High School MMA Club.

Makalakumu

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This is great! We had a boxing club at my high school and that was controversial.
 

jarrod

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i'm sort of unclear as to what age is a good age to start MMA training. i would kind of like to see kids under 18 train in seperate combat arts then develop into MMA later.

jf
 

Tez3

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I think it's great. And why shouldn't kids do MMA? It's no more than a mixture of martial arts, they aren't competing in the cage/ring. They aren't learning anything they wouldn't in a Judo,Karate, Aikido,boxing, kickboxing or any other martial arts class. In training even professionial MMA fighters don't put techniques like chokes, arm bars, leg locks etc on fully, only just enough to know the technique is there. For children we are very careful.
From some of the sparring I've seen in karate competitions MMA could be a lot easier on the kids!
 

jarrod

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it's really nothing i can reason out; it's just sort of a feeling of unease i have. i think a lot of it may have to do with the culture surrounding MMA in america.

jf
 

Tez3

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it's really nothing i can reason out; it's just sort of a feeling of unease i have. i think a lot of it may have to do with the culture surrounding MMA in america.

jf


As with everything it depends who the instructor is doesn't it really?
The perceived 'hardness' of MMA can be good too though in attracting teenage boys. We have had a couple in the past and have one now whose parents have brought them down as they were looking to get into trouble, hanging around with the wrong sort etc. We don't do anything really thats different from a TMA other than mix styles but the perception that it's 'cage fighting' and the fact they get treated as adults and have to train hard makes them calm down. Keeping up with the fighters, being as sportsmanlike as they are and not whinging when it hurts becomes their goal rather than acting hard with their mates. they realise they can be tough enough to fight and tough enough not to. parents notice a difference even if they wince when their kids shave their heads like the fighters lol. It sorts out all those teenage hormones,frustrations and anger they have out and sends them off feeling proud of achieving something. It's exactly what teenage boys need, a chance to 'prove' their manhood' bless them, in a positive way that pleases their family and impressses the hell out of their mates!
Martial arts will do this of course but we tend to get more 'bad' boys than TMAs but in the end they turn into good martial artists anyway!
 

jarrod

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that's great to hear tez, i'm glad the program works for you guys. it's nothing i'm going to start a petition against or anything, but still just something i don't feel 100% about. meaning i wouldn't want to teach it or put my kid in it, but that may change once i actually have a kid.

jf
 

Tez3

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Cheers jarrod, but you confused me a bit when you call it a programme? We just teach MMA, we teach TMA too.
 

jarrod

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i was just referring to kids MMA/TMA as a program, i could have just as easily written class.

jf
 

Tez3

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Ah I see lol! sorry I think it's a language thing again! :)
 

Rich Parsons

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Locally there was a wrestling club that turned into a MMA group. They ended up not meeting at the school anymore as people were all afraid. So they ended up moving to barns and garages. This is where the injuries really started to pile up, and people started wonder if there was a Local Fight Club.

The point I am trying to make is that if the event is out in the open and people can watch and coach and stop it before it goes to far then less injuries will happen over time. From my point fo view and what I saw from the local equivalent.


Thanks
 

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