To think Cage fighting for eight year olds

[Springyknickersohnovicars]

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?

Parents are clearly morons and their kids need to be protected from them. Child abuse.

"and bet who would win!!"
"There is something grim and immoral about a child beating up another child to get money or a prize."
"were in an arena where there was prize money"

Sorry I'm looking for clarification here, not trying to pick a fight. Where are posters getting this info from? I thought it was an exhibition bout and as such neither boy was announced as a winner. How could they bet?
And if they did announce a winner where have people seen that there was prize money on the line?

The "sport" is abhorrent enough.
I watched the Newsround piece on this with my 7 and 5 yr old DS's.
One of the Father's of the 8 year old boys fighting said something along the lines of "Well at least we know where he is and he isn't hanging around a street corner"
Ummm, your child is 8 he shouldn't be hanging around street corners and you should know where he is, hardly rocket science. And getting him to wrestle in a cage for the enjoyment of 250 idiots in a social club in Preston is hardly bettering him and keeping him safe.
Fucking idiot.
Let's bring the stocks back.

"Do participants really need a cage? - if they are going to throw themselves that far and injure spectators or themselves on spectators, doesn't that mean they need more space and mats that are shock absorbent and have some give - just like in judo, and not rely on a CAGE to protect (ie not protect) them."

It's not that they are throwing each other so far that they are injuring themselves or getting flung on to spectators. Due to the varied nature of techniques used and the fact that it is a continuos system (i.e. timed rounds rather than set points as in some other martial arts) you often end up with stand up grappling and tussles, when bouts take place in a traditional boxing/muay thai ring competitors are more likely to slip through the ropes onto the surrounding area or get caught up in them which carries a risk for muscles/bones if they get tangle up in them. If you use a ring surrounded by mesh it supports the competitors, they won't get tangled up and the match can continue.
However the fact that it is referred to as a cage understandably causes alarm for those who don't really know the sport and it's not helped if you have a host of people say that there are no rules, the kids are beating the shit out of each other etc.

If the "cage" was called a "safety net", which is what it actually is, it wouldnt have got the same frothing response...

Nah Squeaky, I wouldn't be putting my 7 yr old into a net/cage/ring to have fight with another 7 yr old for the gratification of 250 adults.

Not bothered what you call the cage, it's not right.

I hate it the thought that adults enjoying watching young boys fight it just discusts me. It feels perves to me why do they want to watch kids fighting there were women there to it makes me feel very uncomfortable.

maryz I agree completely

I think that is just in your mind. That would never have crossed mine.

NO just NO. Children of this age are just not emotionally equiped to handle it in a rational way, IMO, whatever their parents say.

@mayorquimby - in answer to your questions, they were from the press and the radio: not gutter press, but short reports. Obviously there now seems to be a lot of confusion as to what the facts really are, and it is useful for contributors like Daxter and Pete to add more information. There are so many issues around these displays in Lancashire that have raised concern - we're not all debating the same points here. Firstly, what is the "cage" made of - is it really as soft as a safety net made of rope? From a scientific and medical standpoint, if it was made of metal, it can be dangerous for a child to be thrown against it (quite different for an older teenager or adult), although of course, being thrown across a flat surface onto a hard floor is worse, though the use of mats that absorb shock would lessen that. Secondly, I think so many are concerned about the way in which the competition was held, which changes the whole character of the competition. Put it in a sports hall, with spectator seating far away, soft mats, a uniform and older ages of participants, and it would be a very different story. Like I said, I would be very concerned if gymnastics competitions (which a 7 year old daughter of a friend participates in, which nobody gives a second thought about) was conducted in these circumstances!

beertricks- but it really is a class thing. I really can't see all the Independant schools adding it to their sports syllabus for next year!

It is a class thing, there are no two ways about that. Some sports are able to cross any class, but many dont. The same goes for hobbies too.

The class distinction was merely the beer guzzling adults cheering, jeering and using the children as entertainment.....in a social club. The kids fighting in a sports hall on a Saturday, in a competition would have been a different story.....actually it would be a non story.,

Just calling a spade a spade. Can't imagine too many Tarquins and Hugos queuing up for a bit of cagefighting in the local social club (just as I can't imagine many Waynes and Rios playing polo!)

I wouldn't say I am unaware, just looking at it in its simplest form. My great grandfather was a semi-professional boxer, but he was working class through and through. There is nothing wrong with that, so why dress things up? Of course there will always be exceptions to the rule, but in general some sports are a bit yuppy, some aren't, and cage fighting is one of those!

"Firstly, what is the "cage" made of - is it really as soft as a safety net made of rope?"

It'd be akin to the type of wire mesh fencing that you'd have around urban tennis courts, in a similar style to a chain link fence.

"Secondly, I think so many are concerned about the way in which the competition was held, which changes the whole character of the competition."

Which as I've said before is an argument I'd have a lot of time for and many MMA supporters and professionals have said similar things today either in the media or via twitter etc.
The people I have mainly questioned are the ones who seem to single out MMA as uniquely barbaric but think that judo, tae kwan do, karate, ju jitsu etc. are fine and positive for kids when they're essentially the same thing except some of those involve more striking.
What happened in that ring was essentially a judo match but some seem intent on writing the sport as a whole off as some illegitimate barbaric lawless scrap.

"FWIW I don't like any form of martial art for this age group. That's just my preference. I don't ascribe spurious class distinctions to any of them though."

Pretty much exactly how I feel. I wouldn't want my kid in any sort of martial arts competitions or training at that age, and if people are arguing that all confrontational/attritional physical bouts for that age should be banned I can see the logic even if I don't agree with it.
Similarly if they are arguing that the venue and atmosphere was completely inappropriate.
What I really fail to see the logic in is someone saying karate/judo/ju jitsu/tae kwon do at that age is fine and a positive thing, but having these components combined in a cross disciplined sport is inherently wrong.