Children and Boxing/MMA

FTA69 · 12-04-2016 05:22PM #1

As some of you may know, a Portuguese fighter called Joao Carvalho recently died as a result of trauma he received in a Dublin MMA event and I'm led to believe there was much pontificating on Joe Duffy about how the sport was awful and how it should be banned and how children participating in it was awful and sure weren't they spurred on by that McGregor fella etc etc etc. It's generally a line I've heard many times when the subject of boxing or combat sports comes up and I was wondering would people here consider it barbaric and what their perspectives on children participating in these sports would be?

I'm a fighter and coach myself and work with children in a deprived part of London and to be honest, I see it as a vital and valuable outlet for the kids I work with and something which benefits them enormously. It aids in their fitness, confidence and discipline and also has a positive effect on other aspects of their life such as their education. It also provides them with a semblance of structure some don't get at home and an introduction to other cultures and people of different backgrounds.

However I've also had people say to me that it's a form of child abuse and the usual sh*te. Would parents here have a problem with their kids boxing?

BattleCorp · 12-04-2016 05:25PM

FTA69 wrote: »

However I've also had people say to me that it's a form of child abuse and the usual sh*te. Would parents here have a problem with their kids boxing?

I did boxing when I was a kid. I was sh1te at it but I enjoyed it.

I've no problem with kids taking up boxing. I do think that there is a difference between amateur boxing and MMA though.

discus · 12-04-2016 05:28PM

For my own inevitable children, it will depend entirely on the coach, and the ethos of his club. There are a few coaches I know well who I know would have the best interest of their club members at heart, who I'd be happy to trust.

ScumLord · 12-04-2016 05:29PM

The majority of learning how to fight, whether it's boxing or MMA is fitness and discipline. The only way to judge if your doing your training properly is to fight.

It's no more dangerous than a lot of sports.

Tombi! · 12-04-2016 05:29PM

My stance on fighting is always going to be the same I think: if it's organized, with rules and can be stopped, I don't see the problem (assuming it won't get to life threatening injuries of course).
Kids stuff generally has stricter stoppings doesn't it? You'd be more likely to let a grown man box a few more rounds if he feels up to it but a kid you'd stop earlier I think.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 12-04-2016 05:30PM

discus wrote: »

For my own inevitable children, it will depend entirely on the coach, and the ethos of his club. There are a few coaches I know well who I know would have the best interest of their club members at heart, who I'd be happy to trust.

Agreed.

Also I would have reservations about any child of mine taking part in MMA. I think its possible to get significantly more force in a punch to the head (due to leverage) than it is in boxing and the gloves are lighter. Also its more obvious in boxing when someone is unable to continue as they have to support their own weight. Not so in MMA.

Child would have to be old enough to decide for themselves before I approved MMA.

FTA69 · 12-04-2016 05:31PM

BattleCorp wrote: »

I did boxing when I was a kid. I was sh1te at it but I enjoyed it.

I've no problem with kids taking up boxing. I do think that there is a difference between amateur boxing and MMA though.

Well you've amateur MMA as well which doesn't resemble the stuff you see on the UFC. A lot of the events don't allow head strikes at all.

Gatling · 12-04-2016 05:31PM

I've 2 girls 4 and 7 this year and I'd be glad to see them get an interest and take up mma ,been an mma fan since ufc 1 first appeared and have witnessed the massive improvement of safety standards across most events ,
With any kids sports once you have a competitive parents involved it can get a bit hairy with some parents .

What got me about the recent fight was John kavanagh posted an article very recently about ring safety and having medical personal at ring side for mma events

FTA69 · 12-04-2016 05:33PM

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Agreed.

Also I would have reservations about any child of mine taking part in MMA. I think its possible to get significantly more force in a punch to the head (due to leverage) than it is in boxing and the gloves are lighter. Also its more obvious in boxing when someone is unable to continue as they have to support their own weight. Not so in MMA.

Child would have to be old enough to decide for themselves before I approved MMA.

Just regards the punching; getting consistently hit with a boxing glove is worse for you than the MMA glove and is more likely to cause head trauma due to the amount of concussive effect it has on the brain. The smaller surface area of the MMA glove tends to deflect off the head more, so while it can get messier; it isn't any more dangerous in my opinion.

ScumLord · 12-04-2016 05:38PM

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Agreed.

Also I would have reservations about any child of mine taking part in MMA. I think its possible to get significantly more force in a punch to the head (due to leverage) than it is in boxing and the gloves are lighter.

I don't see why you'd think that. If anything MMA fighters wouldn't generate as much force in their punches because their stance has to take into account counter kicks/takedowns. The gloves are lighter but I don't think it's been proven one way or the other than it's worse than getting hit with heavy boxing gloves. Boxing gloves allow for a prolonged head battering, while MMA gloves make it easier to end a fight.

Also its more obvious in boxing when someone is unable to continue as they have to support their own weight. Not so in MMA.

In MMA you have to be actively fighting back or defending yourself. Being on the ground doesn't make it easier at all. MMA fighters don't get a 10 count to make themselves presentable either. If the ref steps in the fight is over.

Mesrine65 · 12-04-2016 05:40PM

Boxing/MMA/martial arts teach kids a valuable lesson in discipline & commitment IMHO

Boxing took me off the streets when I was a kid & kept me from other activities that would have been far more detrimental to me in the long run.

I agree with discus who stressed that, "it will depend entirely on the coach, and the ethos of his club"

I was lucky & found a good club with a dedicated trainer who not only taught us the skills but nurtured an almost family like community within the club.

discus · 12-04-2016 05:45PM

I'd like to point out and amend my own inherent sexism btw. It will depend on the coach and the ethos of his or her club.

Lau2976 · 12-04-2016 05:48PM

My dad boxed in his youth, as did my grandad. I think that once it's safe and the coach has that as their priority that it's fine. Although if I ever had children MMA would be way out if the question.

My own personal experience with people who participate in MMA hasn't been very good and for one in particular, it only fueled his anger which he already neede help with. I'm not saying most are like that but I do think that MMA attracts some young people who just want to fight. And unfortunately my experience has been that there is coaches who will let them.

My own experience has been that boxing is much more disciplined then MMA also.

smash · 12-04-2016 05:49PM

Mesrine65 wrote: »

Boxing/MMA/martial arts teach kids a valuable lesson in discipline & commitment IMHO

Let's not forget though that while most martial arts are aimed at focusing on discipline, fitness, protection and at a last resort defence, when you make them a competitive blood sport the focus soon switches to who can do the most damage.

Especially MMA. In my opinion it's horrible.

tigger123 · 12-04-2016 05:52PM

There's plenty of sports and interests you can channel kids towards that don't involve that level of violence and outright aggression.

Far healthier for a kid to attack a drum kit.

Turtyturd · 12-04-2016 05:53PM

Yesterday my two year old got my six year old in side mount and pinned his arms down and punched him in the face. I had to play peacemaker and give out to him but I'm not gonna lie a part of me was impressed by his technique.

Kev_2012 · 12-04-2016 05:55PM

to be honest I've never seen kids fight in a cage under the unified mma rules...

osarusan · 12-04-2016 05:56PM

I did boxing to a decent level and got punched many many times and punched others many times too. Admittedly I started a bit older than the OP might be suggesting.

With a decent coach who recognised and accepted their childishness and physical immaturity and ran the sessions accordingly, I'd be happy for them to join.

Great cameraderie, great exercise, and not really much chance of injury at an early age anyway.

tritium · 12-04-2016 05:57PM

Martial arts (includng mma and boxing) for kids are brilliant IMHO. It helped me out hugely when I was younger at a very difficult time in my life and I've many friends who without the discipline and respect it instilled in them could have taken very different paths. It also gave me a social network, friendships and a sense of belonging.

Any contact sport is dangerous. With kids I've never seen coaches and referees take anything but an excess of care to protect them and the rules usually leave them padded up like the Michelin man. Once that safe and caring environment isin place, I'm happy to see kids get all the upside these activities bring. I'd certainly encourage my own kids to try them.

Most of the critics couldn't differentiate any technical aspect of an mma fight yet assume they're experts on the unacceptable violence of it all, Christ the rte comments page reads like an exercise in ignorance. Many of the same people will routinely cheer on their local gaa heroes as they indulge in a display of manlyness (or womanlyness) and maybe throw a few thuggish slaps during a match.

gutenberg · 12-04-2016 05:58PM

Personally, I wouldn't want my (hypothetical) kids to get involved in boxing, or especially MMA. I don't really have much of a rational explanation for why, but I'm just repulsed by 'sports' that involve so much aggression and violence. I know that many other sports involve physical contact, but I seem to have a mental block about boxing/MMA. I'd steer my kids towards other sports.

That said, I'd never try to stop anyone else's kids from participating if they wanted; even just reading some of the posts in here about the benefits of being part of a boxing club as a kid, it's possible to see the potential benefits for some kids.

tritium · 12-04-2016 06:04PM

smash wrote: »

Let's not forget though that while most martial arts are aimed at focusing on discipline, fitness, protection and at a last resort defence, when you make them a competitive blood sport the focus soon switches to who can do the most damage.

Especially MMA. In my opinion it's horrible.

Every martial art comes down to being able to do the most damage -thats the martial part. Teaching people to control that ability and behave respectfully is the balance to that, and facing an opponent who can also do you damage is a major part of that understanding

alta stare · 12-04-2016 06:09PM

I have no problem letting my 15 yr old do MT, would I like him to do it without protective gear.....no.

Amateur fighting is fine it's the unprotected fighters that are at danger especially in the anything goes MMA.

Radiosonde · 12-04-2016 06:21PM

No kids, but if I did I would be completely against them being involved in boxing or MMA. There are plenty of other sports that can help with developing discipline and fitness, and provide social opportunities, and which don't involve blows to the head. (Golf and rugby would be frowned upon too, since I regard them as twat activities.)

smash · 12-04-2016 06:22PM

tritium wrote: »

Every martial art comes down to being able to do the most damage -thats the martial part. Teaching people to control that ability and behave respectfully is the balance to that, and facing an opponent who can also do you damage is a major part of that understanding

Controlled damage is the word. Martial arts are not about setting out to fight, they're about learning to defend if involved in a fight, and how to ultimately disarm your opponent. My issue with MMA is that it does not seem so controlled when it comes to damage done for the purpose of sport. This is evident by the allowing of breaking arms, legs or kneeing to the head. Also, no matter how many times people talk about medical staff being present, constant targeted blows to the head are not good for anyone especially when the impact comes from an uncushioned body part.

FTA69 · 12-04-2016 06:23PM

tigger123 wrote: »

There's plenty of sports and interests you can channel kids towards that don't involve that level of violence and outright aggression.

Far healthier for a kid to attack a drum kit.

To be honest a lot of sports breed aggression in a sense. The likes of rugby can involve aggression and a lot of the team dynamic isn't always the healthiest. Personally I think people are either aggressive or dickish or they're not, I don't think boxing or MMA make people more volatile or aggressive, the opposite if anything.

Cathy.C · 12-04-2016 06:25PM

FTA69 wrote: »

Joao Carvalho recently died as a result of trauma he received in a Dublin MMA event and I'm led to believe there was much pontificating on Joe Duffy about how the sport was awful and how it should be banned and how children participating in it was awful and sure weren't they spurred on by that McGregor fella etc etc etc.

Ronda Rousey is what got me interested in MMA and of course Conor. I really enjoy watching the sport but I have to say that I grimace when I see the elbows to the head and the knees to the face during the fights. I know there are certain sections of the head you can't hit but I really don't think that is enough.

As for the Ward vs Carvalho fight. I have just watched the final round online and I think it should have been stopped earlier. His gait was seriously impaired and I fail to see how any referee could think that Joao had the ability to fight on. I hate saying that as inevitably it means that you apportioning blame. Yesterday I seen Conor interviewed after the fight and he said that he also felt the bout should have been stopped sooner. That interview has been taken down from the YouTube channel where I seen it though.

buried · 12-04-2016 06:25PM

Respect and fair play to any kid interested in anything that doesn't teach or train them how to rip people off, cheat or act like a undisciplined spoiled brat.

tigger123 · 12-04-2016 06:26PM

FTA69 wrote: »

To be honest a lot of sports breed aggression in a sense. The likes of rugby can involve aggression and a lot of the team dynamic isn't always the healthiest. Personally I think people are either aggressive or dickish or they're not, I don't think boxing or MMA make people more volatile or aggressive, the opposite if anything.

There's a difference though in being hard in the tackle, and beating someone in the face with your fists until they pass out.

darced · 12-04-2016 06:27PM

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Permabear · 12-04-2016 06:32PM

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dudara · 12-04-2016 06:33PM

I taught kids Taekwon Do for a while, and I think that a well organised martial arts class is fantastic for kids. I saw so many of them gain a bit of confidence, plus fitness, coordination, and even discipline.

This might sound controversial, but sometimes kids can benefit from learning that getting hit isn't the worst thing in the world. They can learn to control their tempers and come to understand that knowing how to fight doesn't mean you have to fight.

Children and Boxing/MMA

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