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Bullying has been a problem for children since the beginning of time and certainly since schools were invented. No one wants their child to be bullied. However the reality is that at someone most children will be bullied in some way or another. The sad truth is that you won't always know about it or be able to prevent it.

So how can you best prepare your child to defend themselves? Of course in the reverse you also do not want your child to be a bully themselves or to inflict a serious injury on another child landing both them and you in serious trouble. This means that while there are many martial arts or fighting systems that can be effective for adults they are not always the best for children who may not be able to control themselves or know when they need to stop short of doing serious damage to their attacker.

Tae Kwon Do and many styles of karate have been popular with kids and teenagers however perhaps the best martial art that should be taught to kids for self defense is Judo. There are several reasons for this. Firstly Judo is designed without an emphasis on size and strength and is actually perfectly formulated for use against a larger opponent by using their weight and force against them. This is done primarily through a series of throws and joint manipulation techniques.

Secondly Judo is ideal for children to use against bullies or in a school environment as the holds and locks that are taught are created not to inflict damage on an opponent but to control them. This way your child can take down a larger opponent and keep them restrained until either they have cooled off and given up or a teacher comes to the rescue. Judo is also great for kids as it is one of the few traditional martial arts that remains that maintains it's teachings on principals and virtues. These include honesty, loyalty, friendship, work ethic and a respect for others and their elders.