Thread: 8 Year Old Cage Fighters On UK Fight Night

Eight-year-old cage fighters on bill at Lancashire fight night

Greenlands Labour Club in Preston hosts ticket-only event that includes the eight-year-olds' 10-minute bout

Helen Carter guardian.co.uk
Wednesday 21 September 2011 13.33 EDT



The young boys' bout lasted 10 minutes and was part of a packed out ticket-only fight night at the Greenlands Labour Club in Preston, Lancashire. Photograph: Manchester Evening News Syndication
A social club in the north-west of England has been hosting cage fights with children as young as eight.

The Greenlands Labour Club in Preston, Lancashire, hosted a ticket-only fight night that included the eight-year-olds' bout which lasted 10 minutes.

In video footage, one of the boys who is bare-chested, stands over another child who is on the floor of the cage. A man in the front row can be seen urging one of the children to keep his chin up, as another man raises his arms in the air. The smaller child has his arm twisted during the bout.

The crowd shout encouragement as the two children wrestle each other in headlocks on the floor of the cage, while others can be heard cheering their names.

At one point, one of the children appears to burst into tears, and medical staff are called in to check them. None of the children are wearing headgear or padding, but the organisers pointed out that they were not allowed to kick or punch each other and that it had been "an extremely good event."

There is no suggestion that any of the bouts at the Reps Retribution night, which also included semi-professional events, breached any rules or licencing laws.

The British Medical Association said it was disturbing as it is opposed to boxing and cage fighting. "This example of cage fighting among young children is particularly disturbing, especially as they are not even wearing head guards," said a spokesman.

"Boxing and cage fighting are sometimes defended on the grounds that children learn to work through their aggression with discipline and control.

"The BMA believes there are many other sports, such as athletics, swimming, judo and football, which require discipline but do not pose the same threat of brain injury."

The sport, also known as Mixed Martial Arts, encompasses a range of martial arts that are used during bouts in cages.

Steven Nightingale, 28, a professional cage fighter who runs the Reps MMA gym in Preston, said the sport is safe and growing in popularity.

He said: "Competitions start from the age of five, it is definitely a big up-and-coming sport. It is all based around martial arts. The kids are not getting hit or anything at all when they are under age. We do not let them strike — punch and kick — until the age of 14 or 15."

Asked about the crying child during one bout, he said: "The kid has never been beaten before, he is the one who wins the gold medals.

"When they get beaten, they are going to get emotional, also the referee and corner man said you do not have to carry on."

Nightingale denied a packed social club was the wrong environment for the bout, claiming it would help their progress.

Paul Jackson, manager of Warriors gym in nearby Plungington said: "The main question I would ask is why were the parents allowing them to do that? I wouldn't really agree with anything like it.

"It's like a circus performance but if it's consenting adults, that's different. It depends on what the rules were as well.

"If they were joint-locking then I'd be questioning that because the bones aren't developed fully yet."

Michelle Anderson, owner of Greenlands Labour Club, who attended the event on September 10, said: "There was nothing wrong with it.

"The kids were there to fight; they have fought before. The parents were there. Would people rather these kids were out on the streets with guns and knives?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/2 ... ht-preston

The U.K. is the only Country thats Breaking down quicker than the U.S. you want to see where we are going to be in a year or 2

look no further than the U.K.

The Brits are ripe for destruction!!! They have been responsible for so many wars with other Europeans. . . perhaps this is karma. And the History Channel recently revealed it was the Brits who started the bombing of civilian cities in WW II, not the Germans.

Originally Posted by Achilles

The Brits are ripe for destruction!!! They have been responsible for so many wars with other Europeans. . . perhaps this is karma. And the History Channel recently revealed it was the Brits who started the bombing of civilian cities in WW II, not the Germans.

check out the Fire bombing of the German city of Dresdin

On the evening of February 13, 1945, an orgy of genocide and barbarism began against a defenseless German city, one of the greatest cultural centers of northern Europe. Within less than 14 hours not only was it reduced to flaming ruins, but an estimated one-third of its inhabitants, possibly as many as a half a million, had perished in what was the worst single event massacre of all time.

http://www.rense.com/general19/flame.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/date ... 549905.stm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-hist ... of-dresden

Dresden Germany Fire Bombing - Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3YvXdsz-w4

Allied phosphorus fire bombing of Dresden - Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7weXbT1F ... re=related

Disturbing

This is sickning but leave it to the Brits.What did they do get tired of midget wrestling

What the hell? Why is everybody so bloody mad at the Brits?