Martial arts school to hold anti-bullying program

SCHERERVILLE | In the movies, Ralphie finally has had enough and beats his tormentor, who's about a foot taller and 50 pounds heavier, to a bloody pulp.

Too bad the real world doesn't often produce such feel-good scripts.

"But there are others ways to prevent a kid from being bullied," U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Ramon Callazo said. "Physically fighting back, especially if it's against someone much bigger, is not always the best option."

The Chicago native and Michigan City-based recruiter has been giving anti-bullying courses at various local schools. Now, Callazo has teamed up with Corral's Martial Arts to hold similar classes at CMA's Schererville school starting Feb. 25.

"One advantage in holding such a class here is that it's more private," CMA owner and head instructor Braulio Corral said. "They don't have to worry about their peers from school knowing that they're participating in something like this.

"Coming here puts them more on neutral ground."

The classes will devote time to self-defense techniques.

"But we mainly want to help kids build their confidence," Collazo said. "Make them better able to stand up for themselves ... to speak out and better cope with situations."

The class will address various types of bullying: physical, verbal, emotion and -- a form that has proliferated as of late -- cyber.

"From what I hear from my younger (martial arts) students, that has really taken off," Corral said of cyber bullying. "One of the ways to avoid it is to not contribute to it.

"For some people, it's just too easy to post something malicious online."

Collazo, who's a 16-year veteran, remembers being the victim of a bully when he was young.

"I was a quiet and shy kid," he said. "I made myself a target."

One of the goals of the class is to help establish a "networking" strategy among students.

"We'll hand out these wristbands," Collazo said of the gray-green Army Strong plastic bands. "Kids who wear them at school will be more able to recognize others who are part of the program, and band together to discourage bullying when they see it."