Children and Young People
Aikido is fun – it gives you the opportunity to make new friends, try out a martial art and amaze yourself with what you can do!
But for a few children the fun is spoilt by adults who do or say things during aikido that hurt or frighten them. What these children are experiencing may be abuse. And they may feel they have no one to talk to about it. Or that no one will listen to them or believe what they say.Your coaches are there to help you learn safely and enjoy aikido. This means respecting you and making sure they are a good role model – leading by example .
They should not speak to you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable – they must not bully you to make you do things. They must treat you as an individual and make sure the dojo is a safe place safe for you to train in.
Remember it’s your right to enjoy your aikido – don’t let anyone else spoil it.
- If your coach needs to have physical contact to correct a technique or your positioning, they need to explain this to you and check you are ok with this. If you are not comfortable with physical contact, you have the right to say no.
- If you are worried about the way a coach or anyone involved in aikido is behaving towards you, there are people you can talk to.
Choose someone you trust and speak to them now; remember it needs to be an adult.
Or you can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. It’s free unless you use a mobile, and available all day, every day
Is something at aikido worrying you?
If you are worried about something that is happening to you these pages will:
- help you understand what child abuse is
- explain what to do if you are being abused or are worried about someone at your aikido club
- tell you about some special helplines and give you links to other websites that will listen to you and give you helpful advice.