Show of Hands

Then your brain reacts to it and blacks out, but if that were to happen the red would stop it automatically, so no major damage is done, unless your muhammad Ali and just takes blows, then your gonna have some problems over the years, other than that boxing has techniques for you to doge punches.

Also I'd like to point out mostly for boxers, if he/she were to suffer brain damage they would have to have lots of clean hard hits to the head even if you were to get knocked out, you just black out for seconds maybe minuets, when you twist your neck is stiff and a force made you twist it to far

Why not? It his butt he wants to put out there

MMA fighter? Encourage.

Boxer? HELL NO.

Akgoat, shut the hell up. Nobody f.ucking cares.

Discourage based on the risk of brain damage or permanent injury. But if he was dead set on it, I'd be at as many matches as I could make it to.

What about my daughter? This is a sexist question.

My kids can do what makes them happy. At least MMA is a skill and makes a lot of money, not a lot compared to a promoter though

I have already taught him to fight for real...

I'd show him videos of Ali then and now and say "this can happen to you" if he still wants to more power to him. Same with MMA..

@liberty5 I know several pro fighters and they are some of the nicest, most humble people I have ever met. Passing judgement on a group of people you don't know makes you the "d bag", not them.

No son of mine is gonna grow up to be a d bag

I would make sure he thought through his desire.

Doing good in school no MMA

I'm not in MMA but I do take boxing, and it very hard to get a career, you have to pay for alot of big fights, plus the judges sometimes get corrupt so say if you don't knock out the champion, they will rob you. But if my son had a talent in MMA I would but school always comes first, so if he's not

I would tell him how difficult it will be to do that and tell him he would still need to stay in school and do well in school. If MMA is the dream he wants to pursue, then I'll do what I can to help him and build his character and morals.

Show him video of Ali today...the to so greatest

I'm a karate instructor as well as Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jistu. I don't understand why people are so against others learning how to defend themselves. Fighting I can kind of understand why they don't like it; violence. But I'll be laughing when they get mugged and die.

I'm actually training to be an MMA fighter. I want to do UFC, but they don't have a women's division. Maybe they will in two years when I turn 18.

I would definitely encourage bc that is my dream

@xenith have you seem the news lately? How many people are beat or stabbed in muggings and die? Any martial art MMA included teaches confidence and a confident person that walks around knowing they can defend themselves will act to protect themselves from any situation.

@commonsense some of the most disciplined athletes I know are MMA fighters. They will train harder and longer than the top baseball or football player in my high school. MMA also requires a lot more mental aptitude than any sport I know. It's a chess match in the ring.

I would try to convince him to go a different direction but if he really wanted to I would support him

rather my son fight mma than be some weak fruity ass pussy

There's no future in either one, only a few make it big and even then they're all messed up in the head from all the head injuries (Doloft anyone?)
I would try to discourage him but it's his life and all I could do is support him if that makes him happy.

2 words for him. Brain damage.

VERY different things!!!

You can make tons of money doing that . Why not ?

Those are two VERY different things.

I would encourage my children to do whatever they want

Dave, I hear what you're sayin.
But MMA lacks discipline and structure of sport.

@Form Training to fight isn't the ego boost most people assume it to be, and those who start just for that ego boost usually don't last. Being bested and beat by several people every day is actually a very humbling experience.

@vanguarde 1. Ben and Faber never fought.
2. I practice BJJ and Muay Thai regularly; the only injury I have ever gotten was playing lacrosse.
3. The fact that boxing lets your brain recover before beating it down again makes it extremely dangerous.

@commonsense Boxing is full of corruption and the boxers tend to have no discipline , honor, or respect. MMA is the most complete combat sport, where most practitioners tend to actually be respectable people. Also, MMA is to boxing as chess is to checkers.

Defend himself from what? A college education is a better investment. Unless your kid is stupid. Then I guess this path would be his only chance at an income for a couple of years.

Of course I'd encourage it! Fighting is great exercise, it teaches discipline, and it's a good feeling knowing that your kid can defend themselves. As long as they know the consequences and are really serious about it, I'd say go ahead!

I said discourage but I'd like to think I would encourage my son to follow his dreams no matter what

My husband has always wanted to, but he can't due to his cochlear implant. Could cause serious brain injury if impacted.

If it's important to him & he's doing well in school, I would encourage him. It wouldn't be my first pick but I will support him in what he wants to do.

neither, really.

He can do whatever he wants to as long as he knows that it would be his responsibility and if he got hurt, it was his decision and he would have to take credit for his troubles. I don't have a son because I'm 18 but if I did that's what i would say. :)

I'd make sure they understood the risks, but I'd have no opposition to it.

I don't think I would encourage it but I wouldn't discourage it either. I'd just be supportive an offer them options. :)

Robbing a bank is not an analog for fighting in a ring. Fail.

@cowboy where the hell did that come from?

Hey, if it's his dream, I say he should go for it. It's not illegal or anything like that. Organized fighting for sport isn't the same as just angry violence.

I wouldn't discourage him, but I wouldn't encourage him either. I prefer to use my brain over my brawn (since my brawn is practically nonexistent) but he could make that choice himself.

I would support him.

I don't think encourage is the right word but I would defiantly support them.

If your son robbed a bank, then that means you failed as a parent and should be ashamed of yourself.