# Should MMA be a collegiate/high school sport?



## The Amarok (May 4, 2010)

Opinions and Thoughts Please


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## M_D (Apr 8, 2007)

no. 

school sports are usually non violent (yes foot ball hockey..ect are violent but there is a big difference) and also are unlikely to cause injury which will take you away from your school work


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## Life B Ez (Jan 23, 2010)

No, however I do think it should be an Olympic sport, that way the Olympic commission can set up a real amateur MMA organization, similar to boxing.


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## Liddellianenko (Oct 8, 2006)

unlikely


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## azer (Jun 19, 2007)

The Amarok said:


> Opinions and Thoughts Please


Yes. 

Of course it would not have the same rule set as professional mma. For some reason whenever you mention youth and mma otherwise reasonable people immediately conjure up visions of 12yr olds dropping elbows from mount..

FILA has defined and supports amateur mma for kids in the form of Pankration. Pankration is submission grappling with strikes below the collarbone. It is very popular in Europe. We took a team of kids from the US to Kharkov Ukraine and had a great time over there. Team USA took 3rd place overall in both submission grappling and pankration.

We are way behind here in the US with sensible amateur mma.

Also in response to another poster. I define violence as having the intent to injure someone and successfully doing so. If you accept that definition then based on my observations there is much less violence in amateur mma than there is in mainstream sports like hockey & football.

here is an example of what I'm talking about;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6DQ3tLddcs&playnext_from=TL&videos=kF9jLRsbuWI

Cheers


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## Hammerlock2.0 (Jun 17, 2009)

No. In my opinion you should be at least 18 before you can have a sanctioned MMA fight. I'm not really sure about the legal situation, but putting your well being on the line should be a decision an adult makes, not a child. Accidents can happen anytime, but they're much likely to happen when some unexperienced kid is trying to suplex you.


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## azer (Jun 19, 2007)

Hammerlock2.0 said:


> No. In my opinion you should be at least 18 before you can have a sanctioned MMA fight. I'm not really sure about the legal situation, but putting your well being on the line should be a decision an adult makes, not a child. Accidents can happen anytime, but they're much likely to happen when some unexperienced kid is trying to suplex you.


Based on your objection I would assume you are also opposed to wrestling in High School and College? I'm not trying to be a smart ass but a suplex is a wrestling move.


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## osmium (Mar 6, 2007)

I don't think there are enough qualified people right now that would be willing to coach youth MMA in high school for it to be viable on a national level. Maybe in certain areas you could do it. You would need a proper overseeing body for it and different rules for safety of course. 

I think it would be great if it were a collegiate sport though and completely doable. It would probably make more money than most d-1 sports and be sustainable for a lot of schools who can't afford to keep the more expensive team sports that don't bring in money.


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## Tyson2011 (Jan 12, 2009)

i dont think its a good idea, we'd have even more of the typical tapout chavs who think they can kick your ass.


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## Hammerlock2.0 (Jun 17, 2009)

azer said:


> Based on your objection I would assume you are also opposed to wrestling in High School and College? I'm not trying to be a smart ass but a suplex is a wrestling move.


Yeah, but in MMA any guy can suplex you. Even that small kid next door. For all you know that guy has seen Lesnar pull off a suplex on a giant and tries to do that to you. In wrestling people know what they're doing and injury is less likely. Plus they don't hit you in the head once they have you pinned to the mat.


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## azer (Jun 19, 2007)

Hammerlock2.0 said:


> Yeah, but in MMA any guy can suplex you. Even that small kid next door. For all you know that guy has seen Lesnar pull off a suplex on a giant and tries to do that to you. In wrestling people know what they're doing and injury is less likely. Plus they don't hit you in the head once they have you pinned to the mat.


I'm not advocating that kids be allowed to punch each other in the head at all in amateur mma. Check out the FILA rules for Pankration to see what I'm talking about. This system is up and running and has been for many years now.

I think the point you are missing is that if you examine youth sports you find that sensible amateur mma rules sets make the sport much less risky than other common sports. You are also assuming that practitioners will attempt techniques that they are not skilled enough to pull off and will hurt people. I don't know why you would make that assumption.


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## G_Land (Aug 11, 2009)

I think they should maybe try how the Army does their competitions going through the levels ...The intermedate allows open hand strikes to the head

One of the fundamental aspects of Modern Army Combatives training is the use of competitions as a tool to motivate Soldiers to train. Realizing the inherent problem with competitive systems, that competitors will focus their training on winning and therefore only train the techniques that are allowed in competition, Larsen designed a system of graduated rules. More liberal rules are used for higher level of competitions.
There are four levels of competition;

Basic- For competition for new Soldiers such as basic trainees or for squad and platoon level, Competitors start grappling from their knees and no leg locks are allowed.

Standard- For company level competition and for preliminary bouts in any tournament above company level, Competitors begin from their feet. Straight leg and foot locks are allowed and points are awarded in a scoring system based the way takedowns are scored in Collegiate wrestling and positional dominance in ground grappling from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Intermediate- For the finals at Battalion and brigade level and semi-finals at division and above, Intermediate rules allow limited striking. Open hand strikes are allowed to the head and closed fist strikes to the body. Kicks are allowed to any target except the groin while standing and knee strikes are allowed to the body while standing and to the legs while on the ground. The fight consists of one ten minute round.

Advanced- For finals at division level and above, the advanced rules are essentially Mixed Martial Arts.


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## mtt_c (Jun 15, 2008)

azer said:


> Based on your objection I would assume you are also opposed to wrestling in High School and College? I'm not trying to be a smart ass but a suplex is a wrestling move.


You can't suplex an opponent in either high school or collegiate levels. Once you have an opponent in the air, it is your responsibility to take them to the mat without intent to harm. Greco-Roman wrestling which is different than freestyle (high school/college), is tailored for throws and leverage moves exists outside of school sanctioned competition.


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## azer (Jun 19, 2007)

mtt_c said:


> You can't suplex an opponent in either high school or collegiate levels. Once you have an opponent in the air, it is your responsibility to take them to the mat without intent to harm. Greco-Roman wrestling which is different than freestyle (high school/college), is tailored for throws and leverage moves exists outside of school sanctioned competition.


Point taken, I should have said HS & College kids competing in Freestyle/Greco outside of school conferences or outside of the US.


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## BigDeadFreak (Jun 9, 2010)

I think anything that allows young people to let out their aggression in a controlled and adult supervised way is a good thing. Most young guys have loads of testosterone in them and if they just spend their entire lives sat in front of a computer (I appreciate the irony of what I've just typed) then they're not using it. Young people not venting their frustrations is a bigger problem than young people getting the odd bump or scrape in martial arts.


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## chinwaggler (Jun 7, 2009)

Why not do it based on a point system for winning just like loads of martial arts that kids do. Semi-contact.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*High Impact*

If boxing isn't a high school or college sponsored sport I don't think MMA should either!


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## RAM32 (Jun 3, 2010)

kantowrestler said:


> If boxing isn't a high school or college sponsored sport I don't think MMA should either!


yeah i think boxing will become a high school sport before mma


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## xbrokenshieldx (Mar 5, 2007)

Absolutely not. As stated above, boxing isn't even a high school sport, and there are college boxing clubs, but they are sanctioned still and the competitors are required to wear headgear to prevent any head injuries. 

Also, like it was said above there aren't enough coaches out there to implement this responsibly. The idea of allowing high school kids to compete in MMA is ridiculous. But even at the college level most of the people interested would have no previous experience and would not be ready to compete in an actual fight for at least a year if not longer.


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## RAM32 (Jun 3, 2010)

xbrokenshieldx said:


> Absolutely not. As stated above, boxing isn't even a high school sport, and there are college boxing clubs, but they are sanctioned still and the competitors are required to wear headgear to prevent any head injuries.
> 
> Also, like it was said above there aren't enough coaches out there to implement this responsibly. The idea of allowing high school kids to compete in MMA is ridiculous. But even at the college level most of the people interested would have no previous experience and would not be ready to compete in an actual fight for at least a year if not longer.


yeah thats another thing, how many fights do you think someone can have in a "season" in high school or college? professional fighters only have 3-4 fights a year, that is not enough for a competitive high school/college sport


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## americanfighter (Sep 27, 2006)

No. 

Most high school kids are nat mature enough or have enough self control to handle this type of stuff. There would be too man accidents and too many hot heads that would cause serious injury. also this stuff may spill out of the gym on to the street and that would be good for nobody. The health risks in general are also too much for students.


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## xbrokenshieldx (Mar 5, 2007)

The great thing about MMA, too, is you don't have to train specifically in the sport to have a career in the sport.

For example, to play college and pro football, you need to learn play football in high school to know the game. To play pro baseball you have to play baseball when you are younger to get your timing down. To become skilled enough to become a professional mixed martial artist you can still wrestle, grapple, box, etc. In other words, it isn't necessary to train in "MMA" so to speak.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Training*

Yeah all you need is a base and you work off of that base!


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## swpthleg (Dec 31, 2006)

americanfighter said:


> No.
> 
> Most high school kids are nat mature enough or have enough self control to handle this type of stuff. There would be too man accidents and too many hot heads that would cause serious injury. also this stuff may spill out of the gym on to the street and that would be good for nobody. The health risks in general are also too much for students.


This.

However, I think training MMA outside of school-run programs would be an excellent augment to any other contact sport that is already in place in HS/colleges.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Outside Programs*

At the most it should be a club, nothing more than that!


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## A Random Person (Oct 15, 2009)

Life B Ez said:


> No, however I do think it should be an Olympic sport, that way the Olympic commission can set up a real amateur MMA organization, similar to boxing.


how can that work? the era of the single day tournies are long gone...


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Different Rules*

Alot more rules would have to be in play, like shorter time periods and weigh-in limits and stuff!


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## A Random Person (Oct 15, 2009)

Hammerlock2.0 said:


> No. In my opinion you should be at least 18 before you can have a sanctioned MMA fight. I'm not really sure about the legal situation, but putting your well being on the line should be a decision an adult makes, not a child. Accidents can happen anytime, but they're much likely to happen when some unexperienced kid is trying to suplex you.


I just read an artical in the star that there are now a u-8 MMA club in toronto. I am wondering how those kids would turn out. The funny think is that the club is about 40% female as well.

imho, I feel that the individual diciplins should be allowed prior to MMA being allowed, thereby working out any kinks in the system first beore it is implimented as a whole.


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Discipline*

Yeah I agree with that, you should be proficient at one discipline before going to others!


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## Life B Ez (Jan 23, 2010)

A Random Person said:


> how can that work? the era of the single day tournies are long gone...


I just meant that boxing has very strict rules for amateurs, where as in MMA, as an amateur you could get KO'd cold one weekend and fight the next because there are no rules or regulations for it. You could get seriously injured and the org putting on the show could have no health coverage for the fighters and they are just SOL.


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## BobbyCooper (Oct 26, 2009)

MMA a High School Sport?? lol you are kidding right?

I mean before anybody should even think about stepping in such a Cage, they need at least the entire High School time to train for there first fight.

I find it ridiculous how many guys today just step inside a Cage with 2 months of training. :confused03:


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## kantowrestler (Jun 6, 2009)

*Training*

Yeah Joe Stevenson has been fighting since he was a minor, his mom signed a waiver!


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