ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C. — In the wake of recent bullying and it's effect on youth in the Carolinas, a local karate class is offering victims an outlet to express grief without resorting to fists or guns.
Jason Allen and Pete Nappier have teamed up to teach the class in Alexander County.
"We've had issues for quite a while now and I'm fed up with it," said Amanda Moses, who's son became a member of the class after being bullied. "He gets to the point where it's like, 'Mom, it doesn't matter what I do.'"
Bullying has pushed kids over the brink, with many resorting to guns.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,400 people were fatally shot in North Carolina in 2016, the highest number of gun-related fatalities in 35 years.
"The kids, like my son, feel like 'it doesn't matter if I tell the teacher, nothing is going to happen to them. So I'm going to take matters into my own hands, handle it myself, and bring a gun to school and shoot everyone up,'" Moses said.
That dark thought is exactly why Allen and Nappier do what they do, teaching at the Allen School of Karate in Stony Point.
"It's really about building self-discipline and self-confidence and with those things reinforced, the confidence, reinforced, it gives kids another way," Allen said.
It's paid dividends for thousands of kids over the years, with Amanda's son already reaping the benefits by displaying a tremendous amount of pride.
"I want them to leave here, knowing that they can handle it," Nappier said. "That they can get away and be safe."
If you would like to learn more about the class, call 828-404-4068.
