Stranger Danger

Stranger Danger

At Vortex Martial Arts, we teach your kids stranger danger and how to kick, scream, scratch, and poke to get themselves either out of harms way or make sure that everybody in the world hears them and comes to their aid.

Kidnapping Statistics

A child is reported missing or abducted every 40 seconds in the United States. This comes up to over 2,000 kids per day under the age of 18 or 800,000 per year!

Always the goal should be to keep your kids from ever having to kick and scream because that means they are already in the clutches of their kidnapper so here are a couple of tips to help them from even getting close to danger.

1. Talking to strangers – telling your kids not to talk to strangers is not always the best thing. They might have it in their head that a stranger is somebody that is dirty, tattered clothes, and wearing a black cape when in reality people with the worst intentions look like a normal next door neighbor. Teach your kids who they can look for in a time of need: Police Officers, Firefighters, School Crossing guards, Teachers, other adults that might be walking with their kids.

2.Strength in numbers – if your child walks to school then make sure they know to walk with others kids. Don’t let your child go somewhere alone even if you’re just two aisles over.

3. Never accept gifts, candy, or toys unless they get your permission first. Remember that if you punish your child for taking something that they shouldn’t have or something that made them uncomfortable, they might be hesitant to tell you everything.

While these tips are helpful, sometimes they aren’t always followed and in reality if a bad person is persistent it won’t matter how safe your child has been. That’s where we can teach the other stranger danger techniques. At Vortex Martial Arts not only do we show your child how to kick, scream, scratch, bite, or punch but they get to practice it. There’s a huge difference in just telling your child how to do it and actually letting them do it themselves. If the time ever comes when they need to use these techniques it’s an instant reaction and gives them valuable time to be heard or to inflict the necessary pain, whatever way possible, to free themselves.

Warning!

What you’re about to see is a video of a little girl in the process of being kidnapped. That is, until she remembered her stranger danger training and forcing the man to let her go.

 

“I was kicking and screaming, and then he put his hand over my mouth, but I kept kicking,” she said.

The man is seen on store surveillance footage carrying Baxter as she thrashes around, trying to get away. Once she starts kicking the man puts her down and takes off running.

Protecting our children is one of our most important jobs as being a parent. Come by our dojo or contact us TODAY at any of our locations in Leander, Cedar Park, Abilene, or West Bloomfield Michigan and see what we can do together to keep your child safe and out of stranger danger.