BBC Homepage
  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
  • Your account
  • Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • More menu
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
  • Home
  • InDepth
  • Israel-Gaza war
  • War in Ukraine
  • Climate
  • UK
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Culture
More
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Family & Education
  • In Pictures
  • Newsbeat
  • BBC Verify
  • Disability
  • BBC Trending

Enbo, the orphan 'Fight Club,' divides China online

  • Published
    24 July 2017
Share page
About sharing
Child training with boxing bag at Enbo Fight ClubImage source, Pear Video
Kerry Allen & Patrick Evans
BBC News

A video about a fighting club for children in southwest Sichuan province in China has ignited discussion on the nation's online message boards.

The short documentary from Pear Video, a popular video site in China, external, introduces the Enbo Fight Club in the city of Chengdu, which trains more than 400 young fighters - many of whom are orphans - in mixed martial arts (MMA).

The video shows two 12-year-old boys fighting each other in a caged arena surrounded by a crowd. Later in the video, their coach says the club manages the children's money from the fights.

In an interview, the founder of the club says he is sent orphaned and 'left-behind' children by the Civil Affairs Bureau. Children who do not meet the club's high standards are sent back to the care of the state.

Club supervisor Zhu Guanghui confirmed the police were investigating and said the club was cooperating with the authorities, the Beijing Youth Daily reported, external on Monday.

There are an estimated 61 million 'left-behind' children in China: children from rural areas whose parents have moved cities to work.

Exploitation or opportunity?

The video focuses on two 14-year-old boys, Little Long and Little Wu. Little Long says his father has died and that his mother had "gone". Little Wu was brought to the club by his grandma; both his parents are dead.

"My idol is Conor McGregor, from UFC," says Little Wu.

Child undoing boxing glove, still from the video documentaryImage source, Pear Video
Image caption,

Posts including the #MMAFightClubForOrphans# hashtag have been read over 19 million times

"Here you have everything," he says of the MMA club. "Food, accommodation and clothes... If I went home, I would probably be doing some labour work, and then working a part-time job."

The video has more than 12 million views on China's popular video-hosting service Miaopai, external and thousands have commented on the story via the Sina Weibo, external microblog, where there is lively debate over what the club is doing.

"Learning to fight from a young age offers a way out for the future, I don't think there's anything majorly wrong," says one comment, external which has been liked more than 2,000 times.

You might like:

  • TV host's race jokes spark Brazil-Korea online war

  • The communist soldier using charity sites to fund his war

  • Crocodile returns body after 'mystic ritual'

Others agree: "Otherwise where would they go? Would they become beggars?" one says.

"They can rely on this to make a living, and eventually become professional athletes." another user adds.

But some people are not convinced that the MMA club has the children's best interest at heart.

"I've never had a good feeling about this; my feeling is it's a form of abuse," one user posted, external says.

"They should be at school, and yet have entered into the profit-driven world. What's being implanted into them is that the rules of survival means that the winner takes all. This is deplorable; where are the authorities in all this?" another person asks.

By UGC and Social News team. Additonal reporting by BBC Monitoring.

More on this story

  • Counting the cost of China’s left-behind children

    • Published
      12 April 2016
    In Sixian's primary school up to 80% of the pupils are live without their mums or dads.
  • The 20-second fight that left China reeling

    • Published
      11 May 2017
    Xu Xiaodong (right) and Wei Lei (Left)
  • The abuse of China's 'left-behind' children

    • Published
      12 August 2013
    File photo: 'Left-behind' school children in Chongqing, China, 26 May 2006

Top stories

  • Live. 

    Israel's security cabinet approves plan to take control of Gaza City

    • 11200 viewing11k viewing
  • Netanyahu divides Israelis and allies with plan for new military push in Gaza

    • Published
      9 hours ago
  • Courts service 'covered up' IT bug that caused evidence to go missing

    • Published
      2 hours ago

More to explore

  • Big Mags: The paedophile-hunting granny who built a heroin empire

    Mags Haney outside her home in the Raploch talking to two police officers. The photo from the mid 1990s shows Haney with short bleached blond hair and big earrings. She is wearing a pink cardigan and and orange t-shirt. A number of locals are standing around watching the scene
  • 'Minister for hypocrisy' and 'Pill for weight loss on NHS'

    The Daily Mail has the headline "Minister for hypocrisy is forced to quit", and the Daily Express says "Pill for weight loss on NHS".
  • Weekly quiz: Which baby names took top spot?

    A baby sucks its fingers as it lies on a pink blanket. It is wrapped in a pale, floral towel, as if it has just had a bath.
  • Faisal Islam: Why has the Bank of England cut rates?

    Andrew Bailey, Bank of England governor, looks straight at the camera. he's wearing glasses and a dark suit.
  • Why Trump-Putin talks unlikely to bring rapid end to Ukraine war

    A composite image of Donald Trump on the left and Vladimir Putin on the right. Both men are wearing suits.
  • The secret system Hamas uses to pay government salaries

    Armed members of Hamas stand in camouflage uniforms in front of a white car. Their faces are covered by balaclavas.
  • My 30-year-old world record 'not a good sign for athletics' - Edwards

    • Attribution
      Sport
    Jonathan Edwards celebrates after setting the triple jump world record in 1995
  • On Ukraine's front line, twisted wreckage shows sanctions haven't yet stopped Russia

    Dymtro Chubenko stands in front of a pile of Russian missile and drone parts
  • Summer Essential: Your family’s guide to the summer, delivered to your inbox every Tuesday

    concentric circles ranging from orange to yellow to represent the sun, with a blue sky background
loading elsewhere stories

Most read

  1. 1

    Court hears mushroom murderer's alleged attempts to kill husband

  2. 2

    Britons booking 'later, closer, shorter' UK breaks

  3. 3

    'Minister for hypocrisy' and 'Pill for weight loss on NHS'

  4. 4

    Is Perrier as pure as it claims? The bottled water scandal gripping France

  5. 5

    A walk-in fishermen's clinic saved me from sepsis - and could transform the NHS

  6. 6

    Waterstones apologises after readers brand event 'utter chaos'

  7. 7

    Homelessness Minister Rushanara Ali quits over rent hike claims

  8. 8

    Mandalorian actress settles lawsuit with Disney over firing

  9. 9

    Big Mags: The paedophile-hunting granny who built a heroin empire

  10. 10

    Courts service 'covered up' IT bug that caused evidence to go missing

BBC News Services

  • On your mobile
  • On smart speakers
  • Get news alerts
  • Contact BBC News

Destination X

  • Your latest reality TV obsession has landed on iPlayer

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Destination X
  • Rob Brydon welcomes you to Destination X

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Destination X
  • Get on board and play along at home

    • Attribution
      Game
    Destination X Game
  • Where the X are they off to next?

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Destination X
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.