An Australian father is being criticized for putting his 8-year-old daughter in a kickboxing ring with another girl and charging admission for spectators to watch them fight. While plenty of girls and boys take martial arts with their parents' blessing, the spectacle of two girls in the ring before a paying audience has outraged Australians.
Much of the surprise in this story seems to come from the fact that girls are fighting. Would people be so shocked if boys were in the ring? As many parents can attest, martial arts -- done properly -- can be great for kids' confidence and discipline, not to mention their physical fitness. If your boys or girls have done kickboxing, karate or any other kind of martial arts, what was the experience like for your family?