You know who Chuck Norris is; whether it is through his movies, television, and the internet meme “Chuck Norris Facts.” Many people feel that Mr. Norris’ legacy is something related to his fame as a movie and television star, or his books. Some may even claim that his legacy is i n his political activism.

But Chuck Norris will tell you that his greatest legacy is his charitable foundation, KICKSTART KIDS.

Nearly two decades ago Chuck Norris founded KICKSTART KIDS. He wanted to give children access to the life changing benefits to be found in the martial arts. Starting in four middle schools in Houston, Texas, KICKSTART KIDS has grown to over 40 middle schools in Texas (Chuck Norris has the goal that, eventually, KICKSTART KIDS will be a standard part of every middle school campus in the United States. Once a school district has the KICKSTART KIDS program in one of their schools, it is typical for them to want KICKSTART KIDS in more of the schools in their district, which speaks volumes as to the value of the program. In the face of the worst budget crisis in modern history, the schools that had the KICKSTART KIDS program on their campus made tremendous sacrifices to keep it.

That also says a lot about the value they see in the program.

KICKSTART KIDS is personal to me, I am one of the instructors in the organization and sharing with you what we do is important

We work in middle schools and our class is an alternate PE credit elective. Any parent can tell you middle school is a difficult time. Having spoken to people about this fact, and how critical these years are in the lives of children, they usually nod and say, “Yeah, it was tough when I was a kid too.” I appreciate that but things are very different now. The problems we faced are not at all the same as the problems kids face today. This is still the time when children are exploring their individuality and developing their identity; that part has not changed. But this is also the age where drug and gang related peer pressures are really beginning. Children in middle school are pressured about gangs, drugs and sex, along with a whole host of other bad habits.

KICKSTART KIDS operates mostly in inner-city schools. I am currently assigned to a school in Irving Texas, a small city in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. My school is located in the middle of the zip code that has both the highest crime rate and the lowest median income in Irving.

Over half of my students each year are unable to pay for their uniform (no child is ever turned away from KICKSTART KIDS for any reason, those unable to pay for the uniform are still given a uniform). From personal experience, I can tell you we fill a void in the life of our students. Sadly, the majority of my students have no Father at home. Many do not even have any male role model at home. Very often I have to serve in that capacity for those students who need a positive male role model.

We take these children in and we teach them karate. To a non-martial artist, this could seem well beyond strange. But to a martial artist, we all understand. We know from our own experiences what the training did for us, and how it changed us to our very core. For many of our students, they can tell the same stories, but it strikes them on a deeper level, as they would never have been able to access training in the martial arts without KICKSTART KIDS. The cost of training simply put it out of reach. We are not competition to the commercial martial arts schools. Nearly all of our students would be unable to enroll in any martial arts course if KICKSTART KIDS did not exist.

I have been with KICKSTART KIDS for ten years. Should I take a moment and tell about the student from a family so financially challenged that I had to sponsor her in karate tournaments (she always repaid me by taking 1^st place), and is now a Med student? Or should I talk about the many students who have taken my class, and found the confidence to enter into classes or sports that they never had the confidence to enter into before? Or what about the student who attempted suicide four times while in the 7^th grade, and entered into KICKSTART KIDS as an 8^th grader, where he not only turned around and became self-confident, but found success and became a very productive student? Maybe you should hear about the student who entered KICKSTART KIDS so shy that she could not even bring herself to answer up during attendance, but left so confident that she gave a speech at her High School graduation? The successes are too numerous, and yet every success story has value, because they are about people and there is no greater value than our kids and their futures.

In ten years, I have had more than a thousand students train with me. What I want you to finish this article understanding is this; through KICKSTART KIDS, I have the opportunity to save and change children’s lives. All of the Instructors in the organization genuinely feel this responsibility and obligation, and we do everything within our power to reach kids who need to be reached. Anyone who has ever trained in the martial arts knows that it changes you in a very profound way, and KICKSTART KIDS has been working since 1992 to bring these changes to the people who need it most, and can afford it least. As an Instructor for KICKSTART KIDS, I get to live my goal of being a full time martial arts instructor, with no need for a second job, and I get to lie down at night, every night, and know that I did everything in my power to reach out to kids. I get a chance sometimes to be the one person who didn’t drop the line on a student in the same spot where everyone else did. Sometimes I have to be a drill sergeant, other times, I have to be a Father figure, and sometimes I get to be a friend who knows how to listen. Most of all, I get to be there for someone who needs me. That is what makes my personal challenges worthwhile.

I hope to see KICKSTART KIDS spread beyond Texas and throughout the U.S. as Chuck Norris envisions. There are untold numbers of children in the United States who could benefit profoundly from KICKSTART KIDS, if only we were available to them. The more the word spreads, the better the chances are that we can get to these kids before it is too late. Every child is worth the effort it takes to reach them and give them the tools to make the best choices.

About the Author Wallace Smedly: http://wallacesmedley.com/about/

or follow Wallace on Twitter: www.twitter.com/wallacesmedley

Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder talk with KIRO Radio / Mynorthwest.com about the value of their new book + audio.

http://mynorthwest.com/11/556089/West-Seattle-karate-instructors-teach-you-How-to-Win-a-Fight

I met Stuart Williams last year while teaching in England. Stu is easy to know, pleasant, always churning ideas, and building connections.  You can read an interview he did of me as well as Rory Miller, Michelle Fighting Back, Al Peasland, Louis Thompson, and others are coming soon.  I think you will like his style, enjoy: http://www.stuart-williams.com/

Real Life
The first movie from Albert Brooks. Based on a real life (get it, real life?) failed social experiment from the 70′s. This film takes on the Reality TV phenomenon 30 years before it became a staple on television. Brooks’ self-centered mania is thick and delicious. Read more here: http://blog.nola.com/davewalker/2009/02/albert_brooks_real_life_film_i.html

The Last Samurai
Love Tom Cruse or hate Tom Cruse this is a movie about a wasted life dumped out and replenished by the Bushido code. A wonderfully shot movie. Here are some quotes from the movie: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Last_Samurai

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I paid hard cash money to go and sit in the theater and cry like I was pealing onions, and never regretted it. The film is about Jean-Dominique Bauby’s life after suffering a massive stroke, which left him with a condition known as locked-in syndrome – paralyzed him from the neck down. The only way that he could communicate was by blinking his left eyelid. And so – he wrote a book, called The Diving Bell and the Butterfly using only his left eye. Uplifting, real and ultimately sorrow laden. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G69Zh7YIg8c

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Made in 1964 by Stanley Kubrick it illustrates the sickness that was the MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) policy of the Cold War. Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant. The performances are tone perfect. If you have even been at work and said, “This is insane – what they are asking me to do!” This is right up your alley. You will find yourself screaming at your employer, “Mr. President we cannot have a mine shaft gap!” and having your friends in the know laugh with you. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057012/

The Quiet Man
Shot in 1954 in Ireland, John Wayne took his family along for the shoot. Co-staring Maureen O’Hara the story revolves around Wayne who after killing a man in the boxing ring heads to Ireland to start anew on the old family property. It used to be shown on network TV every St. Patrick’s Day. Shot in Technicolor it is beautiful. I suggest an intermission in the film for more popcorn and some deep cuts from The Dropkick Murphy’s, Live On St. Partick’s Day. I love this movie, Men are Men, Women, Women, and day-to-day honor is key to existence in the small community. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045061/

Into Great Silence
This is not for everybody–The following in is an edited description from Amazon.com:
“The Grande Chartreuse is considered one of the worlds most ascetic monasteries. In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the order for permission to make a documentary about them. Sixteen years later, they were ready. Gröning, sans crew or artificial lighting, lived in the monks quarters for six months filming their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. The movie has no score, no voiceover and no archival footage. What remains is stunningly elemental: time, space and light. More meditation than documentary, it s a rare, transformative experience for all.” There you go – enter at your own risk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgNj2Sf_mgo

Waiting for Guffman

A faux documentary, a mockumentary! Based around a local play celebrating the town of Blaine Missouri’s founding. Distorted, warped, and just wonderful. Watch as actors and comedians are given to opportunity to be funny without the suits giving notes. If you liked “Mall Cop” and the Outback Steakhouse’s “Bloomin’ Onion” is a quest on Friday after work – then this movie is not for you. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmkjNb3jiJc

DenshoW #8

In this episode: A profile on Goju Ryu expert and author of “The Way To Black Belt”, Kris Wilder.  Self protection expert, Jamie Clubb, explains the OODA Loop & the Colour Code System and how it relates to street attacks.  What to expect from a Krav Maga grading.
Plus: The importance of a warm up, news and events.  Listen Here: http://www.thedenshow.com/denshow-8.html

This was the 10th Annual Marc “Animal” MacYoung BQQ and it was my first. If you don’t know who Marc is stop reading now and click here to get some background, you won’t regret it. Marc and Dianna MacYoung are two terrific host of an eclectic group of people. By eclectic, I am serious; there are people that if not at the BBQ would be arresting or fighting with each other – fascinating. The tone of the BBQ is established by Marc and Dianna, there are few rules, the ones that are in place are simple and respected.

This should help you get the tone of the weekend. One of the motels, where many of the people where staying had a shooter take it over one night. Yeah that is right some wacko barricaded himself in a room and was going at it. Somebody yells out from the upper lawn at that BBQ:

“Hey has anybody heard about the motel, can we get in yet?”

“I called the front desk–a cop answered.”

“Got it.”

insert sip of favorite beverage in hand.

Often I take my son on the road with me on these trips. These trips are a great opportunity for him to see the world and meet some people that he would otherwise never come into contact. My son threw knives, learned how to make improvised weapons, fight dirty, and met a couple of authors.

At the end of the day my son learned from a man that had taken an ax handle across the skull, had part of his ear bitten off, as well as other scars the most important lesson a young man can ever, ever learn.

“Be nice, walk away.”

It was one of the best weekends I have ever had.

“There is an old saying: ‘Leave one’s yard and find seven enemies.’ No matter how skilled one is in the martial arts, he will find himself unprepared if encountered off-guard. Ideally, then, one should constantly be in a state of preparedness.”
– Hironori Otsuka

There are a plethora of deadly objects out there that you may encounter on the street. Knowing how they work can give you a leg up on protecting yourself from harm. Major categories include hand weapons, knives, swords, mass weapons, pole arms, multi-element weapons, projectiles, and unusual weapons.Hand Weapons-Strike Enhancers; Control Devices

In 1972 Dick Cavett, in his fantastic talk show, interviewed Jerry Lewis. I know a bunch of you readers are saying, “Dick who, what?” but a long form interview where masters of their arts are able to go deep is rare these days.

I have always loved Jerry Lewis, faults and all. In his Dick Cavett interview he said this, when talking about the Hollywood process. It really resonates with me – well to the point that I put it here. Try it on and see how it feels.

“…but if you don’t follow your instinct and you follow the words of those on the perimeter you’ll wind up being what they think and you are not your own man, and nothing is worth that.”

See the interview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMStQOludDw

I suspect the other cowboys and slightly maladjusted sorts will find this a form of justification as I have. Few things are better than having a childhood hero uphold your behavior.

“Strive for progress, not perfection.” That statement, is a quote from somebody sometime, is really a releasing statement. I remember the first time I heard a form of it from my instructor. I had pulled him aside after class and was lamenting my ability to do the kata perfectly. He listened and then uttered the phrase, “Strive for progress, not perfection.” And he added, “Or quit because you aren’t having any fun.” Wow – lighten-up with yourself, or move on. Not what I expected to hear, not remotely, not even in the same universe. However he broke me out of a place in my life, as a young man, that was sorely needed. It was a midwest koan, decidedly designed to break me out of my thinking pattern. Oh, it didn’t happen over night, it took time to set in, but it worked. So I pass it on to you strive for progress, not perfection, be gentle with yourself – Lord knows the world won’t be.

My dojo has two rules of thumb that have held me in good stead.

1. An open-door policy

2. A transfer of credits

The open door is just what it sounds like, everybody is welcome to come on in and train. For those of you that have dropped in you know how it works, bring your gi (or whatever you have on) and let’s have some fun and share some martial arts. Now, of course a bad person will show their colors soon enough, and they have to leave the dojo. Yes, people have been asked to leave on a hand full of occasions.

The transfer of credits rule reads this way, “You earned it, you wear it.” Who am I to say that what you earned is not valid? Heck who is to say I might not get a thing or two from you? It is as if Harvard says to an applicant for law school, that the undergraduate work from Yale is not going to cut it. I believe in the transfer of credits; you did the work, you earned it, and you keep it.

So one way to look at this is I put it in reverse order of what has been common in the past – instead of judging you and making you submit to the rules of the dojo. I reverse it. I say come in and enjoy, and if you want to stay, stay.

It might not be your cup of tea, but like I said, it has held me good stead.

Bodybuilders are amazing. Bodybuilders have an enormous capacity for dedication and discipline, and I get their dedication and discipline, I respect it a great deal. Powerlifters, physically, look a lot different, I have a lot of respect for that as well. And members of the Navy SEALS look even more different. Respect for the SEALS, well the word respect falls a little short.

To a young man, the Bodybuilder is powerful, “Just look at him!” says the observer, ” The evidence is right in front of you.” Yes, Bodybuilders are strong, very strong, but they are first sculptors. Power-lifters are not sculptors they are power generating machines. Powerlifter bodies are a result of the function. The SEALS, with the legends of their can do, no quit, endurance and smarts are — well neither, and yet some of both.
Let’s compare the modern kata champion to the three previously mentioned; the Bodybuilder, Powerlifter, and Navy SEAL. Which one of these three is the modern kata champion most closely related too? The answer is the Bodybuilder.

The modern kata champion is about posing, and drama, two key elements to a good sculpture. Even the modern treatment of classic kata has turned these great summations of fighting knowledge into posing and drama. The unlinking of the body, disassociating arms from body, isolating muscles and stopping to, as Madonna once sang, “Strike the pose.” in search of a trophy, is a…fantasy.

I like to think of myself as pretty flexible – but on this issue, I have no flexibility.

So when I see a young man with spiked hair striking a pose that he saw on the cover of an anime magazine, I say, “Ok, there are worse things to do with your life.” however, know that they are closer to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Madonna then (insert any historical karate master’s name here).

The most distracted generation – ever, and boy does it show up on the dojo floor. I don’t mean the hyper-activity, the lack of attention of the ever popular ADD diagnosis I am talking about the thing I call the WIN syndrome it stands for “What Is Next.” mind frame. Yeah I made up the name WIN but the behavior is not new, it is part of youth you can see it demonstrated by simply watching adults and children eat ice cream.

Adults get a bowl, get some ice cream and take smaller, slower bites, the youth has has already emptied their bowl and are begging for more. This is adult v. child, and the WIN attitude is appropriate for kids. If you saw that behavior in an adult you would find it off putting, and certainly lamentable. Yet the WIN behavior is OK, to use in sports and of course the dojo, the syndrome is more about acquisition and not as much about — should I say enjoyment?

So I have to tell you a quick story here about an instructor I knew was doing a walk through of a health club with the karate instructor he was going to replace. The outgoing instructor asked of the incoming instructor, “You guys do weapons?” “Some.” was the reply, “Yeah I used to, but I mastered them and moved on.” nice…nice example of the WIN mentality.

Forget ADD, the WIN syndrome; hurry, acquire, amass, move on, it creates the distraction of always looking ahead and not being present with what is happening right here.

Oh and for the record I have to diagnose myself as recovering from WIN, years ago, sure, but WIN none-the-less.

Not that many years ago information was slow. Back in the seventies if I wanted some outside martial arts information it was a pig in a poke. A pig in a poke is a medieval term for just poking a bag at the market to confirm an animal was inside, but not looking to confirm the animal was pig.

O.K. enough with the slang.

To get martial arts information I had to buy a book out of the back of a magazine. That meant a two hour drive to a newsstand. Then I had to look over the books in the back of the magazine, reading the twenty-five word description. I went to town got a money order, filled it out and mailed it. Then I waited 6-8 weeks for delivery.

Like I said a pig in a poke.

Today information is at a volume like we have never seen in the history of man. Today you have multiple options like the library, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, etc. You can now examine information to your satisfaction.

However, a larger and deeper change has occurred, the sharpening, the quickening of the B.S. meter. Back in the seventies, and as a kid, if a technique or philosophy was printed in a book it was gospel. Back in the seventies if seven out of ten dentists said use Crest tooth paste – done. Today the quality and experience of the dentists is scrutinized and done so almost instantly.

The B.S. Meter needs to be sharp and fast. Today with the quantity and speed of information means that there is a lot of trash information, and it needs to be sussed out.

So yes, the information comes in a virtual torrent 24/7. The old pig in a poke method is dead. Everybody should know who they are buying a pig from, they should look in the bag to confirm that it contains a pig, and further examine the pig for infection or illness.

Yeah a good, quick B.S meter is an absolute necessity in today’s world or you may just find that the piglet in a poke you purchased was, in fact, not a pig at all but the much less valuable cat or dog.

The other day I bought a record album off the Internet for the first time (look at me — “record album”). It wasn’t too hard; within thirty seconds, I had a fresh digitally downloaded copy of Johnny Adams sings Doc Pomus.

The other day I had a parent ask me, “How much longer until my kid gets a black belt?” These two instances are very different and yet identical. The commonality is immediacy. A generation ago that would have been unthinkable. Well, to be honest, in my youthful ignorance and impatient attitude I did ask once — I didn’t do that again. It was just not done.

Today I have to handle those sorts of, “When is my next test?” questions differently than my instructor did back then. The reason is that most people buy a song off the web just like I did the other day. They used a fast pass to pay the toll on the bridge, not stopping, just whizzing by. They used a bus pass they renewed off the web. Heck, nobody waits in line for concert tickets anymore. So in a world where many needs are almost met instantly, why would the martial arts be any different?

The difference is this. To buy a really good musical instrument, say, a guitar, you go shopping. You need to go feel it; you might do some research, but the purchase of an expensive musical instrument takes time and actual physical contact. It is something you can’t get on the web or with a fast pass for tolls. You have to spend time and feel the art. Just like a good musician meld with the great instrument. You need to meld yourself with the techniques of your art.

The one thing that can’t be compressed and e-mailed is the dojo floor.

It sounds simple, obvious and true, but it is often over looked. Now I am not talking about the plateaus and valleys of normal training. What I am talking about are the cycles, the ups and down, and you need to recognize those for what they are. I am sure that many of you have had to push through tough times in your training and I am sure as well that you have experienced the joy of the break through on the other side. I am talking about having your enthusiasm leave your body. The enthusiasm slips away, drains away in such a way that you don’t notice until it is almost all gone, and you notice it in a moment of clarity, “I would rather…” you have had your moment of clarity. When this happens to students in my dojo, when they speak to me about this, I run their emotions through a quick protocol. Faith, Family, or Work, if martial arts are interfering with those three I give them a pass. I had ones student that said to me, “I am going to quit, my kids are in high school now and I need to be home in the evenings.” my response, “Absolutely, that makes perfect sense, the dojo door is always open, but family comes before this.” The result was a smile and hand shake and off he went. On the other hand, I have had students want to quit out of frustration, their lack of progress as they internally measure it. That is a plateau not based in Faith, Family or Work and has to be recognized for that. Here is a real simple way to measure this, If the student is leaving for something, that is fine, if they are leaving for nothing, we need to talk.

by Cathy B Stucker

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

My latest book is called Blinded by the Night (ISBN 978-1453662854). I leveraged experience gained from half a dozen critically acclaimed non-fiction books to take my first stab at fiction. Judging by early reviews I must have done a halfway decent job of it.

Here’s a plot summary:

Richard Hayes is a Seattle cop. After 25 years with the PD he thinks he knows everything there is to know about predators. The dregs of society like rapists, murderers, gang bangers, and child molesters are just another day at the office. Commonplace criminals become the least of his problems when he goes hunting for a serial killer and runs into a real monster. The creature not only attacks him, but merely gets pissed off when he shoots it. In the head. Twice!

Surviving that fight is only the beginning. Richard discovers that the vampire he destroyed was the ruler of an eldritch realm he never dreamed existed. By some archaic rule, having defeated the monster’s sovereign in battle, Richard becomes their new king. Now he is responsible for a host of horrors who stalk the night, howl at the moon, and shamble through the darkness. But, why would these creatures willingly obey a human?

When it comes to human predators, Richard is a seasoned veteran, yet with paranormal ones he is but a rookie. He must navigate a web of intrigue and survive long enough to discover how a regular guy can tangle with supernatural creatures and prevail. One mistake and things surely won’t end well…continued here.

Having things unclear and not defined in an easy manner is fun for me, I like things not to be too nailed down, it is where I find the juice.

Now there are things that I am pretty sure of, and many of those have come over years of work, conversation, and research and those are good. I think it is also good that you have little in life spoon fed to you, and it is good that there are gray areas, lots of gray areas in life.

A while back I can to the conclusion that I need not have an opinion on everything. “Sensei is this form of karate better than that form of karate?” Of course, the standard answer revolves around, “The person makes the style, not the other way around.” answer and that is a acceptable answer, but is “I don’t know.” valid too? “I don’t know.” is a perfectly acceptable answer, yes it is valid. You bet it is. And I would ask any of you out there, tell me that your applications and understanding of technique from years ago doesn’t give you a snicker or two as you look back on them? “Did I really believe that?” I know I do. Heck, I shake my head in disbelief at some of the hard cold facts I was utterly convinced where done and settled. These facts where an immutable attribute of the universe, no question.

So ambiguity is OK by me. The gray areas of ambiguity are a hunting ground, and further almost all information is provisional.

Be open, be confident, and don’t be foolish.

Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Mason, George Burns, Phil Silvers, likely most of these names don’t resonate with most readers out there. These people where entertainers, comedians and they worked every opportunity they got, one show a night, two on Saturday. It didn’t make any difference where the show was or how long it took for them to get their show.

These entertainers practiced, practiced, practiced, they pondered their performance, re-tooled, edited, and honed their shows in their minds, and on the stage. There is an old joke, “A tourist stops a New Yorker on the street and asks, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The New Yorker says, “Practice, practice, practice.”

If you want to see a fine example of this polishing of ones craft, and a little more modern than what I pitched at you earlier go watch the movie, Comedian with Jerry Seinfeld. The movie is an excellent example of polishing one’s craft. Further go to the after show dinner scene where Colin Quinn, Chris Rock and others talk about the bounces in their show, the structure, what killed and what bombed and how they can make their shows better.

Obsession, maybe, desire for a making the best show possible, certainly, consummate professionals…without a doubt.

If you go watch a copy of The KISS 1996/7 tour DVD, you will see a section of the documentary where all four members of the band are crammed in a small nondescript room, hammering out the songs, set list, stopping, starting again, getting it wrong and working it until they get it right.

So the recommendation is, get out their practice, – grind – it – out, be a consummate professional in your art. It is a tried and true formula that has stood the test of time.

Oh and you will like the movie, Comedian.

Hey you instructors out there, I have a question for you. Do you teach to the test or do you teach another way.  The issue at hand in my community schools is the “teaching to the test.” The teachers are faced with requirements that are placed upon them by the federal and state government, and the results had better show in the tests that students take. So, as you would expect the teachers are required, by the school administration, to teach to the requirements the state places on them that the federal has places on them. So you can see how teaching to the te st is institutionalized.

I have requirements, for tests, you need to be able to do the kata and do them correctly. You need to be able to defend yourself, and the other items that you would expect. However, I don’t teach to the test.

Often I am very casual about what I expect, “Look at the list, see what you need to be able to do, and do it.”is the kind of guidance I give. Rarely do I spend a lot of time nit picking over the person that is facing the test. I let them work it out, let them ask questions, and I casually watch only intervening is something is seriously out of whack.

The last test I held, the two candidates where working kata, and applications, over and over for a good month, focusing their attention tighter and tighter, honing their technique. The test however was going to be breaking, tameshiwari. They where at the level that they both needed to know how to project, hit, and focus, that is what tameshiwari is about, and about 20, to 25 boards later the test was done.

So teaching to the test, not a bad thing, showing how what you know can be applied outside your focused mindset, yeah that I like.

The End…it is officially here.

This is what we have come too? Anderson Cooper doing a special section of Food Bullies, and CNN doing an article? Here are a couple of clips for the CNN article and I have included the link at the bottom of the page if you want to throw away a minute or two.

“He said [he was] scared, and ‘sad that he would do that to me,’ and ‘mad that he would do that to me,’ and worried that it’s going to happen again,” the boy’s mother said.

“…doctors are becoming more conscious of a disturbing trend in children getting picked on for not being able to eat certain foods.”

“The school has to really address it. It’s not the child’s job to take care of this problem, because there is already an imbalance of power,”

What, the..?! That is what bullies do, they bully people! If you are different or weak, you are a target, it is that simple.

I don’t care if the entire European Union, China and the Western Hemisphere craft an anti bully policy and have to tattooed on every child’s forehead, Bullies will still exist. Bullies existed before this special group of food allergic kids became victims, and bullies they will exist after all of us are gone from this earth.

I will venture a guess that half of the readers here began the martial arts to deal with some bully issue, or a desire for more self esteem, and for those that stuck with it have benefited deeply.

Further I would say to those folks who’s children are food allergy bully victims, get your kid into Martial Arts, or a sport, for that matter. Either of these two physical activity will create a sense of accomplishment and self-worth that can never be granted by decree.

You can read in its entirety here. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/28/food.allergy.bullying/?hpt=T2