SIKESTON — State legislators are seeking to ban cage fighting, or mixed martial arts for those under 18. For the most part, those locally involved agree with the measure, but say it won’t really affect youngsters participating in area fights.
“Some sanctioning bodies already outlaw that,” said Don Davis, owner/operator of Pitbull Mixed Martial Arts in Morehouse.
In mixed martial arts fights, the competitors face off using boxing, wrestling and grappling techniques. A recent report by the Associated Press found that Missouri appears to be the only state where youth matches are legal.
And now two state legislators — Republican members Bryan Stevenson of Webb City and Steve Hunter of Joplin — are sponsoring a measure to outlaw it. Stevenson said he had already been alarmed by reports of the competitions before the report, and that he believed mixed martial arts is brutal and more dangerous for children than other sports, including wrestling.
While several gyms teach the techniques involved in mixed martial arts to youth — and some compete in single competitions — they aren’t allowed to mix the styles during face-offs.
Tim Wall, owner of Taekwondo Advantage in Sikeston, said he “absolutely” agrees with legislators that cage fighting should be banned. At his gym, children don’t participate in that, although they compete in point, or Olympic, sparring — which is light or no contact.
“If they wanted to do (cage fighting) I would tell them they are at the wrong school,” he said.
“There’s just so much chance for injury, and what is there to prove?”
But Brad Wick, head boxing coach for the Bootheel Bombers Boxing, had a different opinion. He said the legislation oversteps simply regulating the sport. His gym has discussed allowing youth to fight, but hasn’t so far.
“People have jumped ahead and said it’s too dangerous for kids — and yeah, it is, if you look at it from a UFC perspective,” said Wick. “But if they’re going to jump in and say ‘let’s do away with this all together’ obviously they haven’t gone in and investigated it.”
Regulations could include wearing headgear, protective leg gear and gloves. Competitions would also include more grappling than boxing, Wick said.
Davis agreed children should not participate in full MMA fights as it is now — and isn’t allowed at his gym. However, he expressed some concerns if single competitions were to be banned.
“I think a ban in Missouri would just be ridiculous,” he said. But, he thinks that now is a good time to educate people about what martial arts are really about, investigate it and come up with some basic regulations for the sport, said Davis.
At his gym, there are regulations for those who practice or fight. Those rules just aren’t across the board in the state.
“Let’s just put some regulations on it, because the kids are going to do it, anyway,” Davis said. He suggested now would be the time to create some sort of a governing board for martial arts.
Wall agreed that regulations are needed for the competitions. “It can get bloody,” he said. “If they had more specific rules regarding the safety of the competitors, it may be more palatable for me, personally.”
Davis spoke of the benefits of such training.
“It gives (children) discipline, self-respect and respect to others,” he said. “It really does a lot more good than bad to them.”
Wick added that having training in gyms cuts don’t on backyard and basement wrestling among youngsters. “I would rather see the kids train in the gym and do it the proper way with people watching over them and learning what the sport is about instead of going out there and hurting each other,” he said.
And coaches teach students there is a certain time and place for the techniques they learn.
Davis noted that safety is a No. 1 concern, whether practicing or competing. “Especially in your amateur sports... You want your kid to come home in one piece.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
