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Ultimate fighting / MMA isn't just grownup guys trading punches on Pay-Per-View anymore.
The sport is so popular that children as young as 6 are learning, KMBC's Maria Antonia reported.
Instructors at Xtreme Couture Fitness in Independence said there is a right way and a wrong way for children to get into mixed martial arts, which is a combination of martial arts, wrestling and boxing.
Lead instructor John Cornett said that when children start out, they are not allowed to hit each other.
"We don't allow our kids to even spar or make contact with each other," Cornett said.
Medical experts said if children are allowed to cage-fight, it can lead to significant injuries to the neck, bones and ligaments.
Cornett said martial arts requires a lot of training and teaches children discipline.
"If they're able to sit in class, and learn how to read, learn how to do critical thinking, I think they're able to learn how to do a martial art," Cornett.
Meanwhile, the adult version of ultimate fighting is incredibly intense.
"It's raw competition. It's two men in a cage, going at each other, and it's whoever's the best athlete," Cornett said.
One critic of ultimate fighting called it "human cockfighting."
An Associated Press survey found that Missouri may be the only state that explicitly allows youth fights. In other states, it is a misdemeanor, and some states have no regulations.
Frank Shamrock Debates MMA For Kids
What is your opinion? My apologies for the "demo version" text on the screen.
The sport is so popular that children as young as 6 are learning, KMBC's Maria Antonia reported.
Instructors at Xtreme Couture Fitness in Independence said there is a right way and a wrong way for children to get into mixed martial arts, which is a combination of martial arts, wrestling and boxing.
Lead instructor John Cornett said that when children start out, they are not allowed to hit each other.
"We don't allow our kids to even spar or make contact with each other," Cornett said.
Medical experts said if children are allowed to cage-fight, it can lead to significant injuries to the neck, bones and ligaments.
Cornett said martial arts requires a lot of training and teaches children discipline.
"If they're able to sit in class, and learn how to read, learn how to do critical thinking, I think they're able to learn how to do a martial art," Cornett.
Meanwhile, the adult version of ultimate fighting is incredibly intense.
"It's raw competition. It's two men in a cage, going at each other, and it's whoever's the best athlete," Cornett said.
One critic of ultimate fighting called it "human cockfighting."
An Associated Press survey found that Missouri may be the only state that explicitly allows youth fights. In other states, it is a misdemeanor, and some states have no regulations.
Frank Shamrock Debates MMA For Kids
What is your opinion? My apologies for the "demo version" text on the screen.
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