Bullying remains a pressing issue for children and adolescents, despite the best efforts of parents, teachers and administrators. Sadly, many students still face harassment from their peers, both in person and online.
According to the CDC, “Bullying is common. About one in five high school students reported being bullied on school property in the past year. In addition, more than one in six high school students reported being bullied electronically through texting and social media. A national survey found that 28% of middle schools, 15% of high schools and 10% of elementary schools reported the occurrence of bullying at school at least once a week.”
While schools continue to tackle bullying with vigilance, families can explore other options outside the classroom. Learning martial arts, or the art of self-defense, is a classic, practical way of achieving mental and physical confidence.
Beyond learning to defend themselves, students are also taught how to de-escalate emotionally charged situations – a skill that can prevent confrontations altogether. Iconic movies like “The Karate Kid” remind us of the empowering shift martial arts can inspire, as bullied kids work hard and discover strength, power and confidence.
In Bend, local black belt Paul Moresi has made it his mission to provide empowerment to young people through his Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy, Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu. Over the past decade, Moresi has created a safe and welcoming space where students can learn self-defense while embodying core values like respect, honesty, hard work, integrity and loyalty. These principles form the foundation of his teaching and are qualities he works to instill in every young person who walks through his doors.
After graduating from OSU Cascades, Moresi began his career in Bend as an EMT and paramedic, serving his community and saving lives. After six years of taxing medical work, however, he realized an opportunity to give back to families through his passion for martial arts. He founded the academy and opened his doors to kids as young as four years old to begin their journey in martial arts.
“Saving lives is extremely gratifying but I had found another way to serve the community with martial arts,” says Moresi. “Helping kids who have been bullied or who are dealing with bullies has been a big highlight. It is really awesome to see what martial arts can do for their confidence and how it can change the kids’ trajectory in life.”
Moresi’s own childhood was influenced by martial arts. In a pivotal moment, when he was a teenager, Moresi’s life changed when the internationally famous martial artist, Ralph Gracie, and his family moved in across the street. He began training Moresi in the art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. This experience set Moresi on a lifelong path of the discipline that eventually inspired him to pass on the teachings to the next generation.
“The beautiful thing about being directly linked with the Gracie family is that Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a natural self-defense,” says Moresi. “The Gracie family really emphasized making sure that you are learning the self-defense aspect above all else. Tournaments and competitions come after. So, all our students are learning how to deal with conflict at school, and the first rule is to try to deflect and diffuse the situation, above all else.” With a focus on de-escalation strategies, Moresi empowers youth to protect themselves and their peers when faced with bullying, whether at school or outside the classroom. For those rare moments when physical defense is necessary, his training equips students with the skills they need. This work has a huge impact on boosting self-esteem and has tangible effects on how the kids show up in the world.
“I really love working with the kids that have been bullied,” says Moresi. “A lot of times they come into the academy for the first time, and they are insecure and depressed. They walk through the door with their head down and their tail between their legs. One of the most gratifying things is after a couple weeks, the parents see a transformation and the student is flying through the door ready to train, giving high fives to their teammates and instructors.”
With his passion for giving back, Moresi has big dreams for other ways he can help the community, addressing broader topics like abduction and trafficking.
“The future goal of Ralph Gracie Bend is to continue serving our community the best way we know how,” says Moresi.” To continue providing excellent martial arts training to the community and spreading awareness on self-defense, which includes not only bullying at school but also abduction, child trafficking and sex trafficking. We have been doing this for many years, and we were the first gym in Central Oregon to provide a free women’s self-defense seminar for the community. We want to continue to build strong connections with our middle and high schools, as well as charter schools, to make a broader impact.”
For more information about Ralph Grace Bend and their programs, visit: ralphgraciebend.com
This article appears in BendNest Spring 2025.
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