“Back Off! Leave me ALONE!!!”

Written by Ms. Melissa Devolve visit: http://www.family-taekwondo.com

As a parent, what would you do if you heard your child yell the words, "Back off! Leave me alone!" If you were at a demonstration for The Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo, you would probably clap and give your child a thumbs-up.

In this day and age, abductions and crimes against children are more common than ever, so we are constantly reminding our kids not to talk to strangers. But to Olympian Barb Kunkel, owner of The Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo, (A.L.L. TKD), this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. For example, would your children know whether or not to accept a ride from a friend's parent? What if a teacher or coach offered to bring your son home? Do you have rules for when your daughter can answer the front door? Master Kunkel insists that all of her students' training include physical and mental safety exercises. At every level, each student must demonstrate self- defense drills customized to his or her age and skills. In addition, they must memorize and practice age-appropriate safety rules.

It amazes me to watch how quickly and actively the children at A.L.L. TKD embrace this part of their training - starting at white belt (beginner's level)! Picture a five-year-old girl being grabbed and yelled at by a 180-pound man. Does she cower? Does she cry? No - she instinctively jumps away and, with her hand held up in defiance, yells, "Back off! Leave me ALONE! Help, this IS NOT MY DAD!!!!!"

Master Kunkel is very serious about her students' ability to defend themselves. "At Life and Leadership Taekwondo, we have studied many ways of engaging kids in their own safety," she says. "After viewing a video created by Mr. John Walsh, I developed a strong curriculum that is easy and fun for kids to learn and remember. We categorize people into three groups: 1) Safe-Side Adults (parents/grandparents/guardians); 2) Don't Knows (you cannot talk to a Don't Know unless your Safe-Side Adult is with you; and 3) Kinda Knows (you can talk to a Kinda Know, but you cannot go anywhere with them without your Safe-Side Adult's permission)." It's important to note that in most abduction cases, children are taken by a 'Kinda Know' versus a 'Don't Know.' " In conclusion, she affirms, "My goal is to give kids the skills to be the first tier in their own safety, with their parents as the second line of defense."

"As a result of this curriculum," Master Kunkel continues "two instances come to mind that show how successful our program is. A mother stopped me one day to thank me for the safety rules I had been teaching her five-year-old son. Earlier that day, she had been shopping with him and he wandered off a bit. But he quickly returned to her side saying, 'Mom, I'm sorry I wasn't being a 10.' The mom, who hadn't noticed he had done anything wrong, asked what he meant. He replied, 'I was in the other area and you couldn't see my whole body. I'm sorry!' "

"The second story is funny," Master Kunkel recounts "but it shows just how ingrained our safety rules become. Two brothers, ages 6 and 15, had been students of mine for a while. The younger brother saw his older brother leaving our school with another adult friend. The younger brother asked his mom, 'Is that one of my brother's Safe Side Adults?' She laughed, but realized that her youngest son really did understand the concept."

To Master Kunkel and the rest of the staff at A.L.L TKD, taekwondo is so much more than kicking and punching. It provides an opportunity to reach out to our children and improve their awareness for whatever lies outside their front door. Whether dealing with strangers on the street or the bully in school, they will be prepared to defend themselves.


Our Taekwondo Family says. . .
START TODAY with
3 valuable SAFETY RULES:

1) Keep my Safe Side Adult (SSA) within visual sight! (My parents should be able to see my whole body.)
2) Don't speak to a "Don't know" unless my Safe Side Adult (SSA) is with me.
3) Keep my distance and use my Voice! SCREAM: "Help! This is not my Mom!"
OR "Help! This is not my Dad!" OR "Back off! Leave me alone!"

For further instruction and more information about Safety contact: 719-260-4700
Join us for a FREE Introductory Class to Martial Arts any Tuesday at 4:30 or 6 p.m.

Email: familytaekwondo@aol.com
http://www.alltkd.com/
http://family-taekwondo.com/