Victim of bullying? Self-defense master wants to help

Sean LaBute. (Stefanie Masotti/CTV News Windsor)

A master in self-defense has launched an anti-bullying contest called ‘Bully Bust’, ahead of Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week next week.

Sean LaBute, President and head coach of Honey Badger Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Essex want victims of bullying to share their story.

“I see abused kids. I see bullied kids. I see kids with injuries from those situations,” said LaBute, who is also a Registered Respiratory Therapist and former teacher of Bioengineering at St. Clair College. “It’s scary.”

His biggest accomplishment is helping kids stand up for themselves.

“Confident children are strong children. Strong children are ‘unbullied’ (sic) children,” said LaBute, who has experienced lasting scars from bullying first-hand.

“My dad had a business and lost it all. I was plunged into poverty,” he explained.

“I was small kid. I was obviously a target. I had no fight.”

According to the Windsor Essex County Health Unit’s (WECHU) website 20 per cent of students report being bullied.

“I feel horrid for these today’s teenagers. When I was young, if you got beat up, you got beat up and you got teased for a couple weeks and that was it.” said LaBute.

“Now it’s forever, right? One phone and you’re forevermore immortalized.”

LaBute is reaching out to underprivileged kids.

He is encouraging victims to write about their experiences and enter the Bully Buster contest.

“I want kids and families and moms and teachers to know that it’s in complete confidence as if I were to be taking care of patients,” he explained.

The first-place winner will receive a one-year membership to Honey Badger Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Essex along with a full set of Muay Thai kickboxing gear. The second-place winner will receive a six-month membership. Both will also be featured on social media.

“It’s a social media forcefield. If they know the kid and can visibly see the child doing mixed martial arts, and you see that you have black belt coaches around him you have professional mixed martial arts artists around him,” he said.

“You have a very big, supportive and tough, tough family. They don’t get bullied.”

Contestants must be between the ages of five and 18.

Submission will be accepted until Dec. 31.

More contest details can be found here.