Charlee's BJJ Transformation (A Gracie Bullyproof Project)

[@lightsout303]

I was Charlie 30 years ago! I was bullied a lot, beat up and hospitalized twice, my mom put me in boxing and karate and by the time I was in 8th grade the same bully and his friends that tormented me through middle school stopped once I was able to fight back. I will NEVER forget watching Jonny Warren sobbing with a bloody face and everyone cheering! That suspension was worth my life! Crazy twist was in highschool, Jonny was getting bullied and for some reason I helped him....life is weird I guess. I love Charlies story!! Made me tear up because I know how scared she was, boxing/mma/jujitsu is the foundation of who I am, I'm grateful for these skills and fully train my own kids, so hopefully they dont fall victim to bullies! Respect eachother, we're only here for a short time!

[@Jude13able]

Sometimes bullies need a good beat down.

[@anooseholay]

I love the fact you used his real name and I hope he learned an important lesson too.

[@notdisplayed2617]

I know I'm just a random fuck on the internet, but your story reminded me of a music video (bloodywood- endurant) that is about bullying and if you get a chance you should check it out.

[@karlo134652]

Dude you are a hero with big heart. I will pass this story to my kids how power should be on good use.

[@randyblackburn9765]

I graduated HS in 1969 there were two bullies who the larger would team up with and bully the weak . There was this tall black guy named tommy who was so great that you could not make him mad . Once on the Ball diamond while Tommy was catching they hit him in the knee with a rock and Tommy came unglued and ran and stood over him and ask M.... F... you want to fight? . The bullies were scared to death after the other guys surrounded and said have at him they won’t gang you . What ever you Soweth so shall you reap . Fast forward to the 1990’s and the bully’s son did the same thing he teamed up with a larger bully and beat a man to death. Both bullies have life with no parole and the bully from my H S had a nervous break down and is now dead .

[@natrelacoustix]

Ten year's ago when my youngest son was still in high school, 11 other pupils attacked him. This happened in full view of nearly a dozen teacher's, who witnessed it from the staff room window. Unfortunately for the 11 other kid's and fortunately for my son he's trained in MMA. He took out all 11 of them on his own. At one point according to one teacher, holding one kid in an arm lock and knocking out another kid who ran at him. Now... You would think my son would be applauded for defending himself and the other kids punished for the unwarranted attack ( they said they were bored), but no! I was called to the school to be told that many of the teacher's were in shock because of the extent of the violence my son used to protect himself. Another one of the teacher's likened it to horror film violence. They forced my son to have anger management classes or be expelled, even though at no time did he loose his temper. He stayed calm and used his training. I would've taken him out of the school, but my son stepped up to it all and said screw 'em Dad, I'm only here for another 6 month's anyway. My son is a medical nurse caring for dementia patients now... Does that sound like someone with anger issues? Some school's have idiot's running them.

[@aldooze]

Most public schools are ran by incompetent lunatics

[@shinbakihanma2749]

I'm someone who believes in the most brutal of violence against anyone who would genuinely want to do you harm, especially against bullies. I believe you have the right to do anything you see fit to defend yourself if the context and specifics of the incident call for it. So, if what happened to your son is true, then he did his job. Violence is a good thing when used for the right reasons.

[@Darksaige]

That's what I'm talking about!! You and your son are REAL ONES! My response to the school council would've been "if needed, he'll do it again"

[@jmanzew4146]

They picked the wrong one. Glad he fought back and that he's doing well now.

[@kylerlemieux9267]

The entire "teachers are important" idea is Bs. Basically every interaction with a teacher is training on how to handle a dipshit boss.

[@twizz420]

I remember being bullied in school and the weirdest thing about it was always that if you went to a teacher or prinicpal and told them, I'd be the one in trouble and not the actual bully. They don't want to admit there's an issue, so they want you to be quiet and put up with it. I got suspended for being faceplanted into the pavement during recess. The person who did it, wasn't in trouble at all. One day I was playing soccer with some kids during recess and I was goalie. I stopped a kid from getting a goal, so they proceeded to knock me to the ground and all start kicking me while I laid on the grass. They said "we didn't see it, so there's nothing we can do". There wasn't that many kids at the school. How could they not see a group of 5 kids standing around kicking another kid on the ground? I can even remember one time they called my parents in and accused them of beating me at home, when the reality was that I was being bullied during school and they just didn't want to do anything about it. I still remember them asking me who did it, and when I told them the students' names, the principal and secretary acted like I was lying to get them in trouble, despite them knowing exactly what was going on. The last day of school in Grade 5, I got shoved and locked in a locker for 3 hours after everyone else left. The janitor eventually heard me crying and had to let me out. That locker was 10 feet from the principal's office. That stuff doesn't just affect you as a kid and then you grow out of it. It stays with you for life. No kid should have to endure that.

[@jasonhutchins9239]

Cool name bong jovie! I that sounds pretty horrible

[@kingpin7610]

Our government should build a school for bullies. If a student had a case of bullying other children. they should put the kid there. to teach the kid a lesson so the kid can taste it's own medicine

[@kingpin7610]

Cramp all the bullies in one room that would be fun

[@t.3454]

Wow! Difficult story. I'm so sorry you were bullied in such a horrible way. No one deserves this. I hope and pray you have found peace in you life.

[@mandalovescatspandas1781]

::big hugs::

[@JohnnyJitsu11]

“I’m going to be fine”, “why”…BECAUSE IM BULLYPROOF”. Man! That touched my soul! I’m so happy for her and the family! Gracie! Keep up the strong work! Charlee, we’re cheering for you!

[@ronaldmoore6619]

Who is she going to be able to defend herself against. A 4 year old girl?

[@JL-fx5cm]

@@ronaldmoore6619 She will be able to subdue any girl her age. If that causes a problem and girls want to gang up on her, then she can bring in a few of her classmates. Case closed. Apparently you don't train.

[@frankignatius2507]

@@ronaldmoore6619 Hopefully, she will continue training thru out her whole life. The lessons themselves are priceless! Gracie Combatives helps my confidence. Imagine for Charlee!

[@amberharmsen2497]

@@JL-fx5cm in this day and age even if you defend yourself your still gonna get in trouble No classmate is going to help out

[@JL-fx5cm]

@@amberharmsen2497 Amber. I agree with you regarding classmates. I'm referring to her fellow BJJ peers. In my training, you are who you roll with...on the mat.

[@StevenLeeStudios]

The smile on her face the whole time shows you how important it is to just give a child the utmost attention. She wants to be there knowing it's going to be one of the most beneficial things to learn is how to defend yourself. Amazing job you guys. You are doing the world wonders

[@OkinawanLovers]

Martial arts is so much more than the actual fighting skills brother. They gave her plenty of tools for life, and life is much more than just defending yourself

[@not1iota229]

@S K My Dad is stronger than yours.

[@CaptainShonko]

@S K Comedy genius!

[@billybuttraider]

@S K oh yeah well I can beat you after you beat him

[@denisbenett9479]

It’s school responsibility to take care of our children’s when we work our asses and that’s the result? Shame

[@lovingmychristianlife5677]

Hell no! Principal valued a class or meeting over my child’s safety and well being. I would have immediately called the police and filed an assault case against the other child. That wasn’t bullying, it was assault plain and simple! I had to deal with my daughter being bullied at school. They want to sweep it under the rug. You must stand up for yourself and your children.

[@PD-yd3fr]

Many times your child will face people they do not know, not only at school. Your child has to know not only how to defend themselves, but how to stop an attack and retreat (punch throat, sternum and genitals) you are not going to be there to protect your kids. The Police do not protect you or your child, their only duty is to arrest and punish the person after you have been harmed

[@OakleyAirN10777]

I completlely agree! My poor daughter, who is now 13, was being bullied in school too & as a parent, you want to both protect her & seek vengence. I literally felt so much rage that I wanted to go to the school & snatch those kids up myself! I've never laid a finger on my child, by God & neither was anyone else. The school didn't do a damn thing to protect her & ultimately, my daughter ended up moving an hour away to go live with my grandmother & go to a private Christian school where they all wear the same uniforms & don't have so much social struggle. I live directly in front of our local school system & it is horrific that instead of walking to school, she now lives an hour away from ME but I had to protect her when no one else would!

[@jaxjax3494]

Go mama Pit Bull!

[@dreknows]

Why I taught my kid bjj and wrestling b4 he could walk . Too many bad ppl unfortunately

[@definitlynotbenlente7671]

when you are a kid assault and bullying are the same you just do not get punished for it

[@eduardomorales7022]

The amount of personal development she went through, both physically, emotionally, and mentally is clear. Amazing.

[@tubester4567]

I go to learn Tae Kwon Do but I pick the wrong teacher and I learn No Kan Do

[@YooToobz]

Also a father of a once bullied child. I understand the mother’s pain, but more so anger that almost got me in serious trouble. I respect how they handled this and so happy for and proud of the young lady for choosing not to adopt a victim mentality. Really proud of you. Stay strong. Stand your ground and take no shit from anyone. Don’t start it, but damn sure don’t take it. 💪🏽 👊🏽

[@richardcranium9025]

That is exactly what I was taught. DO NOT start anything, but you can damn well finish it.

[@callanphillips336]

You sound like a good dad👍🏽

[@matthewsmith1927]

Sorry that happened, man. I too don’t know that I’d be able to stay out of jail.

[@matthewsmith1927]

How did you remedy the situation? Boy or girl?

[@michaelcorrigan6577]

Dont start it & dont take it. Damm straight!

[@CosMo1979]

That picture of her with the broken tooth made me almost cry as a father of two girls. So good to see that there are people who could manage to help her.

[@hanafields6374]

These kids being bullied just break my heart, as a parent it makes me cry every time!! Thank you so much Gracie Jiujitsu for giving these kids the confidence to move forward

[@FerDeLira]

I'm not even a parent, and was never bullied as a kid, but it really breaks my heart to see kids (and honestly people in general) having to deal with bullies. She looks like a sweet girl and it's amazing to see her be more confident and able to stand up for herself.

[@CD-vb9fi]

Yea, it is heart breaking, and sadly the school system as it is really promotes bullying too. It's crazy that bullies feel empowered to do these things.

[@colonelkabob5321]

@@CD-vb9fi I'm no fan of the public school system, but this is a societal issue. Unfortunately there will always be bullies because there will always be crappy parents.

[@CD-vb9fi]

@@colonelkabob5321 You missed my point. Yes what you said is true, but my point is that the system we create in school is promoting it. So even without bad parents we are going to create them. Zero Tolerance policies where those defending themselves also get into trouble invites it. There should be no punishment for people that defend themselves, unless it is clear that their response was disproportionate. And I mean clear! The cowards expecting everyone to be nice all the time and act like sheep, or else, are the problem.

[@molasorrosalom4846]

You can't blame the schools and bullying has existed forever. It's not some new phenomenon

[@preciousmetalhead5155]

Being able to defend yourself as a kid is more important than people realize. It gives you a sense of confidence that you can’t get anywhere else. I got bullied a lot as a kid. Once I realized I could stand up to them and not take it any longer my whole life changed. Stoked for this kid! These guys are truly good humans.

[@rblxplaysmochax6808]

That confidence will last a lifetime will get you on ladders will never be a Negative

[@robd1329]

Its a good thing I Thai-box! I want my son to be a lethal weapon!!!

[@kristopherleslie8343]

Same here I got bullied daily/weekly so it’s never a good look for anyone including the schools!

[@Anonymous8317]

100% and you realize 99% of that is hot air and just talk…but, sometimes you get beat and life sucks…gotta take that too and pick yourself back up. My dad said if you know it’s unavoidable (and it better be) ….throw the first punch and win….but either way…you’re in trouble…and he kept his word. Bully’s fault, I won….still didn’t catch any breaks on the punishment but I knew he was cool with it…he taught me there are consequences regardless.

[@Moetastic]

20 years ago, I was bullied pretty bad, my Mom signed me up to tae kwon do courses to help me get those self defense skills. In my 9th grade that same Bully tried to attack me within the first month of highschool, but at this point I had grown physically stronger and knew how to punch back. Lets just say I had an uneventful highschool life after that.

[@RisaBeesa]

I’ve been wondering what ever happened to this little girl after she was attacked by that bully. This brought a smile to my face to see her stronger and more confident than ever. So many kids need this. 💚

[@juicebox86]

As the father of a girl, this is the best stuff. Love and respect Gracie family.

[@cwright8293]

My son was getting bulled so he joined wrestling . He lost every match his first year but after a summer of jiu-jitsu he has gotten a lot better and 1000x more confident.

[@artemthetrain14]

Dang man, that's awesome. Not awesome that he was getting bullied, but awesome that he did something about it, lost a ton, and is still grappling. Props to your son 💪

[@CylinderHeadE60]

The worst wrestler on the team is better than 99% of people on the street. I know because I’m the worst wrestler at my gym lol

[@boliusabol822]

+Carlton what's the use if in school if you wrestle a bully you'd get suspended! If a bully is teasing somebody and that somebody can wrestle the bully but he's in school and you get suspended or expelled for any physical contact then what's the use?

[@cwright8293]

Confidence and a child with more freinds from the team and more Confidence is less likely to get bullied

[@boliusabol822]

​@@cwright8293 You are assuming there is a school BJJ team or something. When it comes to confidence, a person could be confident with computers, confident with karate. It doesn't necessarily translate to social confidence. Friends can help if they are cool socially skilled friends at the school, but if a person goes to BJJ classes, that has nothing to do with her school. What does make a difference is the school made news which would have shamed the school.. When that girl decided to go back to the school there would have been some tough conversations with the school and the school doing a lot to make sure the bullying stopped, heavily penalising anybody that would dare bully her, maybe people being nice to her. I'm sure there were great answers that worked but not simply join BJJ classes. If a computer nerd like Bill Gates were bullied but knew how to grapple somebody, and the school didn't offer grappling and banned anybody from that kind of physical contact then it won't help. Or if the school offered Judo but the bully didn't do judo so wouldn't get beaten there, it wouldn't help. I suppose what could help is if somebody is known to be good at grappling or BJJ or even known to be a student of it then some might be wary. But if somebody is just taking BJJ classes and being quiet about it, it won't help. .I remember a friend's school actually had a Judo class.. not really a team..The people in their judo class weren't exactly friends but just people in that class. And only a fraction of the class did Judo anyway. And there was no special respect given to those that did it over those that didn't, 'cos outside of judo all physical contact was penalised.

[@Bellski]

As a father of a young lady I'm so happy to see how this turned out. Bravo to everyone involved and especially young Charlee!

[@Rich32262]

I'm a 59 year old man and this brought tears to my eyes. The Gracie's are a God send. So happy I found a 2nd family in Jiu Jitsu.

[@roberthorry621]

I'm gay

[@Rich32262]

@@roberthorry621 And that's relevant because?

[@thenjdevil5102]

@@Rich32262 he’s just being weird on a really meaningful comment, just another shitty troll, and I found a lot of really cool people through BJJ already

[@viperdemonz-jenkins]

@@Rich32262 he is just an ass mocking you for saying you where brought to tears, do not let the bottom feeders get to you.

[@Rich32262]

@@viperdemonz-jenkins i appreciate it, they didn't get to me, I just find it sophomoric.

[@johnmetcalf6104]

As a father of three daughters about Charlees age, this hit close to my heart. If my daughters were treated this way at school, the principal would have way more to worry about than his silly class. Charles seems to be a beautiful, bright young girl who doesn't deserve being treated this way. I'm so glad she took the time to learn BJJ. My oldest daughter who is 17 started BJJ when she was about 11. It gave her so much confidence to know she could handle herself. Good job Charlee.

[@terrao4971]

This is exactly what I want to see!!!! If a kid (or anyone really) is being bullied, they should be allowed to fight back and know how to protect themselves! I’ve been in this situation where my friend was assaulted and I defended her. Although I was suspended from school for 3 days, my parents took me out to dinner that night after it happened.

[@GracieBreakdown]

Thanks for all the support everyone. Find a Gracie Bullyproof Certified Training Center or learn the entire program from home at GracieUniversity.com

[@Nom1fan]

Damn dude, I cried. You guys are the best!

[@marvwhite1965]

My 6year old daughter is 6 class in. She loves it.

[@interestingtopics419]

dear gracie huge respest from india

[@drjimjam1112]

You guys are so awesome!!!

[@psychlos21]

Rener and Ryron Gracie are amazing human beings who share the gift of Jiu-jitsu to humanity. Those that train are part of a close knit family.

[@DigiacomoDave]

This is the exact reason I got my daughter in Jiu Jitsu! She's more confident and tough. A-hole kids can't hurt her with words anymore and she's not afraid of anyone! She stands up for her friends, not afraid to vocalize herself. Also great for stress relief and overall physical fitness!

[@Dogen70]

Perfectly worded

[@Duke_of_Prunes]

I put my daughter in JKA Karate at age 5. She's 16, now, and has never been bullied.

[@rapsack7058]

I trained judo and martial arts since i was 8 years old. And i trained a lot with girls and later with woman. And it was allways so amzing how they changed mentaly. They came as shy and insecure persons..and they grow to confident and selfsecure persons. And the special best thing is, this confindence is an inner confidence. It does not depend on the getting attention from boy sor that others applaude them or winning the contest of the peittiest one....NO the this confindence is completely unrelated how others react to them..This girls and woman became truely independend.

[@Duke_of_Prunes]

@@rapsack7058 Well said.

[@jessicabarber5224]

Had a friend teach my two young girls MMA self defense lessons when they were 6-8 and repeated it through the years. Once my child had a problem with a boy on the bus who threatened her. I matched into principals office and made it very clear. I said "my girls know 3 different ways to break an arm. I encourage them to not fight but if they do get into a fight to make an example out of that kid and break an arm. I would be much happier paying for THAT kids medical bills then MY kids ones." Principal seemed shocked but I told him it was his choice. He can step up and stop this from escalating or he can let my kid stop it. They took immediate action and the issue was stopped. I got a lot of side eye but I don't care! I only wish I had beaten up my school bullies YEARS before I finally did. I hadn't because I was the "good kid". A couple of black eyes on other people stopped that immediately. I took that lesson to heart and have taught it to my kids ever since

[@VerbalGOAT]

@@generallobster well put, unfortunately that may be what just happened in Michigan

[@UberDAHnooB]

@@generallobster You have to be careful making sensible comments like that toward people these days. Everyone is so easily offended and scared that they can take that as a threat and try to go after you. It's like the system is catered to help oppressive people and leave those of us that actually value life in the gutter.

[@minkorrh]

@@generallobster That's because we are raised under the thin veil of this 'social lie' that we have evolved somehow to be 'better' than that, but it's a pile of horseshit, as the young guy who I caught trying to steal my car found out 3 weeks ago. As a kid I was always one of those people to shut the bully down with fast, violent action if need be, and yes I was in trouble a lot but for good reasons. Your mother is one of those people that would be shocked if something bad happened to her, but that's society's fault. Many men are acutely aware of the realities of our society and how quickly it can go sideways, but we protect women and treat them like some sort of special class, so don't be surprised when she glosses over an important issue such as revenge as society simply doesn't prepare them for violence, whereas with men, it's always implicit. Prepare yourself. Your post reminds me of the Rotheram Scandal, where (estimates are in the thousands) of young girls were systematically groomed and forced into s*x work by primarily a specific class of immigrant, but the police did nothing for years as they were afraid of being called 'racist'. I know exactly what would have happened were it my child. You'd have read about in the paper, for weeks.

[@agatankh]

Yes, the best way to stop a bully is to stand up to them. Most of them are cowards when they can see you can defend yourself. Unless they're too big, in that case you have to choose your battles.

[@lotusflowerinbloom]

Hell yeah mama bear! I love that you stood up for your kids and taught them to stand up for themselves too!

[@TheRealMadDogMac]

Thank you for the update! I’ve been wondering about Charlie. As a parent, what happened to Charlie breaks my heart, but I am so proud of Charlie & all the work she has put in on her journey to become bully proof! A big thank you to the instructors that reached out to work with her! 🙏

[@manubishe]

You think Rener let his kids skip their practice?

[@codinginflow]

I hope she keeps a that new hobby and one day becomes a black belt

[@maxspeakstruth9988]

I hope so as well

[@brtko_marek]

goerge saint pierre became UFC champion because of bullying... so maybe?

[@871jamie]

It’s not a “hobby” it is a lifestyle.

[@adrizel4141]

@@brtko_marek he said it wasn’t just bullying it was a lot of things combined

[@marcobalderrama1962]

Not a hobby a discipline😀😀😀

[@johnbarney5787]

You guys are F'ing AWESOME! I was bullied in school and HATE bullies. Since you weren't a thing in the 70's and 80's I did my own thing...I signed up at 17 into the United States Marine Corps. The self confidence gained by either you or my way not only prevents bullying it prevents actual physical confrontation. Thank you guys for doing so much good. I see the enthusiasm and goodness you put into BJJ , showing it isn't just a business for you

[@gfersurvived6622]

@ John Barney When I was in school I relentlessly bullied this boy, after he graduated he enlisted. Any way I stayed in our small town n had a couple kids ran into him later and my jaw literally dropped. He was holding himself so proud. He was actually very handsome.

[@rmeugne]

I had the privilege of training jiu-jitsu under Jeff Kim for about a year. Jeff is one of the best instructors of any discipline or study I have ever encountered. I miss Fusion and miss Jeff and all of my fellow students of jiu-jitsu. I'm glad to see things are going well and Charlee is getting the training she needs under one of the best persons I've ever encountered!

[@martinmartin8666]

"Safety is always our first priority. " Also Principal: I'm on a very important meeting on my computer. Not to sound tough,but if that was my daughter, I would knock his tooth out too..

[@molasorrosalom4846]

It's hard though, I'm sure being a Principal, you have to deal with crap 24/7

[@stipidman93]

@@molasorrosalom4846 they never deal with real crap and never punish bullies

[@ThatKidBryan]

@@molasorrosalom4846 thats the whole point of the job

[@poncho7626]

@@molasorrosalom4846 Nah man, fuck that. If my kid were being bullied and there was zero action from the people who are supposed to be protecting said child when I can't, the person in charge is getting just as much as the child got. If I'm off doing my job, he can do his.

[@jamesrandal5442]

Beaten up by Gang of scum

[@zoritsanepenthe638]

Putting my son, who was 13 at the time, in Tae kwon do and Hapkido was the best thing my husband and I had done. He was bullied for sticking up for another kid who was absolutely tormented from elementary through high school. It gave my son the confidence to stand up for himself and others. He also met his wife there...which was an added bonus for us all. I'm so happy for Charlee! She can do wonders with the confidence she has and that smile on her face says it all. I wish only the best for her!

[@namelessmonster4857]

In my school it was mandatory to attend Karate classes and they taught us lot of self defence stuff

[@frankoptis]

@@namelessmonster4857 Why would you teach bullies how to attack their victims?

[@namelessmonster4857]

@@frankoptis rub your eyes and read that again and if you still don't get it then it's not your fault being dum is fine

[@frankoptis]

@@namelessmonster4857 Calling names and being a bully yourself doesn't help your cause.

[@alexbueno8166]

I've dropped in at Jeff's academy when I was in town a couple of years ago. He is a great guy. He made me feel welcomed, remembered my name, and showed me a few new things. Great guy and great academy.

[@Erinski]

She seems like such a sweet kid. I’m glad she’s doing this. Can’t rely on teachers and principals to meaningfully help. All they do is break it up when the other kid finally fights back.

[@420styletomatoes6]

Yep and then blames the kid who ends up having to fight back because the teachers (most are kids themselves) have no control of the students.

[@threefreaksonaleash6619]

Exactly. Or the blame the Victim! Happened to me countless times in grade, middle and hs. With so many different bullies and many different schools.

[@baldbearded9601]

This is one of the best proactive efforts I've seen posted from the Gracie gym yet.. and much respect for it. A young person getting beat up will often destroy a life.. sometimes multiple lives.. but we just don't see the impact until later in life so nobody can fix or address the problem at the root until it's too late. But rebuilding her confidence right after it happened.. that's a priceless turnaround I wish I had growing up. Thank you for taking care of her and giving her the rare tools that can repair a physical abuse at such a young age. 🙏

[@jaydenmoon1165]

Turning a terrible situation into a life saving positive one - is one of many things that make you guys so amazing

[@TheIronpusher]

That unbreakable smile Charlee carries in every single roll!! The confidence she is nurturing and friends she is making in BJJ will follow her for life. Kudos to the team for doing what they do and special kudos to the Mom for recognizing and doing everything for her daughters well being!

[@hooahj]

I absolutely love this. Giving kids the ability to learn and defend themselves is huge in their growth as human beings. More importantly, with great instructors they learn the discipline it takes and the knowledge of when to fight and when to move away. Great job to the men and women of this school in mentoring our kids. This young lady has a bright future and a wonderful smile that won't be taken from her again. Much respect and keep it up Charlee.

[@drewcliff82]

This really moved me. As someone who was bullied when I was younger this hits deep. I know what it's like to live in fear every day and having to look at school as a terrible place. In 8th grade I joined the wrestling team and in 9th grade I began taking boxing lessons. After a time of holding my own people stopped messing with me. It was also important for my confidence knowing that I possessed the skills to defend myself. In 2006 I joined the Army and got stationed at FT Drum NY. I started doing BJJ at CNY MMA as well as some muay thai. I continued to train throughout my 10 year military career. Everything I trained in was great but nothing compares to the efficiency of BJJ. I'm proud to say that I haven't been in a fight in over 15 years. I hope hope the parents of any child dealing with these problems takes action as this mother did. It may not seem serious but these matters can end in tragedy.

[@fatsnorkel]

Well said mate 🤙🏼

[@miesvaillanykyisyytta3252]

What do you mean by efficiency?

[@matthewsmith1927]

Kudos to you, brother. Keep up the good fight. No pun intended.

[@SHGant]

Way to hang tough and persevere!! Good on you brother. I'm sure sorry you had to go through that, but I'm thrilled that you saw it through. Congratulations

[@drewcliff82]

@@miesvaillanykyisyytta3252 I don't have time to type some long explanation or continue a long discussion so all I will say is BJJ is the optimal martial art to give a smaller person with more skill an advantage over a larger person with less skill.

[@theliftexpert]

Great job Charlie and team Gracie ❤️👍 I cried watching the first half of the video out of sadness, and smiled ear to ear watching the last half of the video. Great progress and best wishes on your positive life journey young girl.

[@bigfatposterman]

so did I. we all know how jitsu can change lives its so great to see

[@Athena124]

The biggest bully from my childhood was my mother. She helped me be tough, but there was so much unlearning and relearning I had to do as an adult, so that myself and those around me weren't being hurt.

[@TheJoe99316]

You wanna stop bullying get more kid's into martial arts. Teaches you how defend yourself and respect other's. Also can help bullies with a positive outlet and structure a lot of bullies come from bad home situations.

[@tag0088]

not all bullies come from bad home situations and insecurities , some just feel superior exercing dominance on other students

[@dorjedriftwood2731]

The amount of people who have said that being bullied changed their lives for the better this being a perfect example maybe engineering adversity completely out of people’s lives is in fact psychologically barbaric. The fact that kids are killing themselves over Facebook shows me a supreme lack of actual context for what danger is. When you make everything nerf land you don’t take away people’s eon old instincts for internalized trauma you just make what is trauma so light that you actually rob people of the ability to understand what trauma is. Contrast of what bad is extremely important living in third world countries as a young person made me realized how incredibly spoiled I was buy growing up in the United States. There are places and situations in the world where I would simply die if I had to live like the average person. If anything happened in the United States we would lose at least two generations to shock simply because people are so used to everything being easy and safe. Point being the reason the world war 2 generation was called the greatest generation was because they weren’t afraid of adversity and violence because they lived through the depression... they would do any amount of work and endure any hardship to prosper. Dealing with physical violence gives people context of what is actually hard, nobody wants to see kids hurt but there are other cultures that are beginning to outclass us because we can’t even endure the pain of self control or discipline. Real pain made this girl get to the gym so she wouldn’t ever have to feel that way, you think harsh language is going to touch her now. Nobody is going convince indomitable safety and security is good for people when we just watched a heroine be born because of dealing with bullying. Just because it’s hard to see people suffer doesn’t mean it’s an expendable part of the human developmental process. Your turning people into time bombs by not giving them enough hardship to be grateful and disciplined.

[@sherisetodd9281]

Yes sometimes bullies have abusive parents and need to be taken out the home.

[@jacket2848]

@@dorjedriftwood2731 so you're saying people should go through hell because of some romantic idea that being broken and injured makes everybody strong? That's the shit which causes male suicide to raise.

[@CB-rv2lj]

I'm 30, but I got my blackbelt when I was 12. I've never gotten into a fight/altercation in my life. I understand that there's honestly no point to fighting unless you're fighting for your life. Most people don't realize this. Plenty of times I could have thrown a punch at someone for messing with me when drunk or something. But you genuinely do keep that mindset throughout your entire life. I bet my instructor would still to this day kick my ass if he knew I ever fought or got in fights.

[@chrismcguinness5405]

I cant like this enough. My daughter went through something similar to Charlee, though thankfully not as bad, though it was escalating. I took her to Gracie Barra North Vancouver and she almost echo'd what Ms, Charlee said. When we went back this year She was nervous, but wore her "shield", a pink Gracie hoodie and she said it reminded her she was fine. I just had a parent teacher interview and the teacher said the thing she is most impressed by was that she always stands up for herself and her friends now. I almost burst into tears! Oss! PS. She took a gold medal in her first compnet this past august.

[@molasorrosalom4846]

I'm sure tons of teachers are proud when a bully is put in their place. Unfortunately they still have a job to do, and there still has to be a punishment

[@SharonBenson2674]

Thanks for helping Charlee. You gave her more confidence and she is so much happier now. You go girl. If you see someone else being bullied you can now help them. You are very pretty and I love your long hair. Hugssss from Canada.

[@bradgarrett7790]

This needs more views. I remember this when it happened and it was heartbreaking to look at not just the damage to her pretty little face but the pain in her eyes. I am glad she has her confidence but I can still see the skeptisism is there. I hope she overcomes the fear life has pushed at us all lately and comes out stronger to face what is in the future. We all know we are still stuggling to keep this country rolling and it will only get worse before it gets better. Thanks to Gracie Bullyproof Project for reaching out. Mad respect @ you for that. Wish we had that when I was a kid.

[@psychlos21]

It touches my heart when I hear these amazing stories about kids learning Jiu-Jitsu and gaining that edge and confidence. Jiu-Jitsu will always be a big part of my life.

[@CaptRavenous]

"Let's do what I want to do." best words we could hear from her. She's finally learning to love herself and that what she wants is just as important as what others want for themselves, no less and no more. Now, she can finally live life for herself without worrying what others may think. She will grow up with love and respect for others, and I could see her being a paragon of justice through the rest of her school years, standing up for the bullied, and teaching them how to stand up for themselves. Bravo! Bellísimo! Bravo!

[@CaliFREEDOM]

More parents should give their children permission to defend themselves by knowing how to defend themselves and taking classes like this. My heart goes out to this little girl because as a kid I was in her position so many times. Bullying sucks but this family is now empowered and gave that empowerment to so many others with this video and her bravery. 👏🏽

[@WastingSanityGR]

Glad you all could help her out and that she was willing to accept the fight. Who knows, we might be looking at a future UFC women's champ!

[@genuineapbt6690]

Super proud of Charlee. My son actually started BJJ here in So Cal when he was 4. That school didn’t allow children under 6 back then. After an interview and a roll with the head instructor, he was in. At school the bullies avoided him even though he was smaller and younger, and yes he did protect a lot of the innocent. I did have to go into the office to explain to the principal that I would never teach my son not to defend himself. This was 22 years ago, not sure how that would fly today.

[@KachimBestOfs]

so much love and respect for the gracie family

[@lukebushorr6632]

A couple years ago I got the shit beaten out of me, so when I turned 15 me and my dad started to learn Krav-Maga. It’s basically a mixture of all of the martial arts mixed into to one for self defense! That was the best decision of my life, my confidence went through the roof and nobody messed with me. I wish they would teach martial arts and or self defense classes in school. Love to hear that Charlie is positive and isn’t taking shit from anyone!!

[@ThatKidBryan]

Krav Maga is Israeli hand to hand combat not a mixture of all the martial arts. 🙄

[@FecalMatador]

@@ThatKidBryan and? It still mixes a bunch of martial arts like judo, boxing, and karate. Not saying you’re wrong, but OP isn’t either

[@madsismad9113]

Kraft-mags isn’t a martial art, just a street survival system. Any fighting style that encourages and allows ganging up in a fight isn’t a martial art anymore, the kicks to the crotch and eye gouging are cheap moves of a desperate person not a martial artist

[@leviayisrael9222]

Hats off to you! I could see her building confidence while filming. You've learned AND given life long skills!😊

[@stevenanthes5696]

In a world of stand overs and bullying in our present times, it's so good to see a positive response to distress.....God bless the Gracie Academy...

[@maafa21MustSee]

Man I freaking love jiu jitsu...go Charlee!

[@WishQuitting]

Are you okay?

[@shner6742]

MMA is better

[@perfectsplit5515]

@@shner6742 MMA and BJJ are inseparable.

[@ZymixProductions]

@@perfectsplit5515 Agreed, they go hand in hand. One good reason they call it Mixed Martial Arts.

[@snafu7998]

It's ok and extremely useful in self defence It just lacks the kicks IMO. I practice BJJ but Taekwondo is what I love the most. It's the athletisium of what it takes to pull off the kicks is what grabbed me as a youngster.

[@YunggGee44]

The confidence you get from jitsu is real.. love to see it

[@WTLowery82]

That principal would have remembered me for the rest of his miserable life.

[@st0n3p0ny]

My principle thought he was funny, after I finally snapped and broke my hand on my bully's face. He told me "kick him next time"... After they watched him torture me every day for years. He's lucky I was a helpless kid.

[@daddyoca69]

two girls tried this with my daughter and it was minor at first but I picked up on it quick and she told me everything.... I called the school told the principal the girls names and said look it happens like this.... this is warning 1... if they mess with my daughter again then I will bully you and these kids parents and I don't care who they are. So he sets up this morning meeting at the school bus pick up where our kids get on and well these parents never seen me before do they were waiting with the principal and I come walking up and I am over 6ft look more like a 300lb biker than I do an insurance adjuster...(which i am lol) but the other parents ran back home... I didn't even get 300 yards to them before they took off lol. oh and it was up hill to their next street and it was steep enough when it snowed the bus cant make it up the hill lol.. I got to the principal but by then he got in his car and told me don't worry the other parents are sorry and it won't happen again... oh the bus was still there with the two girls who bullied my kid who I guess were also shitting themselves and other kids got the message as well... this happened in her 8th grade and none of those kids messed with her again... the two girls did write her sorry letters and they are sorta friends now... not close but hang out etc. they so far turned out not so bad either... my kid is almost 18 now... bah.. i do hate that part.

[@Zqxkkilerzz]

I follow him on twitter

[@foolspeedahead]

*short miserable life? Haha

[@mggdncn]

Tell me you’re a savage without telling me you’re a savage 😎

[@uuuuuuuuaeo]

Go Charlee! I have been training for 3 years, I wish I would've had it in middle school, it would've solved a lot of problems. Starting young and having a great motivation. She's gonna grow up and be a total badass.

[@SignalsInteL444]

cried watching this. Giving a child confidence and knowledge like this is priceless.

[@mattstanley8944]

The smile she has is just really an amazing sign of happiness and relief ! Great program !

[@TheNighthawke502]

It always wonderful to see someone new gain confidence in themselves and learning the true spirit of self-defense: it's not about learning how to fight, but rather giving them the strength and tools that they need to stand tall and avoid a fight whenever possible. Good on you, Charlee! 💪🖒🖒

[@TheNativeTwo]

I was bullied for the first 15 years of my life. Most people don't realize it but this happens to many redheads with freckled skin. At 16 I began taking Judo classes at the local junior college. It really helped me overcome a lot of the fears the bullying caused.

[@jakesmokeman6053]

I always love these. I hope she continues to train, this will make such an impact on the rest of her schooling. She really will be bully proof and she’ll be a much stronger adult due to it

[@Ben_here_b4]

This was amazing. She is incredibly strong and brave and I have so much appreciation for what they did

[@ryangmilam]

Beautiful story. Martial arts changed my life as well. I've done wrestling, kickboxing and boxing. It built my confidence up I was able stand up for myself in life. I was never again afraid to speak my mind or step up to people who are bullying others. It gave me peace

[@rapsack7058]

same here

[@5thdimension625]

Yes, it helped you claim your personal power. Good for you! Keep passing it in to others!!

[@leahcimeugonim7841]

I shed a tear over this! Could this Gracie cat be any cooler for his interest and “grace” with people who need to develop confidence. Amazing

[@johnbugnoii]

That’s really awesome and God bless you all!! As someone who was also bullied as a kid, it great to see adults/other helping kids out. I used powerlifting and weight training along with wrestling and football to build confidence and strength.

[@mrssomebody8166]

Im SOOOO happy for her! So happy! Poor baby girl didn't deserve that! No kid should have to go through that.... You know I thought it was bad when I was growing up with the whole fighting crap but no man kids are just MEAN & RUTHLESS now a days it terrifies me...... I hope & pray for her continued strength & happiness! She absolutely deserves it regardless🙏🏼 Her strength definitely inspires me! Good for her!❤️❤️

[@apandama-wk8hi]

I love this!! my mom had put me into jiu jitsu It was close to my freshman year and it really did save my life. I think every young girl should be able to defend themselves it is empowering it gives you strength and shows everyone that you can stand up for yourself.

[@Leonhart306]

The transformation from timid to badass really shows. I'm very happy for her!

[@ChrisRubeo]

You guys are friggin' amazing. There's no better thing you can do than this kind of work. You've set that girl on an empowered trajectory FOR LIFE. Bravo.

[@Mikey-HTTR]

This is called no longer being a victim! Great job Charlee. Proud of you!

[@Snoeman19]

Charlee's bully must be the one who disliked this video. Way to go Charlee!!! Keep it up!

[@thecouchyeti]

The smile she has on her face through this, worth it in every sense. You got this chick ! Keep it up !

[@ivana.gaviria4975]

Love this story and love to see Charlie’s confidence. Inspiring!

[@dalhart1991]

My heart is with that sweet girl.

[@mandiac1532]

Good for you Charlie!!!! So proud of you!!!! U are shining baby!!! That smile is everything!! And thank You to this huge support system you have!! You all make an awesome team!!

[@cosmo2852]

Similar with my son, soft spoken, friendly and sensitive. He was bullied by a kid whose parents were definitely the reason he was one. Another story of how I took care of that but me and his mom thought we should enroll him in MMA. He wasn't on board right off but then I told him how it was the same for me, then he agreed. He didn't become aggressive but more assertive and confident in everything. As he grew in experience and size, he started to help out others who were bullied in school and became 1 of the most popular kids around but mostly for his compassion. It does help, if train correctly.

[@GiancarloFloyd]

I love this kid. She’s so awesome I love the confidence boost you see in her. Those classes gave her the gift of confidence and you can see she’s going to put her gifts to good use.

[@voodoo7008]

Great story. I can’t stand bullying. In high school, I could take care of myself. I could not stand bullying then, had anyones back that was being bullied. Fast forward 5 years, and one of the people I helped, help me in a time of need. I’ll never forget them.

[@o0gothique0o37]

I'm glad she has such an amazing caring Mother. She's got so much love and support around her. I really wish there were more people like this around when other children get bullied.

[@Strype13]

[2:12] "Our students' safety is always our first priority... unless we're in a meeting."

[@svalbard01]

"Important" meeting. Hope that guy got canned, but most likely he was promoted.

[@loljk9443]

@@svalbard01 it’s so sad that we live in a society where people in positions of power still reap the benefits and move on up the ladder when they clearly politicked there way there. I’m so glad this girl is overcoming this horrible mess of a situation.

[@BrianEngdoinghisTheng]

This is an amazing story. Love how get confidence went through the roof after being trained

[@helenkehoe1672]

You guys at bullyproof are amazing, not only have you given this young girl a skill, that she can now protect herself, but more importantly you've massively helped her self confidence which in turn put that beautiful smile back on her face,so inspiring to see how ye saw someone struggling and ye reached out to help and have more than likely changed the course of her life,if we could all learn from this, that maybe the smallest kindness can make the biggest difference to someone struggling ❤️👍❤️

[@joehernandez4202]

I remember seeing this on the news. I was disturbed about what happened to Charlee. I'm glad to see she is learning jiu jitsu. Keep rolling kid!!! 🤙👍🤙

[@Cinemaandmind]

At the begging of the video, my eyes were full of tears of sadness, but at the end, I just felt good for Charlee. As a BJJ practitioner (Blue belt), I know the power of this amazing sport!

[@okkelly6207]

i’m beginner BJJ, just done 2 lessons and it’s kinda hard. any advice?

[@7ctony]

This is SUCH a good use of this sport. It’s what karate did for kids in the 90s. Builds strength & confidence when it’s needed the most. Much love to this team & the kids they help!!

[@VictorPoulin]

True courage!!

[@dudedabsworth8023]

That girls smile the whole time she was training is priceless. I started training in Martial Arts at 6 years old. It gave me confidence throughout school and beyond. It gave me a great foundation for hard work and sports. Nobody ever bullied me more than 1 time. Teach your kids to be good people and care about others and maybe we become a better society.

[@rickrawa905]

#Respect. Self defense is very important. because you’re always gonna run into a bully in life. nice to be able to stop them when necessary. great job hope this young lady has no more problems with her bully

[@KGB1965722]

High fives for all involved! And, Respect Charlee!

[@georgehenderson7783]

I'm so happy for Charlee, and grateful to Gracie gym for helping her gain self defense skills and confidence for life! 🙏😉✌️

[@truelovewontwait]

Nothing lights up the room more than a confident kid. All the best to everyone involved

[@mwhitelaw8569]

All the best to henner and the Gracie family Keep it going y'all Jujitsu literally saved my life as a troubled young man. Let it lead you

[@MucaroBoricua]

Thank God my dad taught me how to fist fight starting at age 5. I had like 2 or 3 fights in elementary school, which I won, and nobody else dared to mess with me after that. And I was, and still are, very short. So I trained my 3 daughters (grown up now) the same way and they were able to defend themselves very successfully. Dads, teach your kids how to defend themselves. Or pay for their (and yours) martial arts classes if you don't know how.

[@joebarron396]

Trainer's and Coaches, teacher's are Amazing people thx for devoting your Time 😇👀👊

[@ernstmuller1865]

Keep it up girl. I were bullied in school too until I started judo 18years ago. I'm now a 4th dan black

[@_wolfpackwellness]

I feel judo is much more effective n a street fight scenario than BJJ. Personal opinion

[@ernstmuller1865]

@@_wolfpackwellness it takes a lot of training though

[@KickingAssDaily]

By the time you collect social security, you will be a red belt.

[@jeffjohnson419]

Nice, I’ve just started. Taken 3 classes so far

[@ernstmuller1865]

@@jeffjohnson419 A piece of advice. Don't stop the best part of your journey is yet to come

[@signnamesparkle]

My son has a similar story. He was constantly bullied throughout his school life and, as a Christian family, we went through all the ways to try and solve the issues i.e. forgive them, turn the other cheek, try to befriend them, maybe they're being bullied, report them to the teachers... nothing worked. In the end, I told him that just because we're Christians, it doesn't mean you've got MUG tattooed on your forehead. So I took him to MMA classes. When he returned to school, they tried again - and he showed them what he'd learned... it NEVER happened again.

[@vikingmama93]

Indeed. People always ask what Jesus would do in a particular situation. Well, using a whip and turning tables over isn't outside the realm of possibility!

[@britzel71]

This is absolutely amazing 👏 Thank you for helping her find her inner Lion but most importantly for helping her realize her value and worth is unmatchable!

[@ppoblete2280]

Damn having a daughter of my own. This made me tear up to see this. Overcoming the wiles of how cruel kids can be. All my kids are taking BJJ not just for themselves but to stand up for people who don't have a voice or confidence. Great story to see this beautiful young lady get back at it!!

[@bobbysledge656]

These guys are True Hero's. This is absolutely Awesome. People like this makes this World a Better Place. God Bless you for helping Children

[@YotaDaryl]

Fantastic. I loooooove a story like Charlee's!

[@Dogen70]

I always recommend kids who are being preyed on to do some type of fighting or self defense course. It gives them real skills especially if they take to it like how it seems Charly took to it.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

i used to get bullied. then i laid out 2 guys bigger than me with single punch... knock 1 unconscious and made other cry for 20 minutes in front of class and sent couple others to hospital after delivering a spine buster body slam to kid that weighed 30 or 40 lbs more than me when he went to swing and flat out pummeled another for couple minutes until 2 others pulled me off. and another bully....he left me alone and never saw him or heard from him again after a tragic accident where he got his leg broke and had to be on cructches. cant be a bully when you are on crutches or hit so hard you ball your head off or get laid out and your best friend runs cause he dont want to be next. none them ever came back for round 2. and their friends decided being a bully was stupid and never stepped up for round 1.

[@fl260]

Question for Rener: How are you able not to be emotional when given heartfelt compliments like these?

[@doobiestudios1107]

She seems like such a sweet little girl. Why would anyone do that to her? This is so messed up. I’m glad she’s getting the support she deserves!