Students at Master Gorino's Tae Kwon-Do in Amherst learn discipline and self-defense, but they're also learning about the dangers of bullying and bringing those lessons to their schools.

"We began coaching our students on not just worrying about yourself. Start to worry about your neighbor a little bit, worry about the kid sitting alone eating lunch. Put your arm around him and say 'hey, do you wanna eat with us?' " said Master Chuck Gorino.

 

 

Gorino came up with the phrase "Bullying stops with me" and asks his students to sign an anti-bullying pledge.

"It's not about 'it stops with me, we're gonna fight.' It stops with me that 'I'm pulling this person out of this situation; you're not going to be able to bully this person; it stops now,' " said Gorino. 

Eight-year-old Ellie Yap signed the pledge and says she and the other students have learned ways to help not only themselves deal with bullies, but also their classmates outside the gym.

"If you ever get into a fight or [someone] comes after you, there are a lot of ways you can go away saying 'I don't wanna fight,' " said Yap. 

"If he bullies you, tell a teacher and ask them to help you, and if they don't tell the principal and you keep trying, get them aware of  it," said student Liam Van De Water.

Gorino wants his message to reach beyond his students, so he's holding a free anti-bullying seminar on October 25.