This is no more dangerous or aggressive then kids playing tackle football or contact hockey at this age. Its just another contact sport that kids are
participating in while supervised by adults and medical staff. I don't see a problem with this.
i'm not a big mma fan, but how is this any different from letting your children do karate or tae kwon do or boxing?
Karate, tae kwon do, and boxing allow strikes. That's the difference.
I clicked on the link expecting utter stupidity from the promoters. First, I assumed they allowed strikes without requiring pads (such as shin
guards) and gloves that you would expect in amateur sports. Nope, they didn't require those, but it's because striking is prohibited, be it punches
or kicks.
So, basically, what you have here is your standard wrestling/BJJ/judo grappling tournament that kids participate in all the time, except without the
traditional outfit of a singlet or a gi.
My favorite part is:
Quote:
"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."
I realize I mentioned judo above, but are they seriously saying that this is worse than judo??? Judo fucking hurts and does major harm to the body
over the long term. Shit, the first thing you learn in a judo class is how to fall to minimize the pain because it's going to happen a lot... and it
fucking hurts. Most people don't realize it, but judo isn't just stand-up and throws. There is also a major grappling/submission component.
If anything, these kids are probably a bit safer than those participating in grappling arts with a gi, since the gi provides a lot of traction to do
throws and submissions that doesn't exist in a gi-less competition where the participants are sweating.
As long as there is adequate supervision, no moves should result in significant damage.
The worst part is the idiot promoter who refers to it as a "fight," which is the real source of the problem. I do have a problem with sanctioned
kid-fights. This, however, is not sanctioned kid-fights. It's a grappling match, just like the grappling matches that happen with kids in many
martial arts events all the time.barc0debaby - 9-23-2011 at 01:12 AM
This article is complete garbage. I would be ashamed to publish such an ignorant piece, its 2011 for fucks sake, do a little research. The only
danger in such an event is from a lack of knowledge of proper submission execution and youth grappling tournaments usually do not allow submissions at
such a young age. Competitions are one through a point system based superior position, just like wrestling. The promoter is a bit shady for labeling
events like this fights, but he is probably just trying to drum up extra attention to his promotion, grappling tournaments are still rather foreign
outside of the population that participates in MMA and the various grappling arts.DaveMoral - 9-30-2011 at 01:51 PM
I have absolutely not problems with this. So the kids learned some Greco-Roman and BJJ and they aren't allowed to punch or kick. It's a sparring
match. Hell, kids box all the time. Headgear and 16 oz gloves, but c'mon? What's the diff? It's just a softening of society that's the problem here.
Used to be young boys were expected to fight. Better for it to be in a gym with a ring or a cage, than on the streets I say.
