I don't want to go overboard, but......

did any of you see the Cutting Edge program on Channel 4 last night? The title was 'Strictly Baby Fight Club'.

It was perhaps one of the most distressing programs I've seen for a while. It was about these parents that make their kids do child Thai Boxing. These kids are in the ring in organized fights from the ages of 4 or 5 in some cases.

One family take there kid to Thailand for matches as there's more money involved, but the kids do not wear any guards for protection. One father described these fights, "the Thai kids just see a foreigner in the ring and want to smash them in".

One 5 year old little girl was being obviously forced rather than willingly to fight another 6 year old girl in the ring, who had beaten her the time before. The parents were shouting at her to beat this other girl in! The father almost ridiculed the fact the little girl cried after the fight and wanted to go home and play with her dressing up stuff and tiara.

I can understand (not agree) that some kids may desire to take up boxing and like that sort of thing. It's not my style, but I can see it could provide an outlet for a kid with too much energy. This was taken much further than this and was prizefighting for infants, who were being trained to show exceptional aggression in infancy. Parents have a unique responsibility to bestow a gift to there children that will help them in life, but these parents have given the gift of violence. It has been proven time and again that Violence begets violence. Violence doesnt provide security and protection, it doesn't prepare people for love and consideration. (i'm going to have to stop now)

When we hear about abuse in the world I can't help but think that people like this are doing exactly that. They lose their rights to have children in my opinion. My feelings on this are much stronger than I wish to convey in this post as I don't want to be provocative.

Please review the program if you get a chance and i'd be interested in your opinion.
here's a couple of Youtube links to clips from this program.
Clip 1
Clip2
Clip3

I'll leave this direct quote from the Channel 4 website about the little girl of 5 i mentioned above.

As the father of a daughter in particular, Darren feels that it will help Miah to stand on her own two feet and encourage her to be able to take more care of herself when she is older.

Determined to make champions of his kids, they are encouraged to train three times a week and compete in the ring against other children. But pre-match jitters often get the better of Miah, who has to be coaxed into the ring on more than one occasion. "Every time she goes in that ring, there is always a worry she will start crying", admits Darren. But nonetheless he remains determined and ambitious.

For her next fight, Darren is taking no chances. He has 'bulked' her up so she is not at a weight disadvantage against her older opponent. Will this be enough for a win to make daddy's day or will the five-year-old, with a penchant for disco dancing and dressing up as a princess, go home empty-handed once again.