Orphan child MMA fights in China stir fierce debate
Many charged that the youth fights are illegal, while others felt that without the club the boys would end up on the streets.
The Paris-based international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that the Chinese streaming website Pear Video has released a documentary that alleges an MMA club has adopted hundreds of orphaned boys, and is raising them and training them as fighters. A local-level office of the Ministry of Civil Affairs brought most of the children to the En Bo Fight Club, claim the gym founders. En Bo Fight Club is located in the southwestern city of Chengdu.
In 2015 there were reportedly 500,000 orphans in China, with only about 5% adopted and just 20% being raised by the state, so the need is great. But while learning martial arts is a wonderful vehicle for children to develop confidence and discipline, fighting in a cage reminds of Oliver Twist’s Fagin teaching children to pickpocket.
Two 11-year-olds can be seen fighting below. The rules apparently prohibit elbows, but otherwise allow full power punches and kicks, standing and ground.
A ring card girl in a bikini announces the round, and the announcer shouts that the boys are “fighting for their fate.” According to the documentary, most of the children in the club were from China’s many minority groups, including Tibetans.
In an editorial, the state-run Beijing News accused the club of exploiting the orphans.
“Did they enjoy the right to education based on the law while they underwent strict training and competed in intense fights?” asked the newspaper.
There was a fierce debate on Weibo, China’s equivalent to Twitter. Many charged that the youth fights are illegal, while others felt that without the club the boys would end up on the streets, with the possibility that they turn to crime.
In the documentary, Xiaolong, 14, said he is happy simply to be eating properly.
“There is everything here — food, clothes and a place to live,” he said. “The food here is much better (than at home). There is beef and eggs but I can only have potatoes at home.”