Bullyproof Holiday Programme
Oliver MMA · School holidays 2026
Bullyproof Holiday Programme
Three days that change how your child walks into a room. Real self-defence and the judgement to know when to use it.
- Ages
- 5 to 12
- Core day
- 9am to 3pm
- Extended
- 8am to 5pm
- Places
- 30 per block
BLOCK ONE 28 TO 30 SEPTEMBER · BLOCK TWO 5 TO 7 OCTOBER
Your child will learn to defend themselves properly. They will also learn the five rules that decide when they are allowed to, and the one we drill hardest is knowing when to stop.
The point of it
What your child can do by Wednesday
The curriculum is built around the two things that actually happen to children: someone gets them in a headlock, or someone swings at them. Everything else follows from those. Here is what three days buys, in plain terms.
- Get out from underneath someone biggerPinned on the ground with someone sitting on them is the situation children fear most and freeze in. They will have done it, and got out, dozens of times by Wednesday.
- Escape a headlock, standing or on the groundThe most common hold a child gets caught in, and the one that turns a scuffle into something frightening. Two ways out of it, drilled until it is automatic.
- Stay safe while someone is swingingCover, close the distance, and neutralise a punch without throwing one back. Nothing lands, nobody gets hit, and the situation stops.
- Hold someone still, safely, until an adult comesControl without hurting anybody. This is the technique that ends a playground incident without your child being the one in trouble.
- Say stop out loud and mean itStand tall, hold eye contact, and use a voice that makes a bully look for someone easier. Practised in front of the group until it stops being embarrassing.
- Know exactly who to tell and what to sayWho, what, where, in one sentence. And what to do when the first adult does not listen.
- Stop the second it is overHands down, step back, walk away, tell an adult. Graded harder than any technique, and it is on their report card.
What your child learns
Three skills, every single day
Most trouble is over before anyone touches anyone. So we teach it in the order it actually happens: notice it, talk your way out of it, and only then use your hands.
Seeing it coming
Where trouble happens at school, reading the moment a game stops being a game, who the safe adults are, and what to do online. Taught as games, not lectures.
Saying it out loud
Standing tall, looking someone in the eye, and saying stop like they mean it. Handling teasing without feeding it. Knowing who to tell and exactly what to say.
When it is needed
Getting free of grabs and headlocks, escaping from underneath someone bigger, and defending themselves if someone is hurting them. Then stopping the second it stops.
The two blocks
Different material, so you can do both
Each block is three days and stands on its own. A child who only does one still learns all three skills from the ground up. A child who does both never repeats a technique.
Block One
28 to 30 September
- Getting out from underneath, and staying calm while you do it
- Headlocks: two escapes, standing and on the ground
- Closing the distance instead of backing away
- Holding someone safely until help arrives
- Joking or bullying, and how to tell the difference
Block Two
5 to 7 October
- Punch defence: nothing lands, and nothing is thrown back
- Escaping and getting back to your feet
- Control, and the release that ends it
- What your body does when you are scared, and how to steady it
- Standing up for someone else without making it worse
Example day
What actually happens
Nine hours of taught content across the three days, broken up with games, boxing and a lot of running around. They will be tired by 3pm.
Wednesday is test day. Written and practical assessments after lunch, and your child comes home with a report card: what they can do, how well they know the five rules, and the one thing to work on next.
The part that matters
Five rules, learned by heart
Teaching a child to defend themselves without teaching them when is half a job. These are said at the start of every session, written into their workbook, and they are what the written test is built on.
- Do not start it, and do not stay in itIf you can walk away, walk away. Getting out is winning, and nobody here will ever be disappointed in you for leaving.
- Use your voice before your handsStand tall, look at them, say stop and mean it. Then tell an adult. Most of it ends right here.
- If someone is hurting you, defend yourselfYou have permission. You are not in trouble with us, and you do not have to wait until it happens twice.
- Only as much as it takesEnough to make it stop. Never on someone smaller, and never on someone who is already defeated.
- Stop, step back, tell someoneThe second it is over, hands down, get away, and tell an adult exactly what happened. Every time.
Booking
Pick your block
Each block runs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The two blocks teach different material, so you can do one or both.
How booking works. One form. Pick your days and any extended hours with the prices in front of you, fill in your child's details, and pay by card at the end. Your place is confirmed the moment the payment goes through, and your receipt arrives straight away.
One day
$65
Any single day
Three-day block
$175
$58 a day · save $20
Both blocks
$330
Six days · save $60
Need longer days?
| Add-on | Hours | Per day | Per block |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early drop-off | 8:00 to 9:00 | $10 | $25 |
| Late pick-up | 3:00 to 5:00 | $18 | $45 |
| Both, a full 8 to 5 day | 8:00 to 17:00 | $25 | $65 |
- Book early and save 10% if you pay by Friday 18 September. Code EARLYBIRD.
- Oliver MMA members save 15% on the programme price. Code MEMBER.
- Brothers and sisters save 10% on the second child and every child after. Code SIBLING.
One code per booking, so use whichever saves you the most. Enter it at the payment step. Extended hours are not discounted.
Practical bits
What to bring, and what we provide
They bring
Morning tea and lunch, a full drink bottle, exercise (sport) shoes, a change of clothes, and a jersey.
We provide
Afternoon fruit, their workbook, a programme t-shirt, and a certificate and report card.
Questions
The things parents ask
Will this make my child more aggressive?
It is a fair question and it is the thing we design around. Your child spends as much time learning the five rules as they do learning any technique, and the one we drill hardest is not a move at all; it is stopping: hands down, step back, walk away, tell an adult. It is graded harder than anything else, and it goes on their report card. In our experience, the children who cause trouble are the ones who feel powerless, not the ones who know they can handle themselves.
My child has never done martial arts. Will they be lost?
No. Most of the room will be brand new, and the programme is built for children with no experience at all. The five- to seven-year-olds learn through games, and the older group learn techniques step by step with a coach on every pair.
Are you teaching my child to hit people?
We teach them to defend themselves if someone is hurting them, and we teach them exactly when that is and when it is not. Rule 3 gives them permission, which matters, because a child who thinks they are not allowed to defend themselves is the child who gets hurt. Rules 4 and 5 are the brakes: only as much as it takes, and stop the moment it stops. In the gym they hit pads and bags, never each other.
How are the age groups split?
Two groups on two mat areas. Five to seven learn through structured games that teach the same principles without it ever feeling like a lesson. Seven to twelve learn the techniques properly, step by step, with a coach on every pair. Where your child sits if they are seven depends on them, and we will talk to you about it.
How will I know what they actually learned?
They are tested on the Wednesday, written and practical, and they come home with a report card. It says what they can do, how well they know the five rules, and the one thing to work on next. Ask them to show you the escape from underneath. They will be very keen to.
My child is anxious, or neurodivergent, or has allergies. Is this for them?
Yes, and please tell us everything on the enrolment form. There is a whole section for it. We would far rather know that your child needs a warning before things change, or has a peanut allergy, or goes quiet when they are overwhelmed, than find out on the day.
What are the coach-to-child ratios?
One coach to every ten children on site, with a minimum of two coaches present at all times and an on-site supervisor throughout. Every adult on the floor is police-vetted, and a first-aid-qualified coach is on site all day.
How and when do I pay?
By card, at the end of the form. You choose your days and any extended hours first; the total builds as you go, and the card step is the last thing before you submit. Your place is confirmed as soon as it goes through, and your receipt is emailed straight away.
What if we need to cancel?
Full refund up to seven days before your block starts, and 50% within seven days. Inside 48 hours, we cannot refund, but if your child is unwell, just let us know, and we will credit it against a future programme or term fees.
Can they do both blocks without repeating themselves?
Yes. The two blocks teach different material, so a child who does all six days never repeats a technique. A child who only does one block still learns all three skills from the ground up.
Thirty places per block
Once a block is full, it is full. Fill in the form, pay at the end, and we will see you on the mats.
Enrol your childOliver MMA · 26 Veronica Street, New Lynn · Taught using the Gracie Bullyproof curriculum as one of our teaching resources. Gracie Bullyproof is a registered mark of Gracie Intellectual Property, LLC.