The practice of kung-fu is designed to develop radiant health, strength, vitality, internal energy, respect, patience, humility, and morality. Unfortunately, a children’s Kung Fu competition on May 13 in Lvov, Ukraine went to Hell over political differences.

It happened during a match between team Azerbaijan and team Armenia. There are no diplomatic relations between the two two countries, who remain technically in a state of war over the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and dispute.

12-year-old Armenian David Petrosyan was reportedly on his way to winning the semi-final match against his Azeri opponent at the European Kung Fu championshi, and was, again reportedly, suffering taunts from members of the Azerbaijani camp ringside.

Suddenly, dozens of men from the Azeri camps lurched at the Armenian team members with poles, chairs, and sticks.

European Kung Fu Federation head Nikolay Matulevsky was reportedly hurt in the incident as he tried to intervene to stop the melee. The Azeri team was eventually disqualified from the competitions for unsportsmanlike behavior following a decision of the Referees’ Committee.

According to Aysor.am, Armenian Kung Fu Federation Chairman Sargis Harutyunyan voiced suspicions that the Azeri delegation had planned the attack in advance.

The 12 year old is from Nagorno Karabakh, an Armenian-administered region that broke free from Azerbiajani rule in the early 1990s. The Armenian fighter’s brother, Sgt. Marat Petrosyan, is a hero of the four-day Armenian-Azerbaijani war in Nagorno Karabakh in early April. Sgt. Petrosyan was reportedly given a first-degree Combat Cross medal after he destroyed five enemy tanks, and one APC.

The was not the first Armenian vs. Azerbaijani brawl at a sports competitions. One of the most infamous incidents occurred during a soccer game played by the two countries in Cyprus in 2006. Again, there were under 19 teams, potentially setting a truly deplorable pattern of brawling at kids events.