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The onus falls on ALL SIDES!
By Luke | January 29, 2006
By: Luke Nicholson
Everytime a story like this latest one out of Hawaii surfaces, it reminds me of the WWE commercials reminding kids not to try this at home because of the dangers that it entails. But, beyond that, it reminds me that the onus falls on more than just politicans and media people to ensure that the right message is sent regarding the sport of MMA.
There are injuries in every sport, and some injuries are more serious than others. But, is the answer to ban any sport where injuries occur? No. The answer is to provide the proper administrative oversight and legal jurisdiction to ensure that safety ALWAYS~! comes first, and to encourage young people who watch UFC on TV and yearn to participate in the sport, follow the right path.
The onus falls on all sides to ensure that this happens. The MMA community needs to take more responsibilty in getting the right message out to their fans, that if you want to participate in MMA, then the right path is to go to school, and get involved in amateur wrestling, or join your local BJJ club and learn the particular MMA disciplines in a safe environment. Its not acceptable to hold “backyard wrestling” type events that aren’t sanctioned by any athletic commission, and where the kids participating could become seriously injured, and open parents up to crippling lawsuits and the type of legislation thats now being proposed in Hawaii by Rep. Waters.
PS. Dana, it would also help if you didn’t sign the poster boy for this kind of activity – Sean Gannon – to a contract because of a fight that was filmed and aired on the INTERNET~!
Parents need to be more aware of their kids activities and encourage them to practice their hobbies in a safe environment. While a kids backyard might be as safe an environment as you can find for some activities, fighting is not one of them.
Politicians need to go back to school and learn more about MMA, which they still seem to misunderstand. Somehow, being sanctioned by all the major athletic commissions in the United States, and having health and safety stats that blow boxing away, doesn’t mean much to politicians looking to score points with their constituents. Politicians need to take steps to make the sport as safe as possible. The answer isn’t to ban everything that looks dangerous, its to regulate it, and ensure that the risk of serious injury, or death is limited.
So, the onus falls on ALL SIDES~! Parents, Promoters, and Politicians need to take responsibility and ensure that they’re doing their part in encouraging, and overseeing that MMA is practiced in a safe and responsible manner, so that these types of stories don’t overshadow what the real story should be: The sport and the athletes who compete.
Topics: All Topics, Luke Nicholson, MMA, Pro-Wrestling, UFC, WWE | No Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |