Cage Fighting for Kids? It Is Happening

Parents are commonly seen placing their kids into sports like t-ball, pee-wee football, ballet, gymnastics and ice hockey. The dilemma rises when children start seeing it more as an exhaustive effort as a parent pushes them to continue. Then there is the concept of cage fights - extreme wrestling taking place in closed, caged, rings, where children are not protected with headgear, and some cry to end the match. Just how far is too far when it comes to pushing our kids?

In a society where boys are expected to become men, undue stress is placed upon them at a very early age by society and many times, their own parents. Do more, be more. Your uncle is a soldier, your father a working man- you too must be a pillar. Girls are expected to rise to the occasion, and be equals - don’t let your looks define you. Pave a path of strength and possibilities. While there is truth in raising strong young men and women, there is a clear issue with how it is being pushed harshly on children. The concept of childhood is diminishing as parents fill their children’s schedules with excessive extracurricular activities.

Pankration is becoming a hot trend in states like Arizona, where laws can easily be skirted. Pankration is a “sport” term parents are using. It defines children, as young as 5-years-old, stepping into a ring to deliver kicks, strikes and choke holds against peers. The sport concept of this is utterly horrifying.

While defenders of the sport try to compare it to karate or tae-kwon-do, there are distinct levels of variances. Tae-kwon-do embraces the discipline of respect and teaching defense skills, when in tournament, the opponents are fully garbed in protective headgear, and body gear to prevent damages from occurring.

That is not the case with Pankration.

Pictures and horrifying videos have surfaced showing children with unprotected heads getting slammed down, punched and kicked by other kids.

Sebastian Montalvo, a New York based photographer has toured the country, bringing public awareness to the events, and their barbaric nature. While supporters state the children are not forced, when kids begin to cry from the pain, it is their own parents urging them to stay in the ring.

Pediatricians are against the “sport” stating it can lead to long-term or immediate debilitating injuries to the neck, spine and ligaments. Speaking to a local pediatrician elicited shock. When I showed her the videos on YouTube, she gasped and demanded to know what was being done to ban the events.

Nothing, in all honesty. It is growing with more than 3 million boys and girls around the world.

Many of the defenders claim this sport is much like baseball, karate and pee-wee football. Unfortunately, millions of parents who vehemently defend those acceptable sports are shamed to call this MMA style wrestling a “sport,” and further brings analysis to their own thought process.

Lisa Sims from Alabama stated she has heard of Pankration in her state, and finds it deplorable.

She then paused before stating, “this really makes me reconsider pushing my son to do football. He’s been against it. I think the problem begins because we push our kids so damn hard, you know? This Pankration shows the true brutal side of pushing our kids. My God, we are raising a nation of violent kids. We blame guns, knives, movies and video games,but fail to see the problem begins with each of us as parents.” Lisa laughs and states her son showed signs of a promising artist, “I think I will encourage more of what he loves, and damn the rest.”

No better words could have been spoken.

What are your thoughts on Pankration?

by: Tina Mayberry