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AIBU?

To think Cage fighting for eight year olds

261 replies

Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 06:20

Should be illegal?

Children as young as six are taking up the controversial sport of "cage fighting", alarming medical experts and sports officials.

The violent sport, also known as "ultimate fighting" , combines martial arts, wrestling and boxing but with few rules often looks like little more than a brawl.

It has come over here from the states, parents are in a club, drinking, baying for the chldren to carry on fighting even when they've been hurt.

I know it is legal, and it shouldnt be IMO but what kind of "parents" want their children cage fighting? What chance have these children got in life? I wonder what should be done to protect these children?

Or do some think it's no worse than boxing?

OP posts:

Report

Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 06:26

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-14998593

Read more here.

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wordsonapage · 22/09/2011 06:28

god my ds would love that

Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 06:30

Would you allow him to fight though, if yes or no then why?

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BelleDameSansMerci · 22/09/2011 06:48

We-ell, is it worse than boxing? I hate boxing, btw. I think it's barbaric but plenty of people don't. So, my point is, where does society draw the line?

I can't see the pleasure in watching people hurt each other...

Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 07:09

The father has just been on the television saying "If he wasn't in this environment he would be standing on a street corner causting havoc"

What an idiot, so if you have kids they either cage fight or cause havoc?

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Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 07:10

I dont know belle you make a good point, there's something very wrong when adults are shouting at chidren to encourage them to hurt each other.

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Loonytoonie · 22/09/2011 07:15

Wrong wrong wrong.
I hate boxing, but adults are expected to be able to behave responsibly
BUT throwing 2 children in a cage to do this random violence on one another.....God this has sickened me to the core.
What is wrong with these parents?

meditrina · 22/09/2011 07:18

I am very much in favour of martial arts for children: mine have done taekwondo and kungfu. Loads of the it friends have done judo.

As certain moves are banned in the children's MMA, it's not cage fighting : it's a fight staged in a cage - there is no hitting or kicking permitted (arguably grappling is safer than taekwondo).

Children already participate in a variety of martial arts, including competitions - and there are eg childrens boxing tournaments.

My only sticking point in this is the nature of the event. It was an adult audience (saw a report that said alcohol served). There should be separate children's competitions, earlier in the day (like other children's competitions). I really do not think a single children's bout should be a feature in an adult competition.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 22/09/2011 07:20

Combat sports are controversial enough but at least there are rules and regs surrounding protective equipment and other safety measures. Having bare-knuckle brawls take place in a cage in a club with adults sat around drinking and egging them on sounds more like something out of Dickens .....

Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 07:21

The police are now investigating. The father said it was safe because there was a medical team on standby, if you need a medical team on standby surely that means it's not safe.

What kind of values is he giving his child? To be successful you need to be the 'ardest?

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bigeyes · 22/09/2011 07:29

I am astonushed people let their kids do this, cage fighting that is. it seems far more brutal than others even though they are not allowed to punch or kick. on the clip shown on daybreak it showed a child slamming the other down onto their curved spine how on earth can that be good for them. it has made think about other marshal arts which do seem more and disciplined but considering NSPCC statement i think they all need to be looked at. ive never liked boxing though and my ds nearly 6 does football and tennis and cant imagine watching him in any sort of ring

MuthaInsuperior · 22/09/2011 07:32

No worse than boxing, kickboxing or karate. In fact, the video I've seen of these boys shows that no punching or kicking is allowed in the "cage fights", just grappling which in theory - makes it safer than the vast majority of martial arts that most of us ENCOURAGE our kids to take part in.

MuthaInsuperior · 22/09/2011 07:34

Springy, there is usually a medical team on standby at football matches - does that mean football for kids needs to be looked at?

I know for a fact that karate competitions have medics on standby.

Why not just stop our kids doing anything physical and buy them all an xbox? much safer.

Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 07:35

I did encourage my child to do martial arts so that he could put some bullies on their very nasty backsides if they started on him again, ideally children wouldn't need these skills as parents would bring up their children to believe violence is wrong.

I'm not against martial arts which are very strictly controlled and operate to the highest standards. When I wanted to register my child the organisers kind of vetted me in a sense. When I explained it was for confidence and self defence they were fine, but said some parents didn't have the children's best interest at heart and some wouldn't be accepted.

This however, just looks so wrong on every level, adults I can't say encouraging them because if I was eight years old, in a ring surrounded by adults, many drinking, shouting for them to hurt the other child, I'd be intimidated into carrying on I'm sure.

VILE!

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MuthaInsuperior · 22/09/2011 07:38

There is much encouragement of violence at karate bouts too. I've been to karate bouts where one child has been injured at the dad (usually is the dad0 has shouted at him to stop being a wimp/girl/pansy and to carry on.

This "cage fight" just looked like glorified Judo to me.

Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 07:39

My son has played in football matches for years for a team, we have never once had a medical team on standby for a match. The only exception was when there were huge all day tournaments, never for a league match though.

I accept there can and has been injuries at football matches, have seen it happen often enough but the intention when going on to the field was to compete rather than to maim.

Except one team but that's a whole new thread.

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MuthaInsuperior · 22/09/2011 07:39

Please ignore my typos!

Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 07:39

Mum I would hope that if a father behaved like that the instructor would deal with them. I would hope anyway.

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Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 07:40

Only if you ignore mine mutha

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MuthaInsuperior · 22/09/2011 07:49

Hopefully it will be too early in the morning for the grammar police to catch us

Springyknickersohnovicars · 22/09/2011 07:55

Wonders if we could put the grammar police in a cage

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MoreBeta · 22/09/2011 08:08

I strongly disagree with cage fighting as a 'sport' for children.

My children age 9 and 11 do judo and play rugby. Both of those sports were given as examples last night on TV where physical contact between children occurs. They are not analogous sports at all.

The video of the children fighting in the cage showed moves which would be illegal in judo and rugby. Judo does not allow fighters to grab each other round the legs to put the opponent on the floor and nor does it allow a fighter to repeatedly pick up an opponent and drop them on the floor. In rugby tackling round the legs is allowed but a player is not allowed to hold another player on the floor or pick them up and repeatedly drop them. In judo or rugby the moves I saw on TV last night woudl result in a player being disqualified/ sent off or at least the game stopped and a penalty awarded.

That said, there is also a creeping trend in judo and rugby for increasingly aggressive and physical play to be encouraged among young children. For example, some judo clubs have a repuitation as 'fight clubs' where young players are taught 'competition fighting moves' and their grading (belts) are held back so they can fight in competitions against weaker players and win more medals.

In rugby, young players all now wear body armour to allow bigger hitting tackles which was specifically banned when I started playing 35 years ago.

In my view the increasing trend to copy aggressive techniques seen in films and profesisonal sport is ruining sport for young children. The point of sport for children is to foster team play and physical excercise - not encourage and provide an excuse for bigg aggressive children to cause physical and mental trauma to other young players.

I support sport that allows children to learn to use physical strength and agility - not what I saw last night which was basically playground fighting egged on by a mob of adults.

ripstheirthroatoutliveupstairs · 22/09/2011 08:26

Horrible idea IMO. When we lived in Bangkok, a lot of children made money for their parents by taking up kick boxing where the parents would either bet on their son winning or, losing.
Kick boxing when it is done properly, within the rules is a great sport. When it is done in a village for money, lots of youngsters are injured. Some very badly.
Horrible horrible idea. I am glad my only DC is a girl, she has played rugby in the past, but even I would draw the line at cage fighting.

Empjusa · 22/09/2011 08:54

I totally understand learning MMA etc for self defence, but hate tournaments/matches. Especially for kids.

cantspel · 22/09/2011 09:01

You wont have a medical team at a childs football match but your coach will (or should have) had medical training and a full medical kit at every match and training session.

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