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Elementary students learn about Taekwondo, how to address bullying
By Billy Ludt
canfield
For two weeks, an ele- mentary school gymnasium will act as a martial-arts dojo.
Students at C.H. Campbell Elementary will learn the basics of the Korean martial art tae kwon do under the instruction of master Justin Taylor, of Junior Tae Kwon Do School, 60 Boardman-Canfield Road, Boardman.
“How do we sit?” Taylor asked Kim Benson’s fourth-grade class.
“Like a black belt, sir,” the kids yelled back.
In the class, Taylor covered the basics of how to deal with bullying in school with a demonstration. In each class, he picked a student to play the bully, who would push Taylor and call him an insulting name.
He told students to talk to a bully, and not retaliate – to look them in the eye and tell them to stop.
“We’re teaching confidence,” Taylor said. He cites the adage “defeating conflict with confidence” when teaching the course.
The lesson continues on to covering telling, not tattling, what someone should do if the bully wants to fight and stranger awareness.
Next week, Taylor’s lessons will continue with an after-school program. It’s $20 per student, and runs after school Nov. 13, 15, 16 and 17. Then Nov. 18, enrolled students can go to Taylor’s dojo in Boardman for a pizza party and to earn a yellow belt, or a red “Canfield” stripe for current belt holders.
“I do this for the kids,” he said.
All of the money raised from Taylor’s class goes back to the school. Last year, the proceeds were used to buy new basketball hoops for C.H. Campbell.
Three of Taylor’s five children currently attend Canfield schools, and the other two will when they’re old enough.
Taylor said, in total, he’s raised around $12,500 in the past three years for Canfield schools through his program.
“When you have an obstacle in front of you, you’re not only physically breaking it, but you’re breaking through mentally too,” he said.
The object in this case is the wooden board students broke at the end of the first lesson with downward thrust fists or a spinning kick.
“It’s an awesome thing for kids to get a chance to do,” Taylor said. “It’s just another thing they’re achieving with me.”
At the age of 6, Taylor’s father enrolled him in a tae kwon do class. “The rest was history,” he said.
In 2004, Taylor took over Junior Tae Kwon Do School. He has given martial-arts instruction at the Future Soldiers program, to the Red Ranger from Power Rangers, Master Splinter from the last two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and has shared a meal with action movie star Chuck Norris.
Taylor has taught bully- prevention classes at Canfield schools for seven years, and specifically tae kwon do in the schools for three.
Aside from his time as a tae kwon do instructor, Taylor serves on Canfield school’s wrestling board. He also sought a seat on the district’s board of education.