, comes over to me - starting trouble.

I turned to him and said, "Dude, we are out; I don't want any trouble," to which he disengaged and moved away.

I thought everything was good.

But I did notice them slowly surrounding us.
Fernando - notices this the most - as time goes on and a few songs go by - everyone seems to be having fun, and there appears to be no static.

Someone throws a punch, and Fernando springs into action. At least two people hit the floor with hard strikes, and the bouncers rush everyone.

They grab my friend and the kids who are starting trouble and rush them out of the place.

We immediately grab our stuff - and head to the door.
The bouncers lock the doors, locking us inside.
We pleaded with them -

"I'm not going to have a riot outside." You guys wait a few minutes, and we will let you go. "I explained, but you just threw him out—with the six guys!!"

He didn't care.
Finally, after enough protesting, they opened the doors. And out we went. There were three of us now.

No one is around. It's dark and quiet.

We head down the block to the corner Bodega. I'm a bit inebriated (don't ask), so I get a Peach Snapple iced tea out of the fridge and a bag of Doritos.

We pay - and walk outside - as I walk outside - we are standing on the corner, figuring out how far the walk is home.

When I heard the MPV - screech around the corner, and someone said, "There they are!"

Everything slowed down to bullet time.

I turned to one of my friends and said, "I'm not running," and he replied, "Neither am I." The third friend took off running. At this point in my life, he was probably the smartest.

The kids rushed us and closed the distance fast. As one was coming up, I threw the Snapple bottle full force at his head. It missed his head and hit off his shoulder, and let me tell you, Snapple bottles back then didn't break, so easy—because it bounced and didn't break.

The altercation ensued. John was brilliant—he went down—quickly pill-bugged up and played dead. They threw a couple of punches and kicks, but then all of them turned their rage at me.

My mind is going a mile a minute - simultaneously, everything is slow.
I think that if I go down, I will get stomped, and I don't want to be stomped - so stay up as long as possible.

I started throwing punches back; I grabbed one kid and used him somewhat as a human shield, with my arm around his neck like a rear naked choke. Another one I throw full force head first into the dumpster.

But there were too many of them - I was taking hits from every direction - I didn't even know who was throwing them.

Finally, someone grabbed me from behind - and pulled me backward.

I fell on my butt - with my hands behind me - and someone stomped my lefthand - that split my middle finger through the nail. I still lack feeling in it 30 years later.

they kicked and punched me as I tried to get back up - this one big kid had on Doc Martins - and he picked his foot up and blasted me in the face.

it was the only time in my entire life - that I was knocked out. I was put out in Jiu-Jitsu training once - but not by striking ever except that time. (17 inch neck is good for something)

I was bleeding everywhere - and my face looked like Rocky from MASK.

I woke up about four blocks away on John's back in a half-fireman's carry. John weighed less than me, so I gave him props for his heart, and he did not leave me.

When I finally came to.

I was able to page Hawk, Fernando's brother. Hawk had a small sports car - he was looking for Fernando - who I think made it home ok.

Hawk picked me up - hawk had a machete in the car just in case.

I was out of it. I had a concussion; I had a fractured rib, a broken nose, a chipped tooth, and a smashed finger; my face was swollen so badly - and purple and bloody. I couldn't breathe through my nose. It was so swollen.

I was living with my Dad at the time.

I lost my keys in the fight—at least I thought—but they ended up in Hawks' car and must have fallen out in my franticness.

I remember having to ring the doorbell - my Dad going, "OMG, what happened to you" - I just wanted to sleep - not good to sleep with a bad concussion.

When the alcohol wore off in the AM, I went to the ER. Spent the morning in the ER running tests and xrays.

I had to go to work the next day, too—working at Ceaser Bay Bazzar. When I walked in, everyone gasped, that's how bad I looked.

I heard that a bunch of these guys got theirs later on—and some went to jail, too. Some aren't alive anymore (nothing to do with us, lol!!).

But when some of them finally were confronted by themselves - oh, how their tough attitude changed. =

Bullies suck.

I'm glad I lived through that - It could have been so much worse - as I could have cracked my head open on the pavement and not be able to write this.

All over what?
These kids - liked to hurt people.
Because hurt people - hurt people.

Kids deal with this sort of stuff daily, it's worse now - because of social media.

Because if this was now - someone would have filmed it - and posted it online.

I read about a guru in the MA industry allegedly rolling with someone that their kids - They go around and beat kids up and post it online.

Sadly - just like what could have happened to me - happened to a kid - he hit his head and died.

If you see bullying and don't do something about it - you give it power.
You condone it. And that is unacceptable.

Bullying is a severe problem that affects children of all ages.

It can have long-lasting effects on their mental and physical health.

Martial Arts can help kids who are bullied in several ways.

Firstly, martial arts training builds confidence and self-esteem in children. Bullies often target kids who appear weak or insecure.

By learning martial arts techniques, children develop a sense of strength and empowerment, making them less vulnerable to bullies.

As children progress in their training and earn new belts, they also gain an understanding of achievement and pride that further boosts their self-esteem.

When humans hold their heads up high and walk with purpose—through great feelings of achievement—they do not look like targets.

You can tell just by body language - who is a target and who is not to be messed with. You want kids and yourself to be the latter.

Let's stomp out bullying. Check out the hottest bullying marketing campaigns in the martial arts industry here.