Fight Club Junior: Cage Fighting for Kids
When two dogs are in a cage to fight each other, it’s illegal.
When two children are in a cage to fight each other, it’s part of the fastest growing sport in America: “ultimate fighting.”
Also known as cage fighting or mixed martial arts, ultimate fighting is a no-holds-barred combo of wrestling, boxing, and martial arts that is increasingly popular, often bloody, and usually staged in a cage.
Now, in the sport’s latest spin-off, kids as young as six are brawling in cages, using kicks, body blows, and choke holds in a contest of physical submission.
Unlike adults who engage in ultimate fighting, kids wear padding and head gear. And also unlike adults, kids who cage-fight can only do so with the consent and support of their parents, who say the violent fighting is no more dangerous than wrestling and believe it teaches skills like discipline, respect, responsibility, and control.
“It’s wonderful,” said a Missouri mother who encourages her 10 and 14 year old sons in ultimate fighting. “They build such good character and good friendships, and that’s what you need to further yourself in life.”
But while some applaud, others are appalled. “I have parents who kind of scare me sometimes,” said the owner of a Massachusetts gym where kids train in ultimate fighting. “Moms and dads letting their kids choke them just for practice reasons. The days of Dad throwing a ball with little Billy are over.”
Medical experts are also concerned about the pummeling kids endure in cage fighting, saying it can cause significant injuries to the neck and bones.
There are no standardized laws governing children’s cage fighting matches in the U.S. Massachusetts and Missouri allow youth contests, while other states ban the practice or don’t regulate it at all. “I think it borders on child abuse,” said a Missouri legislator who has introduced a bill to ban ultimate fighting for children in that state.
As a spectator sport, ultimate fighting continues to grow, its ever-larger TV audiences turning cage combat into a mega-millions fight club, with an increasingly younger face. “I daydream during school,” said one 14 year old ultimate fighter, “of me being in the cage with everybody watching me on TV.”
Tell us what you think: Is cage fighting for kids a responsible sport? Should anyone be responsible for regulating it—parents?…the government? Do viewers of ultimate fighting play a role in the sports increasing appeal to children?
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I’m a follower of Jesus, however to state that we need to be a Christian society in order for it not to crumble is somewhat inaccurate. In the past even the civilizations that heeded Christ’s teachings fell apart. It’s just a part of life to make room for the new. And people who are not Christian do have morals as well they just don’t use the excuse of a bible and God to proclaim their views which I tend to respect more than my own fellow Christians. But since this is off the topic now I’ll try and bring us back on the main topic which is child too young to be fighting in cages not only is it sending the wrong message, basically that this sport is more important than academics, learning how to cope their own self-esteem, I mean using SPORTS as the only source to build self-esteem builds an unbalanced complex. There are so many other reasons but it’s too many to post.
Kina Barnum | 1 year, 5 months ago
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Im for it
Civilization is not crumbling and you,re wrong. Well, cage fighting is a sport no different than football. you take risks and have fun and go to win. Also with football you need parental consent under a certain age. It’s fun. I do it and greatly enjoy it. If you don’t like it then don’t let YOUR kids do it, but don.t tangle with other peoples lives because its not your place or anyone else’s.
Daniel Molina | 1 year, 5 months ago
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Games, Sport, Intent, and Pain
Hello, Daniel. While at a celebration lately two young children started wrestling. It was all for “fun” in the beginning but as the 4 and 5 year olds continued someone got pushed down and hit his head on a brick. They had moved away from the safer center of the lawn to the area near the flower bed. Moments later the other became a surprised victim and was sobbing because the “friend” had shoved his finger back real hard and held it there. Pain inflicted pain. Later while chatting with the two children as they downed some refreshingly cool water, one of them picked up a board game adults had brought to play. “Boxers and Briefs” I believe was the name of it. “What’s this asked one young man to which his mom answered from the other room, “It’s a game for adults.” And someone else called out “and Beth won’t play it even though she did once before.” “How come?” asked one boy of me. You know what happened when you both got carried away wrestling, somebody got hurt. With this game somebody can get really hurt too, but the hurt in this game is inside. And inside hurts can’t always be seen. It’s just as wrong to hurt someone on the inside as it is on the outside. That was enough of an explanation for them. We can go further. When you win a game Daniel, how does it feel? When you loose, how does that feel? Every win and every loss strengthens our egos, the part of us that emphasizes our differences and sets us apart. But its recognizing our similarities that brings us together. Games are proposed as a way to have “fun” and perhaps were necessary at some time in our evolution as humans to help us survive. Now the world is so completely differentiated that our separateness creates constant war and turmoil around the globe. We must now shift and learn to recognize and emphasize our similarities if the world is going to continue to exist. Please, listen to your heart before you get involved in any game or activity and ask it if its really what the moment needs or if there is another way which would be fun for all involved. Beth
Beth Prenot | 1 year, 4 months ago
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Are We Really?
Victor, how is it you’ve come upon the conclusion that our soul’s are infinitely more precious than a being who is not human, be it plant or animal? You speak of our soul, but consider that all living beings have a spirit. What if all living spirits are truly eternal once they are created? Have you ever set beside a different animal as it was dying and been there through the death stage. I have. “Something” always moves on at death and leaves the shell of a body behind.
Beth
Beth Prenot | 1 year, 4 months ago
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Governmental Regulation?
Liam, do you really feel governmental regulation is a solution to moral dilemmas?
Also, please consider that all human beings have a limit to their patience simply because they are humans. When even the best of parents have been stressed beyond their own limits they will act or do something which may be very cruel in the moment (perhaps violently grabbing their child’s arm). The receiving child’s brain, unable to process cruelty hides this in their muscles or unconscious. We all are more likely to have hidden pain no matter how kind our folks were. And we all base our everyday actions in great part on this hidden pain we know nothing about. For some there is a lot of “manure” they know nothing about which guides all or most of their interactions with others, including young children. Will regulating any type of violence dissolve someones inner pain or simply multiply it? Beth
Beth Prenot | 1 year, 4 months ago
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Don't be so ignorant
If the kids want to do it, then so be it. You’ll never be able to ban Ultimate Fighting, it’s far too big now, and you need to some serious research on the subject before you bash it.
There are rules and regulations that are very strict. As long as these children want to do it, and then let them. Children will fight regardless of knowledge – its how people are. Martial Arts will teach them self-control and responsibility. Kids who don’t know anything about fighting who fight on the “playground” just throw punches at the other kid until he feels like he’s done. No, they don’t teach that in martial arts. You won’t be able to use the “it only teaches violence; they’ll only use the knowledge to hurt other children” anymore. Like I said, do some research on it.
Andy Blanton | 1 year, 4 months ago
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UFC is Spectator Gore Blood Brutality
Cage fighting as it is called is not a sport, that exhibits skill, encourages cooperation, of permits betterment of its participants…
Cage Fighting is Brutal, Violent, Adversarial…and generally harmful.. especially to those imitators that want to copy “whats in” today
Having children involved only indicates how out of control we are as parents, and educators.
There is absolutely NO redeeming value to putting children into a cage and have one emerge a victor.
New York has not permitted these events…and some of those who are now trying to change that for “entertainment” need to be stopped.
Martial Arts Academies are going too far in their quest to make money, misleading, that mixed martial arts lead to better discipline, more confidence, better self-image are just wrong.
The true purpose about martial arts training is to teach you “not to resolve conflicts with fighting” that is Budo Japanese for “stop the spear” prevent conflict not encourage it.
Parents, Karate Instructors, sport people…wake up.
Stop children from fighting. Please Now.
Terry Maccarrone | 1 year, 4 months ago
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Agree
I agree Tad! As an X MMA competitor I know that is just to much stress and pressure on a maturing body. Around sixteen is a good time to start a amateur career, then turn pro between nineteen and twenty one if that is your goal. The training is good character and self-esteem building as well as respect and compassion for other competitors in the early years. But for a long prosperous career you need to go slow taking care of your body building wisdom through experience as your body and skills grow. Every fighter knows once you pass your prime you need another way to make a living. You’re always gonna have those who only see violence and don’t understand our love for the pure science and psychology involved.
Louis Bryson | 1 year, 4 months ago
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what it leads to
Where I live there are many fighting bars that some of my guy friends are fighting at. Some of them train and say that it teaches you self control, but I have a friend who has 3 counts of battery towards other guys. He thinks its OK to take the fight out of the ring. last year a 17 year old died at one of the fights. The bar was closed down and just reopened this week. This isn’t anything like martial arts, its bloody and violent. there are barely any rules in the ring. Showing 6 year olds that violence can be “OK” at times isn’t the best idea. How are they going to be able to tell what is self defense and what is a “battle”?
Alexandra G. | 1 year, 4 months ago
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Try to understand
I know that it’s hard for you guys to truly understand a sport that you haven’t been involved in, but please try as I will attempt to explain it to you.
When two MMA practitioners step into a cage or ring and duke/grapple it out, they’re not fighting out of hatred for each other. In reality they’re fighting out of love, love for the sport, and love and respect for their fellow man/opponent. I’m making a generalization, there have been some hate/revenge fights over the years but nevertheless I’ve never seen an MMA fight that the combatants didn’t shake hands and hug each other afterwards. There’s no racism in MMA, no bigotry, and there never was. There are good fighters from all over the world, and MMA recognizes them for being the talented athletes that they are. A mixed martial artist learns to embrace so many different cultures and their martial arts, and you really start to respect other societies more.
That being said, I actually kind of agree with you guys. I don’t think young children should be having full on MMA fights. For high school aged kids I think it’s perfectly acceptable, but the young ones need to keep their striking and wrestling separate. If these fathers want their kids to get into martial arts and MMA, they should take their kids to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes (BJJ is all the wrestling aspects of MMA, no punches, no kicks, no strikes of any kind). Then when the kids are teenagers and mature enough to handle it, start teaching them striking arts like boxing, muay thai, or kempo. Then when they are young adults introduce them to mixed martial arts or “cage fighting” as you all like to call it. You never know, the kids might surprise you and not even be interested in MMA, because they like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu too much.
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training is key for young kids. It is because there is no striking involved that they are highly unlikely to use it to lash out against another child violently, but because of the wrestling skills of BJJ the child will be able to defend himself if attacked by another child. This threat is very real, there’s not a boy in the world that grows up without getting in a fight. I know that all you guys see is competitive violence, but there’s so much more to it than that. And I’ve met so many of my good friends and positive influences in my life through my personal martial arts study. I strongly encourage parents to get their gets involved in some sort of martial arts study as it has made a huge positive impact on my life, and I want to share that with others.
Chris Eggleston | 1 year, 4 months ago
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