If you have read my other posts you know that I Believe the ability to fight is critical as well as fundamental to being a Martial Artist.

How does everyone feel about kids under 16 fighting with contact?

I teach a class that allows this. The kids love it. They wear body armour designed by Mawashi.com ( check it out ) No pads for hands or feet, NO contact to the head. Full contact to the body. They are also allowed to counter attack. ( continuous fighting )Points are awarded when there is a natural break in the fighting. The kids can't get enough of it.


My question is how does everyone out there feel about lettin the little ones have a go. Do you allow kids to fight full out?

With the rules and safety precautions you have in place I think it's just good fun. Noone can really get hurt.
I personally don't teach under 12yrs old,but more power to those of you who do.

I appreciate that Brian.

It has to do with my thing about being able to fight and the kids love it. I don't understand why everyone doesn't do it.
Mind you I am in Canada where our lawyerin is a little different then in the U.S

I tell ya Brian teaching the young ones. Its a rush! Its teaching the future generation of Martial Artists. I love it! We have clubs in our federation that are adult only, very cool in their own way...but the kids....its working with the future.
I digress, why do you only teach 12 and up?

Several issues. One is attention span,another is true karate application. I feel like the little ones don't need to know how to knock someone out or to hit certain targets in certain ways.I think it's irresponsible to teach them these things.

I agree with you, it would be irresponsible to teach advanced techniques to kids. There is no need for kids to be learning advanced techniques.The basics are good enough for them.
And of course let them fight.

in tailand they let kids who are like 7 and up fight just like the adults FOR MONEY!! now i know it doesn't make it right but it does happen so i see no harm in what you are doing. also we let the kids "point spar" in my dojo it's probobally the best thing for them imho. because like brians said the lil' ones have a very short attention span and so it is very hard to teach things like kata and proper technique. so i say basics and sparring is the key with lil' ones!!

I saw a documentary about MMA comps in Ukraine or Russia where they had kids fighting Muay Thai, apparently FC and with no pads, as part of the show. Not something I'd feel comfortable with.

The sparring with body pads etc seems ok. I'm always amazed at how even some of the quieter, least apparently violent kids take to sparring.

I think a 15 year old fighting another 15 year old is the same as a 30 year old fighting another 30 year old. Just because someone is young I don't think people should stop them from sparring. What's the point in learning all the moves, techniques, strikes etc if you don't get any practice actually using them on someone. I think sparring at a young age is brilliant and when you have that much body armour and also no head hitting - there is practically no harm in it.

I have no problem with properly supervised sparring for kids. Excellent excercise, and really not too dangerous.