Just when you begin to think that parenting standards in the UK could not sink any lower comes something like this: you have heard of bull-baiting, bear-baiting, cock fighting and pitbull fighting – get ready folks for the latest craze…child baiting. Parents in the UK are placing their tiny children into violent Thai boxing tournaments and cheering them on from the sidelines as they get the crap kicked and punched out of them – many are under the age of ten!
Take the case of Darren Flanagan – his twin children, a boy Kian and girl Miah, have to get into a boxing ring whilst he eggs them on to punch the shite out of their opposition – Kian and Miah are just five years old. Miah, pictured, clearly does not enjoy the experience and her father is pictured shaking her and yelling at her to “Just enjoy yourself!” Miah’s ‘mother’, Lisa, decorates her tiny little daughter with makeup and glitter before she shoves her little girl into the bull-pit to get beaten to a pulp. And this is allowed!
But take the case of ten year old Thai Barlow – his father Mark drags the poor kid all over the world spending thousands of pounds entering the child in tournaments so that he can ‘get experience’. On March 28 Thai took part in his first cage brawl, fighting inside a 23ft metal cage in front of a huge baying crowd paying £335 a ticket – is this sick or what?
Whatever happened to the parental instinct of protecting one’s child? what man would place his pretty little five year old daughter in a boxing ring to get punched to the ground? What has happened to society!
This is totally sick. It is violent, it is as repulsive as child p.o.r.n (I did that to discourage sickos who google such words) and is a form of legalised child abuse, absolutely. This sport must be banned for underage children and the parents should be prosecuted.
Shame on you Darren and Lisa Flanagan, shame on you Mark Barlow – shame on anyone who supports this disgusting spectacle. Ban it now!
Darren Flanagan gives his little Miah the order to ‘Just enjoy yourself!’ even though she is terrified. Is this child abuse or what!
Little Miah waits to get beaten up whilst the adults cheer it all on.
Pictures: UK Daily Mail
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Hey Wendy,
I agree it’s horrific – basically child abuse.
I have posted an article here
http://temple-bar.blogspot.com/2008/04/fight-kindergarten.html
Thanks for the heads up about this.
Cheers
Gerry
That is so so sick. Poor children
Yes, it is just unbelievable isn’t it? I hope you had a read of Gerry’s article on the same topic, he sums it all up really well. I would like to see this dreadful issue highlighted and totally banned.
I think a lot of the reaction is typical middle class knee jerk alarmist journalism.
Undoubtedly the images are uncomfortable, but the sport is tough, there is no easy way through it – its better to get it out of the way at a young age (as they do in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar in their respective sports) than stuggle through the pain barrier at an older age. Most people who take up this sport would agree.
On a scale of child cruelty I think this ranks undoubtedly below spoiling a child by feeding them ready meals, sweets & treats everyday and letting them rot in front of the box.
The British inability to reason with topics will once again shine through with automatic calls to ‘BAN THIS EVIL SPORT’ instead of a more logical approach regarding the regulation of various aspects of the sport, such as the physiological aspect of training 6/7 days a week (we all remember how this was not the done thing when playing football as a youngster) or allowing the kids to fight in front of crowds of stranger (thats too much for a young mind to take in – in my humble opinion).
Another topic for discussion is the driving force of the parents motives, its similar to the massive increase in parental side-lines aggression in junior football.
However, I have no doubt that these youngsters will be a lot better of nutritionally than many many of their contemporaries and are unlikely to feature in future news reports about fat unhealthy kids.
I just hope the British public can discuss this logically instead of the usual “as a parent I am going to immediately subscribe to a point of view that makes me look like I’m a better parent”.
Please remember that Thai Boxing for youngsters has been going on for years, but in this case it is the zeal with which the parents pursue it that is disturbing as opposed to the idea of the sport for youngsters. Which is part of the wider issue i mentioned earlier.
I suggest people visit Thai Boxing gyms that cater for children before they make their judgement.
But I know they won’t. This is the UK after all. We don’t like the look of it. So we’ll ban it. The end.
Thanks for your comments. Firstly I am not British. Secondly, and a rather lengthy one at that, what has to be considered first and foremost is ‘why’?
That little girl crying is enough for me. Yes, martial arts are good for people of all ages; in a natural training environment sparring is the way to improve one’s skills. But surely there has to be an age limit with regards to fighting tournaments?
And what about ‘consent’?…in my opinion that little girl is not consenting in any way shape or form. I have seen plenty of aggressive parents; in sporting areas and in the entertainment industry – in all cases they are just plain ugly.
I am just glad that there are people out there who find the idea of adults paying money to watch very young children beat each other up in the name of ‘toughening them up’ sickening. Call it what you like but Thai boxing in this form is just a polite and legitimate term for kiddie-bashing.
Thai boxing might be fine for teens and adults – but five year olds?
But in the end who gets the most out of all this…? certainly not the kids from the look of it.
Hello there Kermit, I thought you were a frog. You certainly think like one.
Have you any children? Would you seriously think of putting them through the fear the little girl in the picture showed? Is that what they could expect from you as a parent? “toughen up you little shit” at 5/6/7 yrs old?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Martial Arts nor any other activity that teaches self-discipline. Any person, be they adult or child, should be given a choice. Forcing anyone to do something before they can fully understand what is involved, is very wrong. It’s damaging, to say the least.
You say they should start young like they do in Thailand, Cambodia, Mayanmar. O.K. if a child lives in any of these places and HAS to do these things, that is something to do with their Culture, it’s inbred (so to speak) and normal for them. What I have just seen is NOT normal for these English children. It’s cruelty at it’s worst, hurting the mind as well as the body.
I don’t know where you are from Kermit (your scathing remarks re “the British inability to reason with topics”………”this is the U.K. after all” do not point to an English citizen, in which case your comments are of no value and should be ignored as should YOU!
Well said Bernadette!
To me parents who find this kind of activity essential for their young children to participate in are akin to those who get their kicks out of rabbit baiting.
My cousin is a karate instructor with 20 years exp behind him and found this article sickening – when kids are crying they are NOT having fun!
Child abuse, pure and simple.
son of the bitches
Strange we never seen any thing of miah opponent at all and she isnt named.
Its sad non contact is fine but not full on@5 its sick
she was depressed. she held her emocian the 3rd she went into the ring.
she had no protection just kit/gloves that opponent of her was a bulked up girl not much girly on her black shorts black kit!
Strange we never seen any thing of miah opponent at all and she isnt named.
Its sad non contact is fine but not full on@5 its sick
she was depressed. she held her emocian the 3rd she went into the ring.
she had no protection just kit/gloves that opponent of her was a bulked up girl not much girly on her black shorts+gloves.
wonder if she cried while mum kitted her out and mum went do it 4dad or what. 1min all dressed jumping out car next runing round barefoot in boxingshorts in a gym waiting to be knocked out for fun.