Children as young as six are taking up the controversial sport of "cage fighting", alarming medical experts and sports officials...The violent sport, also known as "ultimate fighting", combines martial arts, wrestling and boxing but with few rules and often looks like little more than a brawl.
Experts say the child version of the sport is growing along with the popularity of the adult equivalent,
now showing on cable television and even in a new film, Never Back Down described as The Karate Kid for the YouTube generation. The movie has taken in almost 17 million in two weeks at the box office.
Police are investigating a video posted on YouTube showing young children being goaded into a fight. All the time the adult cameraman, who is thought to be the father of one of them, laughs and urges them to "smack the s*** out of each other". It was uploaded to the internet last week but has since been removed after YouTube was inundated with complaints. West Sussex County Council's social services department are trying to find the cameraman so he can be prosecuted.
States laws vary. Oklahoma said youth fights are banned. Unauthorized fights are generally a misdemeanor offense. In most states, mixed martial arts is overseen by boxing commissions. In Missouri, the Office of Athletics regulates the amateurs. The regulation is done by sanctioning bodies that have to register with the athletics office.
Violent television, violent movies, violent video games and now let's take it right into the living room. For family time let's fight! Violence has become our "prime time" lesson.
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