I was bullied for two years by my whole class - age 11 to 12 - and it affects me to this day. People don't realise what this does to a young soul. Worst advice I was given: just ignore them. Don't ever do that.

@216trixie

Жыл бұрын

I was at the bottom of the barrel. I was bullied for several years. Sometimes the whole class either new or participated yes. And teachers and administration. I've grown up and lived a good life now though. But it affects you and everything in your life forever.

@216trixie

Жыл бұрын

I just read again that you were told to ignore them. Yes worst advice ever. If someone had told me how to stand up to the bullies from the very beginning I could have helped myself immensely, and saved years of pain and abuse.

@djtripnosys

Жыл бұрын

I got it pretty bad in my day. Most of those guys have apologized and I went on to be good at guitar, computers and construction. I had a reason to be proud, and that washed most of it away. My parents fucked me up way worse than any bullies.

@teresathomley3703

Жыл бұрын

@@216trixie Living a good life can be the best revenge.

@neonbelly4

Жыл бұрын

It's like your tap leaks and you ignore it hoping it fixes itself. Doesn't work indeed

Bottom line: You gain confidence by becoming good at something. You gain more confidence when others show appreciation for what you do. Confidence repels bullies.

Learning to fight and building a group of friends with common interests is what worked for me. Bullies are inherently cowardly and lazy: if they know that you will fight back, and you are always in the company of a couple of friends, they will look for an easier prey.

I'm short, 5'3", and was always the shortest in my class, so I was always a target for bullies. It happened until my mid to late teens when I realised I had a pretty good punch, so I started hitting back and hitting pretty hard. Most people soon got the message and left me alone, but even well into adulthood (I'm 51 now) there were arseholes who I never went to school with and didn't know me who would see me as an easy target. 9 times out of 10 they regretted that. The problem is, it turned me into a strike-first person whenever I felt remotely threatened, and that landed me in court multiple times from 1989 to 2008. It's also left me with pretty busted-up hands, which now hinder my guitar playing. I hate bullies with a passion and have used violence against many of them, even ones who were giving my friends shit. I've probably thrown more punches defending them than I have myself during adulthood, as most of them don't have it in them to fight back. I quit drinking in 2011 and stopped socialising in pubs, so I don't end up in situations where I feel the need to strike first, but these days, for better or worse, I also have a reputation as someone not to be messed with. I wish I could have dealt with things differently when I was younger, but walking away from a fight just isn't in my DNA. I should add that I've never hit anyone more than was absolutely necessary to end a situation. I've never been about badly hurting people. One good punch is generally all it took. Honestly, though, I can't recommend my approach to dealing with bullies, especially if a lack of height is at the heart of it and you don't get that growth spurt your family told you was coming, as it just follows you into adulthood and has cost me way more trouble than it's worth.

@NinjaRunningWild

Жыл бұрын

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t though. You just need to know when to let off on the gas post high school. You learned it, albeit later than you would’ve preferred. I don’t think you did the wrong thing.

I was bullied as a child. I had a bad studder, so that was an open season for the other kids (assholes)to pick on me. My parents didn't have alot of money, so, me and my brothers didn't have cool clothes to wear. This went from grade school all the way to high school, but junior high was bad. My home life wasn't good either. I thought several times about ending it all. But, now I'm getting ready to turn 50, I play guitar and have a great wife. I will never forget the crap I went through. But, metal really turned my life around. Now, I could care less what people think or say. If I could only go back

@djtripnosys

Жыл бұрын

Agreed sir. Hug man.

@Kowinaida

Жыл бұрын

Metal forever dude. Metal always helps to heal.

@keithzibrat5721

Жыл бұрын

I'm happy things turned out good for you, you always deserved it! I feel bed for the ones that still carry the burden. Thanks Mike for posting this one🤘

@ozman6602

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I was a metal head long hair which I still have really long hair jean jacket with patches but started playing guitar back then then we were called burnouts I still play guitar metal never dies

@BeyondTigerMilk

Жыл бұрын

Stutter*

Bullies believe that you are better than they are, so they need to pull you down in order to feel more secure in themselves. Bullying is the action of a person who feels unable to cope with life on their own resources. In adulthood I realised that bullying is really a kind of indirect compliment.

when i was a kid in the 70's and 80's, my dad always told me to fight back. To me, once you prove you are not a soft target, people feel its not worth it to pick on ya. I just feel bullies need to be shown that picking on you is not a good option. I taught my daughter same thing and worked for her also.

George Carlin said it best… “People are great and beautiful one on one but something toxic happens when people get into groups”.

Mike, I am also half Asian. Sometimes having an Asian mom was like being bullied. They have no filter and somethings are lost in translation.

What I’ve found is a lot of bullies aren’t really bullies. Mostly they feel small at some point for being wrong or different and just pick something obvious and point it out so they can feel like they are right or cover what their differences are. In fact I followed you because of your response when I picked on your tempo. You are not only really good at guitar, but you’re humble. It’s an honour and a privilege to be able to watch your videos. Because of your down to earth presence, you will also contribute to my children’s lessons. Kindest regards.

Dont let your kids get bullied, everyone who faced it knows how much it changes you when trying to interact with others,and it pisses me off how a bunch of assholes have that power while they mature and have normal lives later on you still suffer to this day its unfair.

As a 17 year old, getting bullied troughout my whole school carreer, everyone calling me a rocker in a bad way, I can understand. To be totally honest, now I’m getting bullied even more just by the fact that I’m playing guitar. I’m a die hard Metallica fan, and want to make a cover band, but because I live in easter Europe(Romania to be precise), I don’t find many drummers, and because of this, and because I get bullied, I don’t know, I just put mu hopes in my guitar. Thank you for all the videos btw, really helped me troughout the years

@jackshittle

Жыл бұрын

Don't give up - don't give in (to quote Dave Mustaine from the track "Addicted to Chaos".

I was also bullied mostly in grades 6 through 8 and part of high school. It got really bad at times, it got so bad that my dad forced me to take boxing lessons. It got physical on several occasions. In high school it was mostly the "jocks". After high school I joined the military and did a 20 year career. I'd go home on leave and ran into some of these bullies. I had made something of myself, and the high school football stars had found their destiny. Fat, stupid (from other people doing their homework), minimum wage jobs or unemployed, looked like alcoholics, etc. The homecoming parade for them was over. No more prom kings and queens. Just cold hard reality of their actions. When I looked down at the chest of my uniform I saw 4 rows of ribbons, but no more bruises.

@brapamaldi7666

Жыл бұрын

was going to comment something similar. most bullies end up as dregs in lifes gutter after high school, when they have to compete on a level playing field against people much smarter and more talented then themselves.

I was bullied and outcast in school for being poor in a rich school 3rd-11th grade. (Scholarship) not to mention was beat by my alcoholic father almost daily. It made me vicious and cunning, but only towards mean people

@teresathomley3703

Жыл бұрын

The alcoholism bit is a real bitch. My Dad never beat me but he drank way way too much and there was some emotional abuse. People need to discuss these things- it helps.👍

My story is way too long so let me just say this. I am 67 well past being bullied, we moved back and forth across country way too much and each school was the same. I was so shy that i was a born target! haha The bullying was debilitating at times until i met my guarding angel. This was 9th grade in San Diego, new to this school and again a target until a very large black student in my home room class had enough of it. To this day i will always remember Steve Williams stepping in and protecting me, this shy white young man! He taught me how to deal with them and always had my back! Thank you Steve wherever you are!

Moral of life guys be urself and stay that way thru negativity. Negative people hate when I show no reaction because they will always care more then you. Good people will meet good people don’t lose hope ❤

Moved to a small town in 7th grade. Had no clue about "name brands" and was basically shunned. There were some ridiculous rumors as well. It was a low time. High school I was accepted to "The Freaks", although the principal called us the "Leather Jackets" LOL. They gave me the confidence to be silly and weird without needing to conform to the group. And being so short and seemingly young looking I was seen as a little sibling and avoided most of the peer pressure. It doesn't sound like much now, but back then it really did feel like the whole world was coming down over everything.

@le_th_

5 ай бұрын

I once moved from a medium-size suburb to a small town and my god the girls were mean there (7th grade). They would say horrible things about me. Call me a slut. I had to go home and ask my mom what it meant. lol I hadn't even had my first kiss yet. They kids at your school probably hated you because you were pretty. That's a common problem with females, sadly. Anyway, bullying went on until the next year when I made cheerleader. Then, all the bullying stoped from the mean girls, and they tolerated me because I apparently had social power then? smh I was never good friends with any of those who bullied me, though. Oddly enough, the freaks, jocks, and other groups were all friendly with one another because it was a small town and they'd all gone to school together for many years. Three years later, I moved from that really small town to a very large suburb, outside of a larger city, when there were 4 high schools, each with 4 classes of over 1K students each. I had ZERO problems there at that school. Made cheerleader two months after I moved there. Kids were nice. Not one bully, not even on day 1. In this high school, there were close to 4K students so you didn't see jocks socializing with freaks, etc. Small towns are far too cliquey. They have small minds and kind of a tribal mentality. Since then, I've lived in Manhattan, LA, and San Francisco. No small towns for me. No thank you. You are right about it feeling like the world is coming down over everything when you're that age. Actually, even as an adult, when you are bullied at work, it can feel a little like that, too, but not as overwhelmly bad. Mean people suck!!

-1982, The bullies who beat me up wore Slayer T shirts, it was my first time ever hearing of them 😂 They became my favorite band

It''s 1:40 am why am I still up unrelated but thank you for making me realize that I need to sleep

Thanks God you got David as a friend. 🙂

Probably the most important video you've ever put out, Mike. I was also relentlessly bullied from grade 4 until my sophomore year of high school. It was the worst. Eventually, I discovered music and none of that shit mattered anymore.

Great great video. People took the piss out of me when I was very young because I was overweight. Terrible taunting and the like- I would cry when I was alone from the shame and pain of it all. Finally, a schoolmate who lived nearby challenged me to a fight. I was utterly petrified- but I accepted her challenge. This was going to happen later that same afternoon. All the shame I'd felt up to that point suddenly turned into rage. I ended up thrashing her that afternoon in front of other children who were just like her. The bullying then began to stop. I don't advocate violence in any instance- especially considering the fact that I'm an adult now. But after that altercation other kids were a bit intimidated by me, I think. As I got older I tried to steer clear of a lot of the social rubbish that some people can't seem to avoid.l'm not above that social stuff by any means- I just find that if I at least attempt to carve my own path in life I then I can avoid fighting or being bullied. And on top of that I try my best to be pleasant to other people. You never know who you might lift up by being polite and empathetic. Quite nice to hear your story, Mike.

1:17 School described in 1 sentence

I was also bullied during my school years. But my class was entirely white, everyone was the same ethnicity as me. So if not for a race, the fuckers will find another reason to bully.

@random_an0n

Жыл бұрын

its not racism really its being different or have some sorta weakness,cause if you are the only asian in the class you stick out,could be the wrong shoes,haircut,even pencil case,kids are cruel lol

Great stuff, thank you, man! My 6yr old boy just starting his pre-school this morning, so can't help but thinking about what awaits him down the road. Your video really helps, informative, brave, so cheers! Keep it up. Your channel rocks.

The jocks in my middle/high school were afraid of us metal heads. We had felonies, and they actually believed a mosh pit was just a giant all out fight. That and most of us were just looking for an excuse to fight/assault someone. We loved it. Not my smartest times, but for most of us, it was a direct result of bullies when we were younger. We just got meaner. It was the 80s.

2:39 Support from East Asia. I am glad to know that you overcame this. I really can not imagine how would my reaction be if I were you at that time.

Being bullied really does mess with your head with or without you knowing it. You carry it with you for the rest of your life. It’s awful that it’s just accepted in schools. It’s great that you could power through. I 100% agree that your passions can get you through. Music did that for me.

So, I’ve been getting bullied at school for about 2 years now, and I don’t know what to do. I have autism, ADHD, and anxiety, and literally half the school is bullying me. I don’t know anyones name, but they know everything about me. They even know where I live now, and it’s gotten to the point where i can’t go anywhere by myself unless I have an adult watching me. There’s a kid in some of my classes who’s into the same music and bands as me, and he’s pretty popular. I’m trying to become friends with him, but he’s not interested at all. I think it’s because he doesn’t want to be seen hanging around the (I’m assuming) most hated person in the school, but idk. What can I do?

@neonbelly4

Жыл бұрын

Don't try to fit in and especially force relationships, they don't like you, fuck them. Accept yourself, don't think negatively of yourself. If they're assholes with no empathy doesn't mean you are bad. Exercise, train mma ideally. Talk shit back to them, don't stay quiet. Good luck

@Ervinabrahamian

Жыл бұрын

The cactus dude is giving you good advice. I was bullied too and it all stopped the day I fought back against the main bully and won. I actually got popular after that, then the girls started coming once they realize I was good at guitar and showed them a lot of music they never would've heard of without me. The first step is to learn how to defend yourself, the 2nd step is to defend yourself when the situation arises, whether it'd be physically or verbally. They talk smack, talk back. They get mad cause your smack talk stung and others laughed at them and want to fight? Always let them throw the first punch (getting hit in the face isn't as scary as you might think) but after they throw that first punch, FIGHT LIKE HELL. No mercy, no fear, no rules. Scratch, kick and bite if you need to. Legends will build up around you and all the other bullies will want to be your friend and will outcast the one you fought back against. Also, the cool kid who doesn't want to be your friend is a loser. If he was truly cool, he would be cool enough to be your friend, don't worry about him, you're better off making real friends, not friends only interested in their image.

@adventurousdominic71

Жыл бұрын

omg I'm just like you with autism adhd and anxiety

Bullies suck! I went to a very expensive religious school on a nearly free needs-based scholarship. I loved the school itself, which was on a gorgeous 40 acre campus with it's own little private beach. All was fine until I reached the third grade. I had friends in the grades above and below me, but the girls and most of the boys in my very small grade followed the lead of a major female bully. They were only nice to me if she was absent. I realized at a young age that these kids probably had problems at home despite being insanely rich, and I later learned about parents cheating with other parents, parents landing in jail for tax fraud, nannies raising some of these kids, etc. Oddly, it got much worse after my dad died at the end of the 4th grade -- and ironically more so when the main bully's dad passed a year later. I kept telling myself it would eventually get better and was very forgiving of these kids despite putting up with their crap. I hung out with a few teachers who didn't mind spending their lunch time with me, or sometimes, I sat at the table with the other grades. I liked to plug into my walkman whenever it was allowed during free time or go hang in a quiet classroom to stare at the beach in the back of the school, which was very calming. But the bullying was brutal day in and out -- constant name calling, pressuring me to do stuff I didn't want to do, stealing my stuff, sabotage, etc. I was right that it got better once I moved on to an all girls high school that I picked and knew I'd have friends there in advance. In hindsight, I think these kids were jealous that my mom used to come on nearly every class trip (even for my brother and sister's grades) and help at school events, which she continued to do even after my dad passed and she returned to work full time (she obviously felt her kids were important enough to take vacation days). I was also much prettier than the other girls. I was able to sing and they couldn't. I was athletic. I was artistic. Sure some of the kids had a few things going for them, but I just think that I had a lot of things they didn't have despite not having the brand name clothes and expensive things they had, especially where family was concerned. Even my grandparents used to come for school plays and events. I struggled with my studies through high school for many reasons, but I wasn't stupid -- and I eventually found my academic bearings in college. I was surely much more mature than these kids and had the perspective to know that things would get better -- and sure I had some scary moments where I thought I wanted to give up on life, but I hung in there and did my best to dig as deep as I could until those horrible feelings and moments passed. Anyway, this is the short version -- but yeah, it's a blessing that I was able to make it through those tough times. My adulthood has also been a sad story with life altering work accident in 2003 and becoming very ill in 2018 and homebound since 2019, but my saving grace is my perspective and always trying to remember that there's always something good in my life. When I remind myself of those good things, it makes me want to keep fighting the good fight. We are all needed and all have purpose on this earth. We just have to identify those things. Also, on bad days, there are still positives -- even a minute thing can be a huge win and counts!

Man, I was bullied throughout most of schooling from about 4th grade until I dropped out in 12th grade (it actually was a big part of the reason I dropped out). I was always smaller than everyone else my age and as a guy that kind of makes you an easy target. I was made to feel like a freak and inadequate pretty much every day and it totally destroyed any self worth I had. I was given all the typical advice of "just ignore it and they'll stop" and all the other classics and of course it never did. Even though it kind of slowed down later in high school the damage was already done and I began to struggle really badly with depression and anxiety to the point that it really negatively affected my academic achievements (the other part of the reason I dropped out, I didn't have enough credits to graduate). As a result of that emotional distress I spent a good portion of my late teens and early 20's trying to escape through smoking loads of weed and socially isolating myself. I think people really underestimate the damage being ostracized and disrespected by your peers does to kids. I like to think that now as an adult I've reconciled with that past and become a stronger person, but really those scars will always remain to some degree. I can't imagine how terrible it is for kids who have to deal with the stupid racism crap on top of all the other stuff. This was a really important topic to bring up man, kudos for that.

Thanks for caring so much about your viewers. Your sincerity shows through. Keep up the excellent work!

I got bullied every year until I started playing by prison rules. One fight at the beginning of the year and the bullying stopped. Still, had to do it every single year at every school, every grade. I don’t recommend it. Homeschool your kids. The masses are idiots.

@TheArtofGuitar

Жыл бұрын

School is prison. How did we ever let it become this. :(((

@friedrudibega6384

Жыл бұрын

@@TheArtofGuitar right!

Dang, caught this video with 1 view. Keep going man, your content is great!

I was an outliner in this story line, because of guitar and my band (which had a bully in it) I was hanging with both, the bullies and the bullied. I was some sort of mediator lol.. and always stood up for what's right. There was one kid who mocked me for most of high school (stole my money, threw my running shoes in a pooped toilet, pushed me around, made nicknames for me, hit me in the back of the had consistently) and I sincerely was afraid of him. Now, a good friend took me to train bjj, and only after 4 months of training, I locked my bully in our class room and mopped the floors with him. it was private, almost nobody saw it, I gave him my hand and helped him up. In our late 20s I bump into him at the gym and he was so nice and nervous around me, it made me feel so good. Now as a 40 yo man, I look at his pictures with his kids, he is kinds cute, chubby, always smiling and he seems like a great dad... its just weird. Now, particularly one of my friends who suffer a lot of trauma in high school and even as an adult, speaks very negatively around his experience and the people that hurt him (I know them by name). When old school buddies get together and discuss, they always tell him "Marcelo, it was over 20 years ago, move past it" but he wont. And I dont blame him. Not because we get older and more "mature", we forget what people made us feel, even more if there is trauma involved. SO, if you are reading this I tell you, it is ok to still feel angry at your bullies, you have to comes to term with it, but these feeling are normal. Healing is important, but don't let people tell you you are too old for it. It's real. PS: For you for your kids, for anyone needing direction in life, I am going to say Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but in reality any martial art will work. You are never too old, or too young, what you learn in the matt, echoes in your life!

Thanks for sharing. Our early years in school, forced to be with people you can shun after school, is rough. Bully’s are the worst

What a great story. I am sure this is going to help a lot of people. Thank you

I’m so sorry that you were bullied Mike. I too was a victim of bullying at school.

I was bullied a ton in middle school, the only person who would listen was my mom. The teachers always turned their heads and I was always ridiculed for standing up for myself by my bully. It screwed me up a lot to the point where I considered suicide as an option but I knew that the jerkoff bully at my school would win in some sick and twisted way. So I instead learned how to play guitar and it saved my life. I’m 25 now and a lot happier with how my life is going and the people who bullied me live shitty lives. I guess karma decided to be a bitch to my former bullies :) If you’re in school and in a dark place because of bullying, learn to play an instrument or sing. It is an excellent outlet and an excellent way to escape the bullshit bullies put you through.

It's really kind of you to put a video out to help other kids who might be getting bullied (and worse now, the vullying follows them home on social media now). I think it is actually imperative that boys learn martial arts to defend themselves from a young age so that they have *at least* a few defensive moves to help protect themselves until they can advance further along along to black belt. I'm female but was super athletic, fast, and coordinated from a very young age, so I taught myself gymnastics (backhandsprings) which led me to joining a gymnastics team and training daily, and that gave me super strong legs which led me to excell even more in sports in the 7th grade. I still got bullied though, but girls mostly bully verbally. Plus, I was really pretty and girls love to HATE on pretty girls (and that never really changes, sadly). What got the mean girls to shut up was when I made cheerleader. Then they all wanted to be my friend. I wasn't bullied in elementary school because I was a good head taller than most of the boys and girls, and I was lightning fast so difficult to impossible to catch. lol I credit all my track sprint trophies and medals to the little boy in the 3rd grade who chased me on the playground everyday trying to pluck out "a golden hair" from my ponytails. lol Great story about how becoming proficient in something gave you more self-confidence and how you built upon that self-confidence over time by becoming proficient in other things. Seriously, this video is going to help kids and you're awesome to put this out there.

I was bullied in middle school because I was different. Due to a terrible car accident in my childhood I have some scars and the kids made fun of me, they also said that they're sad that I'm still alive. In 7th grade, I went to another school. Today, I'm studying at a university and some of those bullies haven't even finished school. The tables turned and I got through those hard times with music and sport. In 2008 I started Krav Maga and I have built some muscles. But most of all people remember me for my passion in music. It's great to be recognized at the music-guy

This is great advice, Mike. Thank you. I needed to hear that today.

Your honesty is amazing

Cheers for opening up with us Mike you legend ❤And holy I’m glad young you loved James Escape

From 8-12 it was very hard time for me I lost my elder brother at 7 and then we shifted to a new city at my grandmother's house where I have lot of cousins they all use to bully me Then at school there were some kids too How I overcome is by letting go & sometimes having some really good reply to kids who use to bully me

Everyone goes through a certain amount of bullying. Didn't go as smooth for me. Was the smallest kid at the school and everyone enjoyed messing with me. But being an outcast made me spend the time it took to learn guitar. At school sucked, but when I came home and played along with Metallica, everything was fine again.

Thanks for sharing man, totally cool! Brought back many memories I won’t share but wow, very cool u shared like this

Thanks for sharing. Great advice and very inspirational for someone who may be getting bullied.

I’m really glad you put out a video like this bro

Brave dude. Thanks for this

Dude it’s nice that you’re trying to cut your bullies some slack but they sucked. It’s good that you were able to overcome bullying by diving into healthy obsessions.

Great video, love your channel!

Thanks for sharing! Very motivating!

I was bullied a little in hs by this one guy. Later in life my good hs friend put a band together and invited me to play as a guitarist. To my biggest surprise the “vocalist” or the “leader” was the guy who used to bully me (they were friends way before). That didn’t matter to me, I came there with an open mind, but this time wouldn’t tolerate any shit towards me. So we started to play some covers - RHCP, Metallica, Nirvana, you know - the usual stuff. And it was kinda alright, except that our “vocalist” couldn’t do the job, he didn’t even possess any sense of rhythm or relative pitch. But of course he wanted to be the big rockstar. He even wanted to play guitar and sing. But when I started warming up, he put his guitar away and since never really played it much. Keep in mind that throughout these rehearsals (which were scarce af) me and my friend kept telling him how he sucked ass and should do his homework. Later on he even said he now takes singing lessons, but his singing never improved, it might’ve gotten worse even. As time went on, it seems he remembered the old ways and started trying to mess with me. I told him straight up he needs to cut that out now or I will beat his ass up. Keep in mind, I grew up to be bigger than him, so that probably played a role. Anyway, some time passes and we decide it’s time to try and write our own material. Things got a little heated when I started playing my riffs he started talking shit without bringing anything on the table. That’s when I knew it was never going to work and I just left. I advised my friend to do the same. But at least I got the chance to answer to my bully. That changed things in me, it kinda lifted this stone from my shoulders I never even realized I had. So, I’m thankful I got that crazy opportunity. I guess the moral is to stand up to your bullies and do it while you can.

Thank you for sharing yours, Mike. I also experienced bullying in high school when I was still a noob on guitar. I was so eager to learn the guitar solo for Skid Row's I Remember You but realized that the electric guitar I borrowed doesn't have the Floyd Rose tremolo. So I asked one of my guitarist classmate to lend me one. He condescendingly asked "would you like to borrow the tremolo bar or the bridge?." So without thinking (because I didn't even know what the correct answer was anyway) I responded naively that I'd like to borrow the bridge. And everyone laughed. To this day I can still remember their faces, not because I hated them but because they're the ones who made me believe in myself. And I've proven that during college when we were playing Metallica, Sacred Reich, Machine Head and Carcass covers. That embarrassing moment was all I needed to boost my confidence.

Hell yeah dude. 'Escape' helped me quite a bit too. One assignment in school we had was to bring in a piece of music you love and talk about how it makes you feel. Escape was my song. Freshman year. 06-07.

Love your channel man thank u

Great story. I got into reading so that didn't really help me at all, but it did set me up in life to have a great vocabulary and learn quickly which resulted in a successful career. The only thing that helped with bullies was standing up to them and since I was unpopular I didn't really feel like I had anything to lose and getting into someone's face who was bullying me generally made the problem go away (although it came with a few black eyes, too). I'm congenitally unable to conform, which is probably why I'm comfortable trying to learn guitar in my 50's. I really liked your story.

I’ve personally never been bullied, but I know it’s rough which is why I do my best to stand up for others.

Your stories are always great man

You're a good dude. If i knew you, I'd be proud to call you my friend

as a young elementary school student I had no big brothers to protect me, but my sister was two grades ahead of me and some of her male classmates thought I was a cool lil bro, so I befriended a lot of them from my neighborhood. I suddenly became almost impervious to bullies from my own age group. I was darn near a runt for my age but stood up to any bullies that did challenge me from my own age group and defeated all comers (the headlock/face punch was my go to move). amazing what a psychological boost I got from those older guys having my back. moral of the story is: most bullies are pussies at heart. get some older friends and get in there and scrap, boys...your rep will precede you thereafter😆

Great video! Thank you.

I'm Sorry you went through that 🙏 I'm British-American with Autism and I struggled with both in school back then (those days are FINALLY over). People told me I don't look autistic and people told me I'm not British and deadpan me as only American. So it has been a struggle. I have multiple disabilities now but I can't stand I struggle with Autism and being British-American.

Mike, I think you are the only guitar KZreadr that has and uses a Jackson. Thank you sir. Love my Jacksons.

Good vid - music is a massive therapy!

Thank you for sharing your experiences w/ bullies! As an Japanese American Army brat, I can relate! New schools every 3-4 years ALWAYS meant new bullies. The best advice my dad gave me when I was young was, if a bully pushed or hit me, hit them back 10x harder and stand like I'm ready to fight even though I'm scared $#!+less! I also took judo and maneuvered my way through bullies w/ wit and humor. My mom told me that they were like that because they are lolo (dumb) study hard or I'll end up like them. Also as soon as I could I started working in high school. That's when I also really started to get into guitar because I could afford to buy cheap gear and jam w/ other working students. I followed my mom's advice, studied electrical engineering and became a network engineer who loves guitar! Looking back I'm thankful to the bullies I've encountered because they made me a better person. ((:

Nice words Mike.

I just came across this. Seems as though we're about the same age. I'm half Japanese and I too went through similar issues as a kid. Thank you for sharing this! I know the difficulty of sharing this kind of thing!

It was weird. I was mostly a loner my whole childhood (I loved being by myself with my imagination), I always loved music and knew i wanted to play guitar. But I was also a bit of a bully to the other kids in a way. But in grade 10 I got some guys together to start a band and we got pretty good, and just like you i got recognized as the guitar player in "that" band. I wasn't really much of a loner after that but I was still a bit of a bully. I often look back with much regret for the way I treated some people. This was a great video. 👍🏿

Congrats on your success and great content. Dig the Donnie Darko label

Good vid Mike. My bullies called me F4gg0+ and they weren't wrong but they should have been nicer to me.

I got bullied in high school by the "big kid" who would always do some crap to me. I was welding in metal shop one day and he pushed me, and just as a reaction I socked him real hard in the sternum chest area right in front of everybody, knocked the wind out of him and no one messed with me again. It was just a reaction I didn't plan on, but it taught me to fight back. Telling teacher wont help most of the time. For anyone reading, take it from this 40yr old, next time you get bullied in school, punch them and scrap hard as you can, and take whatever you get in return. Let them know you wont take anymore chit. You will feel more confident about yourself now and for the rest of your life which is more important then any punishment you might get. I still remember the day 25yrs later. Think about that.

Wow, cool video man! THanks for sharing, specially the part of the relationship between you and your father. Really nice stories. Just like watching Cobra Kai, it gave me the sense of hope and joy.

And holy that is how I got into guitar and all I needed was a new obsession

What a great perpective, thank you

Came for the memories; stayed for the realness of your content 👍🏼

You're the best storyteller!

I'm sure your friend likes hearing you talking about how he was never able to overcome being bullied and how it still weighs on him, and how you were able to handle and overcome it better than him. Sadly, unless someone builds up the courage to fight back against a bully it probably won't stop. Trading pencils, and dressing up as a ninja, while creeping around your neighborhood at night is nothing short of totally bizarre. Don't grow your hair long and dress in black if your hope is to stop bullying. And most definitely don't go to a party and do a duet with your bro of a metal song. You have to stand up for yourself and fight back. I know, easier said than done, but bullying is done by cruel people who usually can't be rationed with. These types of people operate within the greatest heights of ignorance, cruelty, stupidity, and irrationality. Their simple brains are like impenetrable and microscopic peanuts, so they can't be rationed with or asked to stop their bullying. They derive much pleasure from hurting others. Yes, they are sick, and most likely feel awful about themselves, so they take it out on weaker, smaller, defenseless and kids with no alliances that could present a threat. They wish to see others hurt worse than themselves. Bullying seems to have reached all new heights, and the anti-bullying campaigns only seem to fuel the bully's already gross behavior. Sad. But the fact that this guy learned a form of martial arts, and put it on display, made him become an imposing figure in the mind of the bully. He is now someone that could bring harm, or even worse, humiliation to the bully. A bully will avoid these like the plague.

I'm autistic and relate to the bully story.i also relate to the compulsion to collect pencils and dress like a ninja. The cruelest think about life when your a kid getting bullied, is when you go home and try to learn guitar with shitty tab books.

As a Chinese American growing up in America, I can totally relate to this. Even when now as an adult, as I run my own business at venues. First question typically is, " Are they made in China?". It's probably a legitimate question and many don't mean much by it. Even though our products are designed and researched in US..... they don't want to bother by it. Glad you shared your experienced and how you've overcome the social dilemma.

Bullying really sucks. I think there have been situations where the adult bullying has been worse. When I was a kid I had adult bullies, too. They were teachers. Bitter women who hated men and were all too happy to watch me suffer. They did not intervene after years of open bullying, but the day I decided I had enough they rushed in to tell me my behaviour was wrong. It was fag. That was my dagger. They all called me fag and gay for years. Stole my watch my dad gave me, smashed it.

Here’s some good advice: fight back. Seriously. Stick up your middle finger to them, say “f you, a-hole!” Except say the actual curse words. If a teacher scolds you, tell the teacher to scold the bullies instead, you were defending yourself. Become strong: starting doing push-ups, sit-ups, and squats every day, even if it’s only 5 push-ups a day, 5 squats a day, and/or 5 sit-ups a day, and eat a bit more to get a little bigger. If they give you a hard time or start to get physical, defend yourself. You may get hurt, but you will have the dignity of not-having submitted.

Great story.

2:52 he had to cut away because he was going to laugh. He knew it was funny.

I remember being bullied for being overweight and because I smelled like cigarette smoke because my mother was a chain smoker. What I learned is: 1 Music will stick closer than any friend. When words don’t express your feelings, notes do. How you hold, bend, or pluck a note tells a story. 2. Your bullies are usually ALWAYS also being bullied 3. Still be kind. They may need kindness more than you’ll ever know.

I was bullied in elementary school and middle school. In middle school I would just agree with them or double down with them. I got called the "goth fag" because I wore Metallica shirts. So, I just started saying "oh, yeah man! Wanna come over after school for some afternoon delight? Take a bath with me, baby?" and they shut the hell up. High school, I was friends with every group. I only had 1 confrontation when I was a freshman. I was going to the bathroom and walked by a junior and he started messing with me. I heard "hey, wanna play with me???" and it was one of my best friends who happens to be 6'5" 230 pounds of pure kickass and a football player. He slammed the kid against the wall and told him if he ever messes with me again that he will need an ambulance. So, he just always waved at me in the hall.

I used to get bullied in elementary school for reading man! 🤣 I used to just stay in the school library and read a lot about William Penn and shit because I didn't wanna go outside. I also used to have a lot of Led Zeppelin stickers on my binder then so I used to get bullied for liking rock and roll too I guess. It wasn't until I moved away from my hometown and went to a different middle school that the bullying stopped and I found some other cool people that liked my music. I also got my electric guitar when I was 14 (I'm 20 now), so perhaps I started late but I have like twenty songs and riffs down at least. Plus, since I read all those History books when I was younger and impressionable, I developed a knack for History and (currently) I'm trying to become a History teacher now (but just don't give me a math problem). So far I can actually name all of the Presidents, all of Morse code, the countries on a map and the NATO Phonetic Alphabet so (not to sound narcissistic [does it sound narcissistic?]) but this is like what you were saying Mike about being proud of yourself or something, about being passionate about something. 😅 I don't know what I'm talking about! 🤣 I'll just end it here. Read books/educate yourselves people, thank you for reading. "Out for my own, out to be free One with my mind, they just can't see No need to hear things that they say Life is for my own to live my own way" -- 'Escape' (by Metallica) "Be yourself, by yourself, stay away from me" -- 'Walk' (by Pantera) (I don't know, this just made sense to me) 🤣

Hey brother. thanks for sharing your experience. One of the most terrifying and intimidating experience I went through was having to go to school the 3rd day of me and my brothers arriving in the states from the Philippines. Just like you man I heard similar things. The biggest guy named Jimmie who ironically was half white and Thai would be the one who bullied me. He was into the same music that I liked. He had long hair and was not a jock type. I always fought back no matter how big or tall they were. If a bully tries to ruin your day give them the same thing but 3 times worst and ruin their day as well.

wholesome, thank you

we moved a lot, I was always the new kid. Always being pushed around. I learned to fight. Bullying sucks, after that I never stood by and watched someone get bullied.

Bullies are looking for an easy target. _Don’t be an easy target._ Just fight back. Don’t hold back. Have friends for backup if you want. I beat the crap out of a guy bullying me in high school & that put an end to it.

When I was in 8th grade gym class, we had wrestling. I had just moved from the south where wrestling wasn't a thing in schools. I had been bullied because I was very small compared to other kids. Now, in a new school once again, I felt lost. The school had a tournament, starting with our gym class, with different weight classes. I had always been very athletic, but small, so I ended up winning the school's 85 pound championship despite weighing 60 pounds. I went on the next year to wrestling on the varsity high school team at 95 pounds even though I weighed about 80 pounds by that time. I came to realize that I was no longer being bullied because I had a confidence in myself that wasn't there before. Bullies prey on the scared. When you are no longer scared, they avoid you.

My parents were military. We moved so much that I had been to 18 schools including 2 in High School. The new guy is always a target. As a Freshman, I signed up for Judo through the Youth Center and got a new respect.

I have to share my odd story with bullies and being bullied. I have been bullied in school since 4th grade (I'm now 16, well on my way with a band and shit's rolling good, studying in a good school), but every single day I went to school, I would get called a "retard" and a "weirdo" because I was different. I wasn't afraid to be myself, and I've always been disgusted by the culture of copying everyone else. Anyway to the meat. After 9th grade, I went to a new school to study security services and I was still alone, and left as an outcast. Then I found my best friend, my bro, and we made a 2 man band and we started to write Nirvana-type music (I have always been a huge Kurt Cobain fan), and he is the drummer and I'm the guitarist and singer. In 9th grade, I played in my school's something show (I dont remember what it was lmao), and I played Nirvana's Even In His Youth and almost everyone just mocked me after the show: "Stop screaming" "Learn how to sing" etc etc. Then in this new school (actually last week), I went to try again and played 2 of my bands original songs and Nirvana's Pennyroyal Tea acoustic in front of like 1000 people (I kept thinking to myself "Okay if these people don't like it, then whatever). After I strummed the final Am chord ending Pennyroyal Tea and the show, everyone went wild. They cheered and cheered and whistled from the crowd and I thought "Holy shit... no way" and everyone just came up to me and my bandmate and just praised us. Sorry if it's a long one, but thought I share this for you all to see. Maybe the lesson in my story is no matter how much you get bullied, called names and picked on, always keep doing what you enjoy and eventually it'll pay off. Thank you.

I was bullied too, those dudes needed the attention and picked on me daily. I didn’t fight normally at that time but finally on the bus a kid flipped my ear from the seat behind me one too many times. I stood up I said you f’n asshole when we get off the bus I’m kicking your ass, I was scared to death but I had to do something. The whole bus got off at my stop.. dude I fucked him up so bad I mean I was even shocked but he was able to run home. That school no one ever messed with me again, I went to 13 schools in 12 years and I was always a quiet keep to myself guy. Some schools were in ghettos I had to fight. Others were well I said enough. Bullies are usually popular jerks that need attention u take that from them they have less to work with. The hardest thing is standing up

I was bullied pretty bad from about fourth grade to 9th grade. I was the last picked. I was the smallest skinniest smartest and weirdest. Teachers and administration were complicit in the bullying. They would either blame me for it or turn away. Kids are awful. I never did fight back because I believed the bullies that said that if I fought back or told that it would get worse. It always just got worse. I'm okay now though grown up I've lived my life the way I like, but it does affect you later though.

Good job 👍

Ninja 3!! Me and my brother rented that every other weekend, on v.h.s My aunt even knew the dialogue

Mentor: Listen, I know things are tough right now, but once you're grown up and can start doing the things that make you happy, things will get better. Bullied kid: When I grow up I want to make content for KZread! Mentor: ...so that thing I said about things getting better...