Mixed Martial Arts for Kids

(Photo: Sebastian Montalvo)

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a rapidly growing sport in the United States. And it’s not just for adults. More than 3 million kids as young as 5 years old have participated, too. The kids engage in full-contact fighting with minimal protective gear—just thin gloves and mouthguards. Sebastian Montalvo, a photographer and journalist in New York City, toured children’s MMA events and captured images of them. You can view a slideshow of them here.

I did a bit of capoeira and boxing back in college. The latter was far, far more practical than the former. When my daughters are old enough, I’ll encourage them to study some sort of practical martial art. MMA seems to resemble realistic brawling, so it may be a good choice.

-via Nag on the Lake