Is backyard MMA illegal?

Question

Me and my friends have had a backyard MMA league for about a year now. We've recorded all the fights and until recently, we haven't gotten in trouble.

A few days ago some kid who had been in one of the fights (and lost, badly) showed his mom a video and she went all crazy he says she is going to sue me for everything I own... I didn't think it was bad since he agreed to fight... but anyway here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPE9HiulAQc

Will having the fights on video help me in case she tried to sue based on asault?

Answer 1

i saw the youtube video and it seems to be some big kid with blonde hair kicking the s hit out of every one. you seriously need to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to do real mma and i saw someone trying to do a rear naked choke and he was doing it all wrong. all the moves you're doing here look like they're being copied from videos of ufc and wrestling

what you're doing is respectable but you didn't need to add that ******* traumatizing music in the video.

one more thing: buy a 2 pairs of real mma gloves so you can grab more rather than punch the **** out of eachother

and that big blonde kid should enter real competitions and see what it's like to get a beating

Answer 2

If it is not a sanctioned match and is conducted as a real fight (as opposed to hard sparring), it is probably not legal.  A lawyer will most likely be able to beat the lawsuit in court, but it will cost money.  The only real option is to talk to the mother, express sincere regret while not admitting to a true fight.  It probably would not hurt to consult a lawyer first if the mother is really serious about filing suit.

Answer 3

why are you wearing boxing gloves if it is mma?  why dont you  have any full fights filmed like you said you did?  judging by what i saw you are hardly hitting each other, so i dont see how any one got that injured.  

Answer 4

How did he even get hurt? None of you can fight worth a c**p. I have seen white belts fight better than all of you. You're probably in some deep **** now. Good luck you idiot.

Answer 5

ok im gonna be 100percent honest with ya here, im not a lawyer, there i said it, now that thats outa the way lemme try and help ya here. if the kid agreed to the fight then its not assault, that much i know for a fact, because assault would mean that there was an aggressor and there was a vitctim, if both parties were willing participants then they neither can be considered a victim, really the only way she could press an assault charge is if the kid gave up an u kept beatin his ***. also if u have the video of that fight then keep on to it just in case that way u can prove that u didnt force him into it, that he agreed to the fight on his own free will, also, if ur under 18 then the ***** cant sue u but can sue ur parents, itd be diff if u like jumped him or murdered him or sumtin but since its just a legal suit that **** falls on to ur paretns because there ur guardians because under 18 cant make legal decisions, also i really wouldnt wrry about it cuz kids post fights on youtube all the ****** time, if it was a big deal thered be alot more kids in jail and ud hear bout it on the news, by they way im impressed with u and ur friends fighting abilitites, im a martial artis myself so usually when i watch a backyard fight to me it jus looks like a bunch of retards flailiing there arms, some of ur guyses fights on the other hand looked nice and clean, like u guys have had some training

Answer 6

This is nothing more than brawling, the kids in that video have no idea what they're doing and that is not only pathetic but it's dangerous.

My friend and I practice BJJ at a gym and will often train out of class to help hone our skills but what you're doing is something completely different. It's not even MMA, there's no ground fighting. Just a few kids trying to look cool and beat the h**l out of each other. Well I can tell you now that ANY MMA fan or fighter would not find that cool. Not at all.

As for the court case, well I doubt it would stand up as assault in a court-room but it will make you look stupid and cost you money. My suggestion is speaking to the mother and apologising, offering to help out around their house and to simply stop this madness.  

Answer 7

Wow. You guys suck badly. I agree, how did he even get hurt badly, you guys suck a.ss. Watching UFC doesn't make you tough. And fighting with gloves on, does not make it legal, idiot. And stop watching Never Back Down, that movie sucked as.s if you were really an MMA fan or fighter.

Answer 8

It's called Insurance.  Will your home insurance cover an injury?  It looks like a bunch of teenagers fooling around.  Dojo and sporting cebters have special insurance and saftey equipment.  Did he get hurt?  If he did you could be in trouble.  Parents freak about everthing.  If she call the police and he wasn't hurt; you may get a visit with a tongue lashing.

Answer 9

it doesn't look like you have 'backyard mma fights,' it looks like you have 'get somebody that's never been in a fight before and let me beat him up so i look cool.'

i don't know if you'll get in trouble or not, but in the future it would be prudent to print out waivers for participants to sign

Answer 10

You guys are complete dumb asses and I hope you do get sued.

1. You can't consent to this type of fight under the age of 18.

2. If your over 18 you'd still need a waiver saying they understand the risks, which is a. signed by them and b. signed by a witness

3. This type of backyard bullshit is what gets MMA bad press and banned.

Find a gym that trains this stuff to prevent permament injury to yourselves or each other, the throws your doing and moves etc could kill your opponent, due to broken necks or concussion.

I hope your all made examples of.

If hes got gloves on etc and it shows he wanted to fight it would limit your liability but you'd still get owned in court for running the comps.

Answer 11

She should sue your dumb ***! do you know how hard your hitting those kids! you seem like your ******* old, h**l, if what your youtube is saying is true, then you will be in jail in no time. If I lived in ******* ohio I would ******* go and beat the c**p out of you. its people like you who watch UFC and start "Fight Clubs" who give alot of legit martial artist a bad name. you should stop picking on little kids and fight real grown ups mother ******! I hope you do get sued to h**l and loose everything you got! I bet you still live with your parents, and if they approve this, then they should go to jail too.

and you call that brutal fighting? if you ever come to california ill show you what brutal fighting is you dumb *** mother ******!

go and ****** ****** ****** ****** *** ****** *** ***** and your dumb *** can **** *** ****** ***** in a real fight!