Children MMA

[Guest Jamster26]

My UFC knowledge is poor, probably given my lack of input in this side of the forum. However; I saw this on the news last night. What are your thoughts?

 

MMA for children…you have to start somewhere I suppose…….

 

CHILDREN as young as eight have been filmed cage fighting at a city social club.

The youngsters were not wearing protective head gear or padding and one appeared to be crying.

The bout, which lasted ten minutes and featured a scantily-clad girl parading around the ring between rounds, was part of a packed ticket-only fight night.

Although medics were brought into the ring to assess the youngsters, the British Medical Association has slammed the event, which was being investigated by cops yesterday.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt today condemned cage fighting among kids as young as FIVE as "barbaric" — but police have decided to take no action against the organisers.

One boy fighting in the footage was Kian Makinson, nine.

His dad Nick Hartley, 33, said: "None of them were ever in danger. There is no harm."

The organiser of the fight — at the Greenlands Labour Club, in Chatburn Road, Preston, Lancashire — Steven Nightingale claimed it was an 'extremely good event' and the club's owner defended the spectacle.

Mr Nightingale, 28, a professional cage fighter who runs the Reps MMA gym, off Longridge Road, Preston, said the sport is safe and growing in popularity.

said: "Competitions start from the age of five, it is definitely a big up-and-coming sport.

"It is all based around martial arts. The kids are not getting hit or anything at all when they are under age.

"We do not let them strike — punch and kick — until the age of 14 or 15."

Asked about the crying child during one bout, he said: "The kid has never been beaten before, he is the one who wins the gold medals.

"When they get beaten, they are going to get emotional, also the referee and corner man said you do not have to carry on.

"He (the youngster crying) had come from the far side of Manchester, he came with his coach, and it is something he had trained for."

There is no suggestion any of the bouts at the Reps Retribution night, which included semi-professional bouts, breached any rules or licence laws.

Other cage fighting events have taken place at venues around the city featuring adults.

But the BMA today branded it "disturbing" especially given that the child fighters were not wearing any protective padding or head gear.

A spokesman said: "The BMA is opposed to boxing and cage fighting.

"This example of cage fighting among young children is particularly disturbing, especially as they are not even wearing head guards.

Boxing and cage fighting are sometimes defended on the grounds that children learn to work through their aggression with discipline and control.

"The BMA believes there are many other sports, such as athletics, swimming, judo and football, which require discipline but do not pose the same threat of brain injury."

This morning, the Culture Secretary said: "Getting more young people doing sport is great but I do ask myself whether it really does have to be in a cage.

"To me, it feels very barbaric and I know there are concerns about children that young doing a sport like that.

"We don't want to discourage children from doing sport, and particularly young boys with all the social problems that we were thinking about in the summer.

"We have to recognise that sport has a very, very important role but I think with this particular sport, I think some people will ask some questions."

But a spokesman for Lancashire Police said today the force had "looked into this matter fully and there are no issues for us to pursue".

Timothy Lipscomb, the Vicar of Preston, said the cage fighting put a question mark over how children are brought up in the UK.

He said: "It is not the way we want children to be brought up.

"Up to a certain age they need protection, they do not need to see the senior side of life.

It should not be a public spectacle to see them bashing the living daylight out of each other.

"Do you not think it encourages bullying and trying to use force to get your own way?"

The sport, also known as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), encompasses a range of martial arts which are used during bouts.

It has become popular partly due to reality star Alex Reid, the sport's most high-profile figure in the UK.

 

Credit: Sun.co.uk

[Maxximus 353]

It's a fad like anything else.

 

We do have two MMA gyms in town. One has children's classes, but the parents must be present at all times. I don't mind it. It teaches the kids balance, self defense, honor and responsibility. I love video games, but I'm in my mid 30's. I'm for anything that gets the kids out of the house to teach them a form of creative discipline.

 

They do sparring, but not actual cage match competitions at the age of 8 years old. You have to be sixteen with parental consent or 18 years old to compete in the Steele City Rumble events that are held at the events center a meager 2 blocks from my home. In fact, one of my good friends just won his first local title. I'm proud of him. His teen-age years were pretty sketchy and if he wouldn't have been able to focus it into something positive like MMA, I fear he would have ended up another casualty of this city's bullshit.

[etz 78]

Is it really any worse than any other full contact martial art? I don't think so, but I'd have them wearing those padded helmets amateur boxers wear.

[Maxximus 353]

They do here in Pueblo. It's very strictly regulated and watches over.

[Guest John Hancock]

I started sambo and muay thai when I was little and, at least when I did it, you wear heavy, heavy padding; boxing helmets, massive gloves and shin guards. I never got even the slightest injury until I started doing it at adult level.

 

So, yeah, bit of tabloid "THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" nothingness if you ask me. God forbid a child gets out the house, meets people, learns to defend themselves, builds confidence and gets exercise eh?

[Paul 584]

I wondered how long this would take to be mentioned here. Utter over-reaction from people. If the kids were doing full on MMA then I'd say they had a case, but all they are doing is the same that kids the same age do in most grappling lessons. Its just holds and leverage. FFS American kids do it in school (though I dont know what age they start).

 

That its on a show isnt a big deal, its just showing how far they have progressed.

[Guest John Hancock]

If you're talking about ammeter wrestling Darkie (DS is totally right about it, this is mixture of ammeter wrestling and judo, not MMA), then American kids tend to start at around 5 or so.

[Maxximus 353]

FFS American kids do it in school (though I dont know what age they start).

 

Generally 11 or 12, but there are cases of children starting out younger. It's just like any other kind of martial art. Same goes for wrestling, football, baseball and so on. The demand plays a big part. My brothers friend was MMA training a few years back and there were kids as young as 5 or 6 rolling around on the mats. These days though there are less and less people involved. I don't mean just children, but everyone. That could just be a local thing though.

[Guest Jimmy Redman]

Meltzer made the point that they shouldnt need helmets if they're just grappling and not doing any striking.

[etz 78]

Ah, if they're not striking (missed that earlier, skimming is bad, m'kay :P) then helmets aren't needed. But how is it MMA if they're not striking, surely that's just grappling/wrestling?

[Guest Jimmy Redman]

It is all based around martial arts. The kids are not getting hit or anything at all when they are under age.

"We do not let them strike — punch and kick — until the age of 14 or 15."

 

Yes, essentially, its just grappling. But MMA sounds scarier for a news story.

[Guest John Hancock]

Not even MMA Jimbo, ~CAGE FIGHTING~

[etz 78]

To be fair, that's a legitimate exploitation of peoples immediate expectation to entice people to read the article because it does actually explain it properly within the story.

 

After all, cage fighting is just fighting which happens in a cage, so it's factually accurate. Actually, far more accurate than the thread title.