MMA Tournaments for Minors

**PizDoff** · Posted On: 11/08/2003 8:15am

heh nice find thebgbb, nice to see you here

9chambers · Posted On: 11/08/2003 9:21am

Joining the wrestling team at high school is free.

There are also official camps you can go to in the summer. See your local coaches for details.

Like others said (with provided links) there are grappling tournaments for kids as well.

If you want them to compete in striking I am sure there are youth boxing and kickboxing type organizations in your state.

**Hybrid** · Posted On: 11/08/2003 12:29pm

Thanks for the advice & info everyone.

Except for the few idiots posting (you know who you are, especially you infidel.)

**Berserk411** · Posted On: 11/08/2003 3:35pm

There's grappling tournaments but really no MMA. I train with a kid who just turned 18 but has been getting offers to fight in Shooto since he was 16-17, but they even said that he'd have to wait till he turned 18.

It's the same down in Brazil too.

Just train and spar. It's not like anyone will pay you anyhow. You have to be good to get paid.

**Freddy** · Posted On: 11/12/2003 11:00am

I would just stick with improving your tecniques until your 18 yrs. old. Get your techniques right befor you fight. Learn as much as possible and then some more.

**akamai** · Posted On: 11/15/2003 4:16pm

in the US I'd imagin it is hard to sponsor/find a full contact MMA tourny for minors because of the legal nightmare.. there are tons of soccer moms out there ready to sue if their kids get even a pimple poped while in the cage. I agree with others in that it may be a better idea to spend 2 years to train hard, learn more and get stronger, then start with a great foundation when you turn 18

**twisted dragon** · Posted On: 11/22/2003 3:24pm

If you are serious about competeing then continue to train hard and with varied techniques and partners. See about entering grappling tournaments to actually test your steel. Actual tournaments now will help you to understand your actual condition and what you need to work on the most. There is no legal striking tourneys for minors in US (I'm pretty sure).
I don't know what you train in now but even just by watching adult competitions you must understand that you need to train in stand-up, close quarter, and ground techinques, to ever be well rounded and completely effective.

You can do point tournaments (if you like) to test stand up speed, defense, and entry techniques and the tournament atmosphere, but don't get carried away by show-fighting victories as it's not quite real (or lets say complete). You can continue to work street/striking techniques in all ranges, in your school but do seek out some competition in what you can do now. It has good personal value, if this is what U think you want to do after 18 (when you can add the striking).

Forget about the $$, if you can ever comand prize $$ then it will come after you prove yourself (much later). But you will have to wait. Good luck.

**Punisher** · Posted On: 11/22/2003 10:16pm

I have seen TV shows and clips of children as young as 8 particapating in full contact MMA and MT competitions. Not in "backward third world countries" but in the US and Canada.

Here is one such clip:

Low Speed
http://www.mixedmartialarts.ca/Video/JordanRobert56.wmv

High Speed
http://www.mixedmartialarts.ca/Video...nRobert256.wmv

I've also seen another clip where an 8 year old applies a flying armbar to his similar age opponent, locking it in applying the move with full force attempting to make his opponent submit as a crowd full of adults cheers on. Somehow the other kid slips out and the match ends with one of the kids crying and bleeding from the nose.

Personally I find stuff like this repugnant, but it happens. I'm such the parents say "Little Johnny" is learning valuable life lessons and wants to do it. I'm not sure a someone that young has the mental capacity to know what they want. If you are a teenager you at least have a better idea of what you are getting into, although you probably think you are invincible and can't fully grasp the possible long term repercussions.

As some people have already mentioned, forget making money as a fighter before you are a legal adult. I'm not sure such competitions exist or if they are even legal. Anything you are likely to find is going to be amateur competitions with little or no prize money.

**panda** · Posted On: 11/25/2003 3:23am

sport combatives that's not mma but will help you develop some skills:
wrestling, judo, boxing, olympic tkd, submission competitions, san shou

what kind of martial arts do u do? for how long?

**Punisher** · Posted On: 11/26/2003 6:38pm

"Punisher, is it any worse than football?"

Osiris, we had this discussion a long time ago in another thread. I really don't want to dig it up again but, no I don't think it's really any worse than football, but I wouldn't but my child in any full contact sport before 12 or so. My martial arts instructor wouldn't let his son play competitive soccer until he got into high school. By then he was mature enough to know the risks and make his own choice.