Quote:
Originally Posted by MrDK
My comment to this is based on a western mindset I also have to admit that I do not know the actual risk of Muay Thai to children. I will assume that the risk is equal or greater than the boxing that I know.
I think it is wrong to engage children in a "professional" sport, where physical harm (including brain damage) is a distinct possibility; regardless of potential prize and regardless of the level of poverty . Certainly the child does not have the capacity to make an informed decision and it would stand to reason that the poor parents are distracted by the potential earnings.
In discussing right or wrong in this matter the only point that I will accept as a counter argument to mine, is that westerners should not try to too involved in setting policies or influencing the culture in (for example) Thailand. In principle (IMO) the government should exert powers to protect children.
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I can understand peoples thinking that because this has taken place in Thailand it is solely based on financial gain for the family, i will not agree or disagree with you on that point but i have seen Thai children play fighting in the style of muay thai in the soi's near my home and there is no prize money involved.
Westerners would have to put their own house in order before they could comment on what goes on in another country, this link
Birkenhead gym hits back over child boxing allegations - Liverpool Echo.co.uk is related to a documentary shown on national TV in April this year, children as young as 4 and 5 learning muay thai in Liverpool and fighting when they ask if they can and the trainer thinks they are ready, what they don't say how old they are when the trainer lets them fight, the gym did state that they are not allowed to kick and punch to the head until they are 17 but isn't that like telling a child not to eat sweets before their dinner, the point i am trying to make is these issues are not only common in poor third world countries.
MrDK i used your post to make my point because you included most of the points i was trying to explain and not because i disagree with your point.