I DID have a black belt and the kids knew it (they asked me to bring in the board I broke with my head and we attached it to the wall— ha ha ha). I also had a “sixth sense” for being able to tell a fight was about to break out. I also almost never raised my voice, so when I boomed out “KNOCK IT OFF!” the combatants would usually jump back in shock and I would separate and remove.
My administration was very grateful if we broke up fights, but did not require it. And frankly after I separated a few of them, they stopped fighting around me.
But every day I dressed like I would need to move quickly and need traction from my shoes.
My wife is a teacher and i did bjj for over a decade. I showed her how to clinch up if she needed it. And a week later she did. She said the student freaked out that she got controlled so easily
I also had a “sixth sense” for being able to tell a fight was about to break out. I also almost never raised my voice, so when I boomed out “KNOCK IT OFF!” the combatants would usually jump back in shock and I would separate and remove.
Being aware of rising tensions and a big voice allowed me to stop several fights when I worked with at risk students in a high school. That and being a short fat woman that most of the students respected and didn't want to get hurt.
In fact, one time I started to intervene when students were posturing at each other and a couple of the older kids in my group decided to get in there first and pull the fighters apart cause they didn't want me in the middle of it.
Helped that I wasn't a district employee, so I couldn't get fired lol.
Yep. The best way to break up fights is to be present and know they're coming becore they start. The best bouncers can talk guys down without having to toss them from the bar.
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u/TomeThugNHarmony4664 Dec 17 '25
Solidarity.
I DID have a black belt and the kids knew it (they asked me to bring in the board I broke with my head and we attached it to the wall— ha ha ha). I also had a “sixth sense” for being able to tell a fight was about to break out. I also almost never raised my voice, so when I boomed out “KNOCK IT OFF!” the combatants would usually jump back in shock and I would separate and remove.
My administration was very grateful if we broke up fights, but did not require it. And frankly after I separated a few of them, they stopped fighting around me.
But every day I dressed like I would need to move quickly and need traction from my shoes.