# kids mma



## pumba (Oct 11, 2007)

hi, would like to hear your opinion on kids mma, how young can they start?

what should they be taught? many peoples thoughts are its too brutal a sport for under 16, but i would of thought that if it is kept fun and interesting for them then kids would benefit in many ways, without them knowing all the nasty moves. surley from a self defence point of view its got to be good as its very close to real life situations.


----------



## marc (Jul 16, 2007)

Definetly agree, im all for kids being taught correct mma techniques or any martial arts for self defense purposes, if they are taught the discipline side of it ie..not being taught to go and kick peoples heads in, then i dont see the problem in it, i would have loved to start learning at an early age, some of the fights ive seen involving kids have been great, and there only going to get better, there will be no fear factor, if the kid has been in a cage/ring from an early age, ive seen a kid fight out of wolfslair jack mcgann i thinkg he's 12 he's really good, when he comes to fight at the age of say 18 he's not going to be anywhere near as nervous as someone his age whos maybe only had a few fights.

I think Next generation (where i train) has the youngest member, little Louis is about 6 months old, he's our thai boxing instructors kid and while we are kicking crap out of each other he just sits there sleeping in his carrier, i reckon he's taking it all in though, that kid is going to be dangerous when he's older


----------



## MMABulk (Oct 17, 2007)

kids can do boxing at the ages of 6+ so i dont see why no MMA.

But i'd make them focus on BJJ and Muay Thai until they were teens, then start them on wrestling

make them a master of something rather than a jack of all trades, master of none


----------



## Si-K (Jul 23, 2007)

I started karate at aged 10 - went on till 15 - then hit the beer for 12 years (not reccomended) if I knew then what I know now...

Personally I think it does teach you alot of respect and keeps you fit in so many different ways flexibility etc etc that no other hobby can - i.e just lifting weights or just joging or playing football, all round I was very healthful - about an inch off doing the splits when I was 15.

I have see the young lads in our club train - 12yrs old approx ....in the words of Jay Tan "when they are older they are going to be monsters" and I agree.

They where doing takedowns and defense and its fair too say they trained just as intense as us old un's...sweatin' and going in hard and took a few blows. Would really recommend as IB stated learning one trade then building it up - from what little I know BJJ or Ju jitsu would be very good as combines well as on style, which can be built upon - Its what I'd start my kid(s) on.


----------



## Kunoichi (Sep 30, 2007)

marc said:


> if they are taught the discipline side of it ie..not being taught to go and kick peoples heads in


Something very likely to happen in England. I've never seen so much violence and bullying since I got the UK, nowhere I've been seems to have kids as young as 10 as being that offensive towards others. Not even in self-centered America.

In my cynic point of view, stick to shitty arts, such as ninjutsu. If they really love the whole deal they'll stick to the will to go further and will move to far better ones :evilgrin02:

...because that's what happened to me I don't want anyone else to have better luck than I did and succeed either 

-I have loads of anger bottled up. I'm a resentful motherf*cker LOL-


----------



## david.j. (Oct 4, 2007)

I think its ok to let kids fight. I wish i had started at an early age. Maybe 10 or 12. And i dont see the problem in the kids fighting as long as the rules are ok. From the juniour fights I've seen so far we have some future super stars to look out for.


----------



## Kunoichi (Sep 30, 2007)

david.j. said:


> I think its ok to let kids fight. I wish i had started at an early age. Maybe 10 or 12. And i dont see the problem in the kids fighting as long as the rules are ok. From the juniour fights I've seen so far we have some future super stars to look out for.


Well yea, I was just joking, of course, but going back to one of the Karate Kid movies, where they say something about kids not bing able to control the power they're given -- yea it's cheesy but true [i know for some time I has chocking and arm blocking everybody just for the sake of chocking and, well, arm blocking LOL I agree with Marc and reinforce it: the discipline


----------



## silverback (Oct 25, 2007)

they start about age 5 or so in Thailand if memory serves me..


----------



## pumba (Oct 11, 2007)

but .. how far do you go with showing kids all the different parts of mma? , my daughter is mad keen to start mma but i'm not so sure about her being choked or put in an arm bar, my concerns are what if the other child doesnt have the restraint that my daughter has and goes a little too far with the lock. ( i know a lot of this is down to the intructors ) she already trains and regularly competes in kickboxing which is governed very well by the blcc rules. what i am trying to say is i personally think that slams and chokes for kids is a little too much for them, at least until they are about 14 years old, shouldnt the main part of kids mma training be about fun and learning bits of the sport like wrestling until they are physically and mentally ready to learn and train properly?


----------



## Si-K (Jul 23, 2007)

As far as I am aware the young and new kids would only learn the technique and reasoning, without applying pressure - It's only once they have been training for a while (and show that they are serious and sensible) would they then be trusted to apply a bit more pressure - I'm sure in a reputable gym this would be more than monitored by the instructors - as I don't think they would want anyone sueing them for starters!!!.

Personally, I would introduce my kid(s) around the age of 10 to BJJ as I think this is a well rounded martial art - with real world application and can always be added too - should they wishs to persue further.


----------



## Kunoichi (Sep 30, 2007)

Si-K said:


> BJJ as I think this is a well rounded martial art - with real world application and can always be added too


Wouldn't have put it better, specially when it's a girl we're talking about, who in general are not as strong as males. I wish I had been taught the techiniques before, no self-defense classes would be that needed if everybody were taught a few basic things of BJJ.


----------

