THESE shock pictures will make every decent parent in Britain fighting mad—a GIRL OF FIVE sobbing her heart out as Dad forces her into a KICK-BOXING ring for a public punch-up.
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| REELING: A nine-year old under attack |
And her shameful father Darren Flanagan has the nerve to call the dangerous, sickening spectacle SPORT.
But he's just one of hundreds pushing youngsters barely of school age into the frightening new craze for Thai boxing now sweeping the country.
Weeping Miah Flanagan was terrified of climbing through the ropes at the Gladiators club on Merseyside because she knew what was in store—it was her FOURTH public bout.
But dad Darren, who doubles as her aggressive coach, dismissed the sobs and yelled in her face: "Come on baby, just enjoy yourself! Come on!"
After a few minutes more crying he sternly barked: "Stop this NOW!"
Brawl
And tiny Miah, with no headgear to protect her delicate little skull, grimly clambered into the ring with tears still streaming down her cheeks on to her bright red boxing gloves.
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| AGONY: Thai, 10, belts Connor, 9, in cage |
Within seconds she was locked in intense combat fists and feet flying like a terrifying street brawl.
Her opponent? A girl AGED SIX.
Darren, pouring with sweat, screamed: "Come on Princess, go forward! Kick 'em! Kick 'em Princess!"
But distraught Miah didn't kick quite hard enough and lost the fight.
Her disappointed dad admitted: "You're annoyed when your children lose. I'm not going to say it didn't bother me because it did.
"But I had a talk to Miah and told her, 'We don't have to do it any more. We could do something else like ballet dancing if you want.' She said she wanted to stick with it."
But how can a five-year-old possibly weigh up the risks of a sport that has NO official minimum age, NO universal rules and regulations among Britain's 500 clubs and NO requirement for protective headgear despite regular blows to the skull?
In the strictly-governed world of conventional boxing youngsters must be at least 11 to compete. But last night Thai fight fan Darren, 38, from Wigan, admitted he's been training Miah and her twin brother Kian to kick and punch since they were TODDLERS.
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| DANGER: Tough head blow rocks Kian |
He told the News of the World: "They couldn't join the local fight club —Horwich Kickboxing Studio—till they were four so I taught them in my home gym. They had natural talent
"I train seven nights a week, mate. And when I'm doing my training I take them with me. The kids go on the punchbag and I go on the weights."
The twins' coaching borders on obsession. Darren admitted he fattens Miah up on pasta if she's up against heavier opponent and added: "I video every competition fight and watch it again and again. I'll show Miah and Kian where they've gone wrong and then we work to correct it."
And he raged at any suggestion the kids should wear head protection to save their delicate and still developing brains. "Miah doesn't NEED headgear!" he fumed. "They're not meant to have head contact. If they go too hard they're told to stop. And they're not allowed to headbutt."
He conceded: "Every time Miah goes in that ring there's a worry she'll start crying." Astonishingly, he added: "Sometimes that's the little push and injection she needs to get her motivated."
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| DAD'S AN ORDER! Weepy Miah is told to get in the ring |
Even mum Lisa joins in the coaxing. She coatss Miah with glittery make-up and hairspray before a fight, like a child beauty queen, and warns her: "You're not to cry, are you, otherwise what happens and what comes off? Your sparkle."
The scandal of this dangerous craze sweeping the country is highlighted in a shock Channel 4 documentary Strictly Baby Fight Club.
Bizarre
But it was almost inevitable that Thai Barlow AGED TEN would become a fighter—his Leicestershire parents even NAMED him after the so-called sport. And on March 28 he took part in his first CAGE BRAWL a bizarre punch-up inside a 23ft metal cage in front of 1,000 £35-a-head punters at Bracknell Leisure Centre, Berkshire.
Adverts promoted it as "full contact fighting".
And as the fight started a string of potentially dangerous head punches were thrown between Thai—again wearing no head protection—and nine-year-old east London opponent Connor Butler.
Both sets of parents screamed their lads on.
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| SCREAMING MATCH: Ringside mum Lisa urges Miah on |
But in the end Thai got beaten for only the third time in 59 fights—and his victories chillingly include TWO KNOCKOUTS.
Dad Mark and mum Maxine were angry and admitted their lives are dedicated to bringing their boy son to a physical peak. Mark said: "Our dream is for him to win a stadium title. I don't know what HIS dream is—probably to play with his soldiers.
"But everything we do revolves around Thai boxing."
Mum Maxine was a once successful fighter herself and giggled: "I like bashing people's faces up first. There was a girl once and I actually enjoyed splattering her nose all over."
With parents like these, what chance do the poor kids have?
It's for her own good!
THE dad who pushed his little daughter into the ring despite her tears last night insisted it was for her OWN GOOD.
Darren Flanagan amazingly claimed all the training he's giving five-year-old Miah now would prevent her becoming a teenage rape victim.
"In this day and age it's mandatory," he said. "If someone grabs Miah when she's 15 what do you think is going to happen? She knows all the defence moves. What if I'd never taught my kids Thai boxing from a young age, how guilty would I feel?"
Respect
Miah's mum, nail technician Lisa, admitted she finds it hard to see her daughter sobbing before a fight but told us: "It does upset you a little bit but if she didn't want to do it she wouldn't get in the ring.
"And it's about learning respect and discipline. It also keeps them fit. They're having a laugh, it's fun."
Lisa said fighting had brought them all closer together. "If the children finish fighting early you can go to the park afterwards then out to tea," she said. "It's a full day out as a family."
