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audio, stills, text and or video: Go to zReportage.com to see more - In Thailand, children as young as five earn cash by taking part in a version of boxing which uses elbows, knees and feet, as well as fists. The basic objective is to knock out your opponent. It is fight night in Chang Mai, and spectators have come for the ''Superkids Championship''. Petchfogus ''Focus'' Sitthaharnaek, 9, is the top fighter for his age and weight. He has begun fighting older, heavier opponents to continue to improve his skills. Fighters are typically paid 1000 baht ($30) per fight. This style of fighting, known as 'muay thai' has been practiced as an art form and fighting technique in Thailand since the 12th century. Child boxing has brought Thailand disapproval from medical experts and human rights activists, who see it as dangerous and want it banned. For many people in northern Thailand, child boxing is a way of life. It provides income to families that would otherwise have to rely on their rice paddies and farming. In a place where drugs and gangs are rampant, boxing provides a way out of poverty for some children with few options.
© Taylor Weidman/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com
Jan 24, 2014 - Chiang Mai, Thailand - PETCHFOGUS SITTHAHARNAEK, 9, aka Focus is the top fighter for his age and weighti. A sash is wrapped around Focus' waist before his fight at the Thapae Muay Thai Stadium.
© Taylor Weidman/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com
Jan 24, 2014 - Chiang Mai, Thailand - PETCHFOGUS SITTHAHARNAEK, 9, aka Focus prepares mentally before his fight at the Thapae Muay Thai Stadium. He has begun fighting older, heavier opponents to continue to improve his skills.
© Taylor Weidman/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com
Jan 24, 2014 - Chiang Mai, Thailand - A Mong Kon (ceremonial Muay Thai headwear) is placed on the head of PETCHFOGUS SITTHAHARNAEK, 9, aka Focus before his fight at the Thapae Muay Thai Stadium. He has begun fighting older, heavier opponents to continue to improve his skills. Fighters are typically paid 1000 baht (30 dollars) per fight.
© Taylor Weidman/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com
Jan 24, 2014 - Chiang Mai, Thailand - PETCHFOGUS SITTHAHARNAEK, 9, aka Focus is knocked down by his opponent in the final round of their fight at the Thapae Muay Thai Stadium.
© Taylor Weidman/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com
Jan 24, 2014 - Chiang Mai, Thailand - PETCHFOGUS SITTHAHARNAEK, 9, aka Focus winces in pain from the massage he receives before his fight at the Thapae Muay Thai Stadium.
© Taylor Weidman/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com
Jan 24, 2014 - Chiang Mai, Thailand - PETCHFOGUS SITTHAHARNAEK, 9, aka Focus and his father train at his father's Muay Thai gym.
© Taylor Weidman/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com
Jan 24, 2014 - Chiang Mai, Thailand - PETCHFOGUS SITTHAHARNAEK, 9, aka Focus trains at his father's Muay Thai gym.
© Taylor Weidman/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com
Jan 24, 2014 - Chiang Mai, Thailand - PETCHFOGUS SITTHAHARNAEK, 9, aka Focus has his father wrap his hands before his fight at the Thapae Muay Thai Stadium.
© Taylor Weidman/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com
Jan 24, 2014 - Chiang Mai, Thailand - PETCHFOGUS SITTHAHARNAEK, 9, aka Focus poses for a picture before his fight at the Thapae Muay Thai Stadium.
© Taylor Weidman/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com

Taylor Weidman

TAYLOR WEIDMAN is a freelance photojournalist based in Southeast Asia. He graduated with a Master's in Photojournalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. After working at The Christian Science Monitor, Taylor left the States and has covered news stories for a variety of clients from three continents. His personal work concentrates on the intersection between development and indigenous cultures. Taylor's award-winning work has been published by Geo France, NPR, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, and many other outlets. He has published three photography books, and co-founded the Vanishing Cultures Project, an initiative which partners with indigenous groups worldwide to safeguard cultural values and practices.:553


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