Mixed Martial Arts or MMA has become quite popular in the past few years. So popular, that children are now training for it.

On one hand, I do not see this being significantly different than children training in martial arts like karate, the only concern I would have is the degree of contact involved. Of course there are punches and kicks thrown, but I question how hard the children are allowed to strike. Even though it is supervised, full contact (i.e. full strength) strikes may be a little too much for children to endure. The benefit, though, is that it provides a great foundation for training children into martial arts.

The other concern I have is with legality. Although according to R. v. Jobidan, "schoolyard scuffles" and sports will not be ordinarily considered as part of the offence of assault causing bodily harm, I question of there will be some form of legal liability or culpability on the part of parents who place their children in such a sport. I see it as unlikely, but without any sort of legal precedence as guidance, it is a tough question to answer.

In the end, I believe that care should be taken in establishing such a program and that safety of the participants should be the primary concern.

        

 

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