Coming of Age

This may sound like a familiar theme, but here goes. While I was sitting with my Instructor and a few friends from Tae Kwon Do having a few drinks, I heard something that shocked me. I was discussing with my Instructor about a mutual student we have who is 13 years old and his younger brother who is a student of Carrie's. I had asked said student why he had not been at Tae Kwon Do, and he replied that he would not be there for a couple months, but did not give a straight answer. So when my Instructor brought that subject up over a beer, I was interested to hear.
He tells me that he and his brother went to become men. They, uh, had some surgery; you know, "snip, snip." Awwhh, "are you serious!?" As a person who comes from a culture without any particular "right of passage" maybe I shouldn't have an opinion, but man that's gotta smart! (Not to mention that, hormonically speaking, it's gotta be the worst time for that sort of thing to happen.)

Stumped,

Joe