Opposition to student fight nights

[Mumratheeverliving1]

My son was seriously injured in one of these event. He is 18 had no experience. He was allowed to fight with a 25 year old captain of a kickboxing team! Heavier in weight. No regulation. He was asked to fundraise within 2 weeks of being at uni. I didnt know and wasnt informed even when he was sent to hospital. He was sent home concussed no next of kin informed. They ask them to sign waivers so they avoid prosecution but it cannot be legal. Its a huge racket. Whats worse is student unions are now becoming embroiled in this nightmare. Another lad had his retina and cheek bone damaged couldnt study for months. Complain!. Shut these companies down.please do let me know if you have had a similar experience.

Why on earth is you legally adult son signing up for such a thing?

I'm surprised that anyone's allowed to sign up for a fight without giving next of kin details

That isn't about his age, he's obviously an adult. But I thought for the actual fight you would have to provide next of kin information.

Who is organising it and what is their connection - if any to the University/College?

I have never heard of this, and I have had 2 DC complete uni in the past 5 years.

Guessing this is the wilders fight night, the way to shut these nights down would be for adults to not sign up to them. He will have been asked to fundraise because he chose to sign up. Common sense needs to be applied really.

In answer to comments this is happening all over the country because of the astonishing popularity of MMA!!. Many teenagers and adults are desentitized beyond belief. Watching fighting and viilence per se is addictive for many of them. Its a growing trend and happening in loughbrough, Cardiff, Aberdeen, Bath, Edinbrugh, Manchester, London, Bristol and elsewhere. The point is that even MMA and kickboxing have a GB governing bodies and there are strict criteria for fighting and competing regarding age, ability and experience. Not that I'm a fan at all but there are rules! These rules simply don't apply on fights night and the publicity glosses over the unchecked brutality going on. Students tend to hide their involvement from their parents so as not to worry them. They are also required to sign waivers so that these ruthless companies avoid prosecution. This is where efficacy and legality come in. A. there is no bona fide regulatory accredited framework for the fights and B youre son or daughter ( plenty of young women doing it) could be lying unconscious in a hospital bed and no one is oblidged to call you. Or they could go back to halls and die alone with a bleed on the brain or blod clot because they often dont want you know what theyre doing in the first place, and may think they're fine . Nobody has to to inform you.
Unbelievably Some student unions such as Bath are now actively involved in promoting fight nights through suspect unregulated external companies such as Champions Live ltd. A company that has twice been struck off by HMRC! 4 white collar deaths in the last 2 years. Im pushing for closure and legislation which will happen probably when another young lad or lass whose life is considered important enough to change or uphold the law. No DBS or accredited qualifications going on in many of the MMA student union societies either . Just students ' teaching' other students. Would they follow they same policy with rock climbing I wonder? Total madness. Take a stand.

Google student fight nights im afraid its happening

I might start by talking to The University who can then put pressure on the Student Union not to promote these events

Might also be worth talking to the National Union of Students

Yes, thank you, I have already started that process and have involved the council health safety executive ,the university governing body and the charity care commision as student unions have charitible status. I just wish more parents were aware of this phenomenon.

Your son is an adult who chose to do this. He's not a child and you have no contract with the University.

They do this at my daughter's university as a charity event. It always sells out and there is no shortage of people of both sexes willing to put themselves forwards.

I fundamentally disagree with boxing full stop, hitting other people should not be a sport.

This is not ostensiblly about age although it is entirely relevant in MMA and boxing. Dominic Chapman was 22 when he died from a bleed on the brain. Its specifically about efficacy, an absence of regulation and the law! We are talking about tax avoidant, exploitative negligent PLCs here not universties! This is why cancer research have pulled out of their partnership after the 4th consecutive death. Some Universities are facilitating it and are therefore massively compromised. I recommend looking at GB MMA/kicking boxing regulations to gain understanding and insight before making uninformed assumptions. Perhaps also consider vulnerable young adults with mental health problems and SEND this information does not have to be disclosed to universities. We are in the midst of an unpresidented mental health crisis. Yes sheen is shite wont be buying from them on the basis of the paris story alone! Stay strong!

Perhaps we shouldn’t have laws about seat belts, hard hats on building sites, helmets on motorcycles etc.. because after all adults could choose to do those things, and maybe they should be able to choose not to?

Uni students are still young and often reckless, they are still teenagers most of them, they think they are invincible. They shouldn’t be encouraged to take part in dangerous shit.

But it's not illegal and he's a grown up. You need to cut the apron strings and trust him to make his own choices.

Ermmm… Point being it should be illegal.

He has a brain injury and delayed speech for a year so unfortunately im not able to cut those aprons strings but hey at least hes not dead. Any comprehension going on out there?

@Mumratheeverliving1 My son was handed a flyer for one of these events at Southampton uni freshers' fair. It is sold as "for charity" and billed as a black tie event. It sounds horrendous. He briefly considered it, but thankfully didn't need much persuasion that it was a bad idea.

Here's an example: https://www.susu.org/event/22709/student-fight-night-southampton

You might want to ask for this thread to be moved to Higher Education, or start a parallel thread there.

Human brains are not fully mature until on average age 25. Young adults tend to think they are invincible. I’ve cut the apron strings with my two but I’m still well aware that they are not always able to make sensible informed decisions and choices. Yes we need to let our young people flee the nest and do their own thing, no that shouldn’t mean leaving them to it and not having any input, not offering any support.

Horrific. I had no idea about this.

He is 18, his choice

They need to ban these events! They are billed as charity events and students are lured in. I remember a poster on here saying that her nephew had died in a white collar boxing event 😥

With 2 children at university, I see these events have become normalised. Mine aren't involved or interested in watching but they have friends who do. It is not right that these things are endorsed or allowed by the university. I'm guessing they are run by the students union which the university administration will pint out is separate from the university and they run the events. The same way their sports societies are part of the students union and heavy drinking initiations still continue because the university itself isn't running them.

I don't know what I can do. Are you going to start a petition? Happy to sign.

He is an adult
He wanted to test himself
No real hard done
Rather that than a kid who plays games on a pc all day

Have you utilised social media OP? Perhaps put something on the universities alumni pages on Facebook/Instagram. I'm sure there are older graduates who would not be happy to hear about this and might get involved with pressure on the universities.

Spam their SU.social media accounts?

No real harm done? Sorry??? OP says he has a brain injury and delayed speech. That’s considerable harm I’d say.

🙄