FLINT, MI (WNEM) -
Bullying is an issue making national headlines recently, and here in Michigan, it's been just a week since schools were forced by law to have bullying policies put in place.
But it's not just schools getting involved - now a world-renowned self-defense expert is in Mid-Michigan to teach students how to stand up to bullies.
Luke Davis said he is fed up with bullies at his school.
The 10-year-old is one of many students who are attending the Gracie Bullyproof Camp in Flint.
"I am sick and tired of bullies," Davis said. "We have a lot of bully problems, kids are getting picked on and I came here because I like defending myself."
Well-known anti-bully expert and self-defense instructor Rener Gracie from the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy in California is in charge of the summer camp.
"The Gracie Bullyproof program is a program that my brothers and I created to essentially give children the confidence to stand up to bullies and neutralize a threat verbally, verbally asserting themselves, as well as physical self-defense techniques," Gracie said.
Gracie said his goal is to help students gain confidence in themselves so they can talk a bully down.
"Being that bullies generally target children with low confidence, learning these self-defense techniques and building this confidence, it gives them the tools to stay safe," Gracie said.
About 100 kids will take part in the program over the next week, which was all funded through the Genesee County Community Mental Health Department.
"We've taught this class all over the world and Flint, being kind of a rough neighborhood for some kids, we think it's something that could change their lives in a very positive way," Gracie said.
Davis hopes the program will help him stand up for other kids and keep him from being a victim of bullying himself.
The camp is free of charge for students' ages 8 through 14 and it will wrap up on Friday.
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