Thai kickboxing, also known as Muay Thai, was developed from military unarmed combat.

It features not just punching but also using elbows, knees and feet to strike an opponent.

It is part of Thai culture - and the country's prowess at this type of fighting is a matter of national pride. Thai boxers have won gold and silver medals at the Olympic Games.

Many boxers start at a young age, hoping success will lift their families out of poverty.

Young boys from the farms of northeastern Thailand have no access to sports like golf, tennis, swimming or shooting. But almost every village has a boxing ring.

Children, like adults, do not normally wear helmets or protective clothing.

However, the tragic death of a 13-year-old fighter has thrown a spotlight on the dangers.

Anucha Tasako was already his family's breadwinner with money he earned from Thai boxing.

He'd been fighting since the age of eight and had won thousands of U.S. dollars in child contests in the Muay Thai ring.

But after a knockout at a bout in Bangkok, Anucha developed a brain hemorrhage and died.

His death has shocked Thailand, where children start boxing as young as five or six.

Child boxers typically earn between 10 and 30 U.S. dollars for a fight. But Anucha commanded much higher fees because he was seen as a potential future champion.

Lawmakers are now considering a ban on children under 12 entering the ring, and changes to the rules of the sport.

"There is no age limit for boxing in Thailand. In fact, the boxing law contradicts the child protection law, which says children should be safeguarded. The boxing law needs to be amended," said Dr. Adisak Plitponkarnpim, secretary of the Thai Child Protection Alliance.

A five-year study by doctors at Ramathibodi Hospital, which is attached to Bangkok's Mahidol University, found that children who box suffer head and brain injuries that slow their mental development.

They have lower IQ scores than non-boxers the same age and are more prone to develop diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's as adults.

But children at the Jitmuangnon Boxing Camp in Bangkok said they saw the sport as a path to glory.

Ten-year-old Chaichana Saengngern, who trains every day after school, said: "My family is poor; I want to help them."

Even younger, 8-year-old Natthawut Yoogrood added: "I want to earn money for my family."

And Jiratitwat Chaloempong, who is 14, said: "At my age there is no other way I can earn money."

The camp's manager, Suthep Saengngern, who is Chaichana's grandfather, said most of the boys he trained were poor and came from Thailand's rural plains, where only low-paid manual work is available.

He said boxing kept them out of trouble and away from gambling and drugs. Starting young, he added, was vital for the sport.

"These children are like young plants that will grow to continue the life of Muay Thai. If we can only start training people at 15, it doesn't give them time to develop," he said.

Talking about the death of Anucha Tasako, he said: "I think it was an accident and it doesn't happen often. I have been involved in Muay Thai for 40 years and as far as I remember, this is the only case I have heard of when a child died from injuries in the ring."

The World Muay Thai Council says boxers must be 15 to take part in professional bouts. But many children fight for so-called "rewards" rather than prize-money to get around the rule.

Dr. Adisak Plitponkarnpim, from the Child Protection Alliance, said in addition to a complete ban on under-12s, he believed children aged 12 to 15 should only be allowed to land light punches and knockouts should not be allowed in their fights.

"The compulsory wearing of head guards, the length of each round, the amount of time they must rest after a fight – all of these things should be included in a new law for those under 15," he said.

(Top image: Thai boxers aged eight and 10 train together. /CGTN Photo)