Thread: The Future of MMA

Originally Posted by hawgballs

Originally Posted by Veovis

Originally Posted by CivilWars

Hawg, I don't disagree, but that begs the question do the kids REALLY want to do it, or is it just conditioned in them that they want to do it because that is what everyone tells them they should want to do? I am no psychologist, but I do know that kids have a huge desire for love and attention, so if being the next MMA hero gets them love and attention from their family, especially their father, then of course they will want to do it.

True. A kid wanting to do something does not make it a good idea, or something he SHOULD do. If this was true... my childhood would have been a lot cooler.

Civil, you as a parent are conditioning in every respect of the child's life anyhow, don't you? Isn't it, what we have considered before, the "bad parents" that aren't conditioning their children to do the right thing? I find less opportunity for bad to come out of these kids' situation than there is positive benefits.

Veo, big difference for a kid yearning to improve skills, and wanting to climb the tree in the backyard or anything equally as constructive.

Sure, but I try not to be the "soccer dad" that threatens the coach, the refs, and even the kids. My youngest, not even 7, just got done with his soccer season. There was another kid on his team whose dad reamed his ass during every game in front of the other parents and players. It was pretty sad, and my bet is his kid ends up hating soccer/sports, and possibly his dad.

Your kids are usually going to value what you value, like Xav said, because that is what they primarily see, and also that is what gets them time with you. I guess like everything else there is a thin line between encouraging your kids to be their best, and being an overbearing a-hole.

exactly. Your son will take ballet classes if you told him it was cool and you wanted him to do it. Or singing lessons. or whatever else you'd think would get him in the "pansy zone" at school.

Another good example was my young friends in elementary school. They were canadian, or from some other northern state as far as I knew back then. And they played hockey, seriously. Like real deal flags on the wall, have their own gear and pads and sticks, hockey.

And they had bruises on their faces and missing teeth and one had a concussion. And they were 9 or 10 years old.

That's.......not productive for a 9 year old. Soccer. Swimming. Tennis even. But not sports that are so high impact, so high conflict, and most especially those which are almost centered on fighting/hurting one another (hockey, football, MMA).

Of course.....there's 10,000,000 kids taking karate, tae kwon do, and such every day in america. My brother started when he was pre-10, and made it to some 8th level brown ninja. But....those sports aren't about hurting one another, as many have pointed out. They're about form, and points, and competition. Not knockouts and sacks and checks into the wall.

Martial arts for boys (even greco wrestling, which is again about form and points, and not pain) would be akin to ballet for girls, easily.

Originally Posted by ...bigdog...

That's.......not productive for a 9 year old. Soccer. Swimming. Tennis even. But not sports that are so high impact, so high conflict, and most especially those which are almost centered on fighting/hurting one another (hockey, football, MMA).

Of course.....there's 10,000,000 kids taking karate, tae kwon do, and such every day in america. My brother started when he was pre-10, and made it to some 8th level brown ninja. But....those sports aren't about hurting one another, as many have pointed out. They're about form, and points, and competition. Not knockouts and sacks and checks into the wall.

Martial arts for boys (even greco wrestling, which is again about form and points, and not pain) would be akin to ballet for girls, easily.

I really haven't seen an organized competition for MMA (meaning I don't know if they exist) like the ones you have for tae kwon do, karate or judo for kids. These Martial arts competitions are NOT full contact...as you said they are based on points...and I don't see why an MMA organized competition can't be the same way....points for takedown...points for clean shot in the chest...points for a leg kick, points for submission, points for a throw....MMA just blends in different disciplines into a well rounded fighter. You can easily have a non full contact MMA competition for kids.