Local karate dojo holds anti-bullying seminar

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and to spread the message of sharing kindness and bullying prevention, Kato Karate in Mankato started a bullying prevention seminar two years ago, which now takes place each year.

Karate Chop Bullying was started in Burbank, California in 2022. They had a red-carpet press event where a lot of action movie film stars went to, like Don the Dragon Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock, and Michael D. Cohen.

Tim Flynn wants everyone to know that Karate Chop Bullying isn’t what they think it is. “We’re not trying to karate chop bullies, okay?” Tim Flynn, owner of Kato Karate, said. “It’s really about teaching kids how to respect themselves. One thing that a bully would do or a kid who’s participating in bullying activity behavior is going to try to ruin your confidence. When the kid’s confidence gets ruined, they get negative thoughts in their head.”

The whole point of the seminar is to teach the kids how to be kind to themselves. Tim goes on to say that it is really hard to be kind to others if we are not kind to ourselves.

At the end of the seminar, kids will be able to write down what is holding them back on a wooden board, and then to symbolize overcoming whatever is holding them back, they break the board. “They’re breaking that negative talk that’s in their head,” said Tim. “They’re going to break that, so it doesn’t exist anymore. So that’s kind of the idea of the board break.”

The seminar will take place Tuesday October 29 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mankato Family YMCA. Kids can be signed up for the seminar at katokaratemn.com. Also note that Emily Schumacher, Miss Minnesota of 2024, will be a special guest there.

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