Muay Thai Kids Gladiators

It is always a controversial topic for outsiders looking into the Thai community when they see these little kids, sometimes as young as 10 years old, being forced to fight each other in a ring in order to win prize money for their poor families.

Western critics say encouraging children to fight in the ring is a form of child abuse.

However, are there some benefits from learning martial arts skills for their future and give them more opportunities for a better life?

Economically speaking, no! On average a child fighter earn the amount of $9 per fight, win or lose. This seems like a comical low amount for so much effort when your baseline cost of living in Thailand is $600 (in Bangkok more).

On the other hand, these fights offer a valuable training ground for when they turn 15 and have the opportunity to earn a lot more money in a higher level Muay Thai events.

A young boy opens his mouth in a battle as he extends his leg in a kick towards his opponent.

A boxing ring is a place of blood, sweat and tears that most grown men shun, but these boys are not big burly fighters but a group of young Muay Thai boxers fighting in a stadium in northeastern Thailand.

In Thai culture Muay Thai is a part of life and boys and girls train from an early age and it is not uncommon that children as young as these take part in tournaments in front of hundreds of spectators.


The pint-sized fighters are following in the footsteps of their idols, Muay Thai fighters are revered in Thailand and it is many young boy's dream to fight on television.


These photos show the youngest fighters in a big tournament in Buriram province in the northeastern region of Isan, just over 250 miles northeast of Bangkok.




A little boy is ready to fight, whilst another one of the young boxers is getting a massage from his coach ahead of his fight at a boxing stadium in Buriram province


In Thailand children start practicing Muay Thai from a very early age and it is not uncommon for children ad young as eight to take part in tournaments in boxing stadiums


A successful fighter wins not only glory and fame but money, which is the reason why many rural families part from their sons - they hope that they will become great fighters and provide for them
 

Several physicians in Thailand have been warning that young boxers can suffer lasting brain damage from knocks to the head.

It is believed that between 200,000 and 300,000 children around Thailand are training in Muay Thai, and lots of them want to become champions. Many of them start competing in the ring as young as age four, often without protective gear such as a head guard.

A neuro-radiologist in Bangkok, Professor Jiraporn Laothamatas has studied over 300 young fighters to see what effect the constant punches and strikes to the head would have on their IQ. 

The average IQ of the boxer was clearly decreased, and progressively decreased with longer years of boxing experiences. 

Should children be discouraged from Muaythai? 

Can we prevent them from the foreseeing brain damages while preserving the national-to-be-world heritage and improving child physical skills and health?

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