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An awesome muay thai article my teacher gave me a while back. He told me that there are very few children that will actually progress onto the higher levels of competition in muay thai. Reason being is by the time they are in their mid teens most of them have had over 50+ fights and their bodies have been broken from injury.
http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/00000006DA2D.htm
Kyo kushin will have this effect on people too.
I remember doing 4 classes a week for a year and a half and i was 15, i was very lucky ot to get injured.
Great article
What struck me most about this article was the fact that it's a way of life for these kids. Fighting was a means of providing income, and education due to Thailand's economic state.
"But what alternative do they have? A life of poverty, working in paddy fields for 12 hours a day for a pathetic wage? At least as fighters they have a decent source of income, can support their families, and have the possibility of one day fighting for big money in Bangkok."
In Thailand most muay thai school will not even train you if you dont fight and just wanna learn the art for defense of fitness.
Saw two 8 year olds fighting last year, one was carried out unconscious after a nice elbow strike to the head.
No money for him .... they make their money being paid for photos with tourists. 20 bhat a time