STANDING UP TO BULLIES
Noah learns confidence through jiu-jitsu
AFTER seven years of suffering at the hands of bullies at school, Noah Whittall is standing up to them with his new set of skills.
The Toowoomba student is one of dozens of children learning to deal with bullies through Brazilian jiu-jitsu, giving them the confidence and self-defence skills.
His mother Lizz said she entered her son and daughter Bella into the Galeb Brothers BJJ Toowoomba classes on Russell St because she was sick of watching Noah becoming isolated by his bullies.
“It’s been a rough time at school. It was physical as well as verbal, and isolating as well,” she said.
“The bully would target his friends and draw them away.
“There was one point where he didn’t have any friends at school.
“He was very upset, very withdrawn, always sad or angry or cranky.”
But after more than a year under the tutelage of head coach Alfred Campbell and Professor Fabio Galeb, Noah said the rate of bullying has dropped.
“This is pretty much my seventh year of it, but I don’t get any more really. I has taught me how to do self-defence,” he said.
“It’s given me an opportunity for me to stand up for myself and build up some self-confidence.
“It’s just about giving it your best and seeing what happens.”
Brazilian jiu-jitsu focuses on grappling and wrestling on the ground, with the sport’s concept being that a person can defeat a larger and stronger person if using the correct the technique.
Bullying in schools has become a national issue following the death of Warwick schoolgirl Amy “Dolly” Everett earlier this year.
Mrs Whittall said it was important for children to know there were alternatives to dealing with bullying.