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This is a discussion I was invited to participate in by Coach Greg Borrego on Facebook. Here is the article, then come back for comments http://www.kens5.com/home/Cage-fighting-question-How-young-is-too-y…
Will give mine first! We have Soccer moms having arguments in the stands, Football dads pumping fist on the sidelines like they are were pro’s in the NFL. Well you get & seen what I mean… Now we have parents signing up 6yrs olds to cage …fight! UFC has made a pro venue for these parents and guessing goals that they can shoot for their kids like any other sports! Just wish the education about MMA fighting for kids was out there for these parents to see! Like fighters SALARIES in the UFC or other Venues!!!! (Ok, cheap shot) I been around martial arts for 25years, I gives a BAD taste in my eyes when I hear these young instructors that know Nothing about development of a child or student! Taking someone with no experience (white belt) and grooming them to blossom in their artistic Way (Black Belt). Then at a age they can make mature decisions to do something like Cage fighting, then do so! Sign them up to learn an art that develops them – Karate, Jitjusu, Muay Thai, etc. Let them earn their Black Belts! Nick Dougherty, Ace Ramirez, Mark Wood, Mark J. Speranza, Tom Callos, Jon Jial Malach Opinions?
Ricardo Almeida, Johnny Guerrero, A Kru Williams, Carlos Machado, Ricardo Liborio, Ernie Reyes Opinions?
Ace Ramirez
Training and competition are two different things. I do not see any rise in America for Thailand rules Muay Thai or PRO MMA which is highly sanctioned (we can’t even get it in New York!). If people truly practiced certain arts like small jo…int, street tactical or others, eery student wouldbe hurt in the training floor not even in a sporting ring. Its a matter of who participates and the coaches. The public is another animal itself.
Johnny Guerrero As coaches we have to do the best we can to teach parents how to properly support their child. Parents get so emotionally involved because the care. It is sometimes up to us to educate the parents on how to coach or cheer their child on. Some parents do not realizr they are doing more harm then good by yelling and doing things on the sidelines.
Mark J. Speranza
Hi I think it’s a bit beyond all that. You really need to look at two things. First off like Master Ace pointed out, the really true techniques can’t be practiced in a almost any situation. I have very old Jujutsu Densho that say the young… people didn’t want to train anymore because the death rate was kinda high. So that brings up the second point. Longevity. Joint manipulation, chokes, leg kicks will have a cumulative effect on older fighters. What will this do to younger fighters? I was told after the last TUF, half if the fighters were put on 6 month suspension due to injury. After 10 years will these guys even be able to walk?
Greg Borrego Great stuff, Thank You Masters! Would like Fb community feedback too. These Master Instructors gave theirs! Should of put this on Cway Lounge… 🙂
Ace Ramirez
That is my concern Mark J. Speranza that these “soccer moms” will push the kids to be faster stronger and cmpetitive in a contact environment and the level will force people to not be thinking smart for thier future in exchange for temporar…y glory. I have bad neck, back from car accident and blown knee from training. I am not teaching things I would not do myself if I had to do it over again. That is the difference between knowledge and wisdom!
Jon Jial Malach
Greg Borrego – amazing post and points!!!! Ace Ramirez – love your points on teaching what will endorse safety, and the truth statement about the public, that is the real issue here: the public and the media (I feel we all know what we are… trying to do, it’s just these misconceptions that occur when a journalist needs a story at our expense). Mark J. Speranza – longevity, what a powerful word few of us mention anymore… How many of us have had hip replacements from the heavy kicking arts popular in the 70’s-90’s, imagine 20 years from now… Johnny Guerrero – you nailed it on the spectators being the main source of the issue, couldn’t agree more. All it takes is one “KICK HIM IN THE HEAD!” shout and then you know how that story ends… Ok so now my take on it: My sister was taught how to do a double back flip off a 4″ wide beam at age 11 in gymnastics. People yelled in the stands while she tried to concentrate not knowing their cheering risked her breaking her neck… to this date not one story has been written about “how young is too young to flip off beams” < the media is just loving the MMA topic and will return to it often when they want controversy (“let’s pit the worried parents against the beer drinking UFC fans in this one, we’ll get lots of comments!”)… What can we do? Keep educating people, post videos about what you teach and how you teach it, eventually the general population will “get it”, and eventually no one will buy into the media trying to take these stories out of context. In reading that story, I can feel the journalist trying pry out of the young boys something that would sound how “I didn’t knock him out but he was stumbling” sounded. It’s BS and some serious hype generation crap. Look at the comments by the parents in the blog post… Would love to hear Tom Callos weigh in on this one, your opinions are always out of the box and great to read…
