Combatarts

Stroke

2012-01-27T08:57:00.002Z

Stroke has a new indicator They say if you e-mail this to ten people, you stand a chance of saving one life. Will you send this along? Blood Clots/Stroke- They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, the Tongue.

I will continue to forward this every time it comes around!
STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters..... S.. T. R.
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) ...she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.
They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 PMJane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
It only takes a minute to read this.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR. Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A

SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(I.e. It is sunny out today.)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke --------

Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.
A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

I have done my part. Will you?

Warriors Club Champs

2012-01-24T15:55:00.002Z

On Sat 21st of Jan the Warriors Grappling Academy held there club champs which was held at Swale martial Arts Club East Street Sittingbourne. Participation in Adult grappling is on the increase at the Warriors with Judo/Sombo on a Tuesday and MMA on a Wednesday having nearly maximum numbers on the mat we may have to extend to another night. The competition was divided into 3 different disciplines Judo, Sambo and MMA with some very experience international players taking part it was going to be a hard fought tournament. MMA was a new section as this was only started in January 2011 and has been a great success with Paul Clarke competiting who is an experience Cage fighter.
In the Judo comp everyone was hoping not to get the young Jedi 18 year old Jamie Marzetti and unlucky for Danny Carrott and Paul Clarke they did and the out come for them was a loss and the first time Jamie had beaten his team mate Danny. In the other pool Ashley Costa over come Andy smith and Reece Enfold from Folkestone to meet the young Jedi in the finals. It was a very close fight and both fighter going for it with lots of attacks and plenty of twist and turns but the old man of judo came through and put the young Jedi well in his place with an Ippon, good result for the 31 year old

Results
1st Ashley Costa
2nd Jamie Marzetti
3rd Danny Carrott
3rd Andy Smith

There was only 2 women entered and they fought it out to see who was best and after Debbie Jackson had come back to full training she looked very sharp and was just to good for Kerry Penfold from Folkestone.

Results
1st Debbie Jackson
2nd Kerry Penfold.

Sombo was a turn around for Danny Carrott, Danny although only in his 20’s is a veteran player of several World Championships, clinically disposing of all his opponents

Results

1st Danny Carrott

2nd Paul Clarke

3rd Ashley Costa

3rd Andy Smith

MMA this as was mentioned a new section and the experience cage fighter Paul Clarke was the favourite but Jamie an experienced Sombo player caught him with a leg lock something Sombo players are famous for

Results

1st Jamie Marzetti

2nd Paul Clarke

3rd Andy Smith

3rd Keith Costa

Its was a very good comp and I was very please to see everyone compete, interesting to note that the same people appeared in the medal tally, this proves you can train in several grappling styles and I would like to thank Vicky, Colin and Keith for there help.

Those interested in Judo/Sombo Training is Tuesday 8pm, MMA and Combat Wrestling is Wednesday at 7pm and Keith Costa has started a beginners course in Judo/Sombo on a Friday night at 7.30pm all at the Swale Martial Arts Club East Street Sittingbourne

More information ibfbcsa@gmail.com 07074 200150 www.sittingbourne.org
John Clarke

Boots and Shorts

2012-01-23T20:18:00.000Z

Canvas Sambo Boots £10

Waariors MMA Shorts

Keith has Judo

2012-01-18T12:50:00.000Z

Keith has an Adult beginners Judo class at SMAC every Friday night 7.30pm

It seems my bulk email is being blocked lets hope you get this

Rather then me send out Bulk email can I suggest you visit My group facebook one is Sambo Combat and the other is Grapplinguk or visit my http://combatarts.blogspot.com/ on a regular basis. I do not enter into discussion just advertise what I and my organisations are doing

Martin Clarke

Martin Clarke Judo Sambo Man

2012-01-11T09:31:00.002Z

Unusual Demo's

2012-01-02T20:40:00.001Z

Ready for 2012

2012-01-01T10:35:00.002Z

Welcome to 2012 hopefully it will be better then 2011. If you would like to go to http://www.grapplinguk.co.uk/forthcoming_events.htm

And

http://www.grapplinguk.co.uk/Jiu%20Jitsu%202012.htm

You will see we have a lot on. My main interest is promoting the English Sombo and Full Contact Sombo http://www.britishsombo.co.uk/cap.htm the closing date for this event is February 16^th which is set in stone, no excuses for not registering on time. You must belong to one of the following British Sombo Federation Associations English Sombo Federation, Scottish Sombo Federation, N Ireland Sombo Federation, Red Star Sambo, Russian All Round Fighting (Sambo section) British CombatSombo Association, and Grappling UK. Of course you must present yourself in correct attire. This competition will help us pick teams for the Europeans and Worlds. 47 days to get your entry in.

Will remind you again in 10 days

NEED ALL YOUR SUPPORTS FOR THIS EVENT

2011-12-12T20:24:00.000Z

FIAS President visits GB

2011-12-07T15:46:00.000Z

On Tuesday evening December 6th BSF President Martin Clarke and BSF Vice President Colin Carrott, travelled to the Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane London to have a meeting with FIAS President Vasily Shestakov also present was FIAS Vice President Andrey Kliamko, Alexander Kutznetsov and Andrew Moshanov. The President was in town for other business but wanted an appraisal of British Sombo and how FIAS can help.

FIAS has appointed Andrew Moshanov as the FIAS Liaison Officer for Great Britain, British Sombo Federation must have created a good example for FIAS to take such big interest in us. Some of you may not know Andrew Moshanov, he in fact a world renowned Judo Coach and until recently was the Technical Advisor for the British Judo Association and according to my sources made a big impact on the BJA. Yet what is important to us is that Andrew was a successful Sombo Player and produced a couple of World Ladies Champions, he is very well connected in the Sombo World. He will undoubtedly be a great attribute to the BSF.

The meeting covered many aspects the introduction of Sambo.TV on the internet was seen as a massive plus, FIAS are now paying World Champions Men, Women and Combat Sambo an annual fee for being placed in the World Championships Gold will get 1000$ a month Silver 750$ a month and Bronze 500$ a definite incentive. Discussion also revolved around GB holding a European Championship, Martin said that he had organise one in 1989 in Herne Bay which was a financial disaster. The President said that FIAS would help with the financial aspect which is good but the BSF needs to find a suitable venue and most importantly Volunteers which are prepared to help. FIAS are very excited about the World University and Student Championships being held near Moscow in 2013, Martin promised to promote this by contacting the various Sporting Bodies connected Students. FIAS also want to get the BSF recognised by the British Olympic Association Martin explained that the BOA will only accept organisations that recognised by UKSport and are an Olympic Sport. The BSF is recognised by UKSport but until Sombo is recognised as an Olympic sport they can go no further.

The President asked how the BSF saw the future Martin answered

1) Massive adverting campaign in the Martial Arts Media, sadly to say Martial Arts Magazine very rarely print reports unless in advertisement goes in at the same time

2) Coaches to go the length and breadth of the British Isles coaching and introducing Sombo to other styles of Combat. This we have already started with John Clarke and Colin Carrott. If we could get funding the Coaches could get paid and the Courses would be free

3) A couple of months after coaching a club we could return and run a small competition in there club premises. These would be a feed for bigger tournaments

4) BSF are encouraging its members clubs to run more of these smaller events as the Financial situation in GB is hitting people badly

5) Martin has personally purchased £10,000 worth of Sombo Jackets and Boots to keep the sport going as it has always been difficult getting equipment

Mr Shestakov said that FIAS may help with some Junior Jackets; he also said he may be able to help with Wrestling Mats and getting top quality Coaches to come to GB. Martin thanked him for this and said the jackets would be well received but sending a Coach would only be useful for the more experienced Somboist, they would be wasted on beginners.

The meeting finished with Andrew Moshanov agreeing to organise a business plan and FIAS would keep in regular touch with the BSF. FIAS President thanked Martin and Colin attending and congratulated them on their 25^th year

A Sambo Award letter from Steve Sweetlove MBE

2011-12-03T19:21:00.000Z

Dear Martin,

I could not let go the passing of twenty five years of the British Sambo Federation (BSF) go without writing to you. It is a great shame that there was no celebration of this achievement. I know you tried your very best to have a twenty five year celebration competition but due of a lack of entries it had to be cancelled. I also tried to organise a celebration dinner but it was impossible to make it financially viable.

As you know I was one of the first to join the newly formed BSF in 1986 and my Bedford Club has produced many National Champions over the years, Mark Wainwright, Tracy Farmer, Emily Gittens, Zane Lightfoot, Chris Kefford, Chris Golder and John Nichols, to name just a few. I also introduced Mick Player, Matthew Clempner and Paul Sawyer to the BSF and I in the past I run many tournaments on behalf of the BSF. I think I have given my fair share to the promotion of Sambo.

I find it really sad that the interest in Sambo in Great Britain is not what it once was, like the days when the team included Olympians, Commonwealth champions and when sportsmen/women gained medals at European and World level. I well remember how well you fought at the World Championships in Pau, France and was so proud of the way you won the Silver medal, it is one memory that will always stick in my mind.....fantastic performance!

I admire you for introducing Sambo to Great Britain and for keeping the BSF going for so long. I was pleased to see your email concerning the new found interest and help you are going to receive from FIAS, I hope it is the start of a revival for the BSF.

To celebrate the first twenty five years of the BSF, I would like to present a trophy that should be presented on a Bi Annual basis to the 'Unsung Hero'. The award should be given to the sportsperson who has made a substantive, yet unrecognised contribution to sport. Sportspeople are nominated by members of the BSF, and must be aged 16 years or over Nominees may not put themselves forward or be nominated by a member of their immediate family. A nominee must actively help others participate in a sport at any level on a voluntary basis. The work they do must not be part of their job or take part within their place of work. Previous winners of the award will be ineligible for nomination for the period of five years after first receiving it. The award can go to players, coaches, organisers and tournament directors etc, in fact anyone involved in Sambo.

If you agree, this year the award should go to you for the tireless work you have given over the past twenty five years, however you may wish to decline and open up the nominations for this year.

Perhaps the award can be presented at the next tournament and then annually either at the AGM or National championships. To make the decision impartial the committee for deciding who should get the award will consist of you, Mick Poole and I.

Regards

Stephen Sweetlove MBE

Dear Steve

Great idea and it is the first time since I started the BSF that anyone has recognised my contribution obviously I can not say whether I should receive the award. The fact you and Mick think I should be rewarded is a Thank you in its own right.

Martin

Jamie Marzetti

2011-12-03T11:26:00.000Z

Jamie Marzetti recently took part in British Judo Association Help the Heroes’ judo comp in Gillingham. in the u82kg section Jamie had 3 fight from which he won the first 2 with no problems at all winning both with Ippon and in the finals it seemed that it was impossible to get another Ippon and won the finals with 5 yukos.
Coach John said i am really impressed with Jamie at the moment he is training really well and hard and is ready to go for his 2nd Dan next year and if he keeps this up i don’t see him having any problem in gaining it.
Anyone interested in Judo/Sambo competitive training come along on a Tuesday at 8pm. In the New Year Keith Costa 3^rd Dan will be starting a Adult Beginners Judo Class on a Friday 7.30 pm at the Swale Martial Arts Club East Street Sittingbourne, Sambo Grandmaster Martin Clarke will be starting up the Advanced Sambo Clas on a Thursday 7.30pm at the same venue
Further information ibfbcsa@gmail.com 07074 200150 www.warriorsgrapplingacademy.co.uk www.youngjudoclub.co.uk

Warriors

2011-12-01T09:56:00.000Z

Sambo Promo

2011-11-30T16:02:00.000Z

Watch this or else

http://youtu.be/fiORvr7xR6s Sambo Promo

MMA watch and learn real Wrestling

2011-11-24T20:52:00.007Z

Greco Roman
FreeStyle
JapaneseCombat Wrestling
http://youtu.be/IJgiKN_tYNY

http://youtu.be/zhC8gyv2Ndo

http://youtu.be/ELoGATOlvC8

World Sambo Prelim report

2011-11-15T13:09:00.002Z

Over the past few days I have been at the World Sambo Championship in Vilnius Lithuania, absolutely brilliant FIAS has well over 80 Countries and I believe there was 60 countries actually competiting. The standard was amazing and you can watch on www.sambo.tv, GB took two players Danny Roberts and Barry Gibson both only had one fight as in the worlds you can only fight for bronze if you lose to a finalist, both them made a good account. The BSF would like to take more fighters but as we receive no grants or sponsorship it has become increasingly difficult financially. I went to watch and attend the FIAS Congress meeting and it cost me personally £800 for 4 days.

Yet there is some hope the Russians have said they will support us at the Europeans and pay for 3 Sambo and 3 Combat Sambo players accommodation at the Europeans in next years European Championships in Moscow and the BSF have agreed that I will select the Sambo players and Robin in conjunction with Alan Clarkin will select the Combat Sambo players, we are not restricted to three players and can take a full contingent. Must point this is Combat Sambo not my SportCombatSombo, Combat Sambo is full contact on the ground as well.

While at the meeting it was said that $3 million will be spent next year promoting Sambo and money was on offer. I said it was important for GB that we started to see more top World class Sambo players attending British competitions and this have agreed to do. They will be looking for a suitable date and we will get a venue near an airport such as Gatwick or Glasgow, with the letter being the more favourable as we get more support from the North then the South and also Robin make get grants and sponsorship something not happening in the South,

While at the World‘s Robin and Myself met up with Andrew Moshanov a former British Judo Association Technical Director who was a spectator and he has shown a great interest in reviving his interest in Sambo with his influence with the BJA we could see more players having a go.

I am very disappointed with the response to the 25th anniversary (England Open) to day is Tuesday 15th and the closing date is the 21st and we only have a handful of competitors WHY? There is no way the closing date will be extended as it has been advertised for months, this is the trails for anyone wishing to be considered for internationals next year representing England so get booked in.

You will notice I have used the word England well because of the cost of travel, people losing jobs and having wage cuts the BSF have said the economics demand we work from individual countries to help our members. The BSF will apply to FIAS and the European Sambo Federation for permission for them to send National Teams.

The World Combat Games (Combat Olympics organised by Sports Accord) will be held in St Petersburg 2013 and we will hope to send a full team but selection for this event will start January 2012 and competitors will be selected form what they do over a 15 month period

A full report will be put on the net when I get results and Photo’s

2011-10-30T20:07:00.002Z

http://youtu.be/rwADZSTWMbI

http://youtu.be/uAYowys_Z4Q

BJA accounts

2011-10-17T11:56:00.002+01:00

I have been in busy for many years and I still do not understand the minds of accountants. During the year I manage my own accounts in a simple excel programme i.e. Income and expenditure at the end of the year I add them up if the income is bigger then the expenditure then I make a profit. Not that simple I take them to my accountant and he will include so many other factors that my profit becomes a loss even though I have more money in the bank, some years it can be the other way round.

So why do I bring this to the attention of you Combat Practitioners well I have just had the British Judo Associations Financial statement sent me, well two actually as the BJA have a BJA LTD and a BJA Competition & Events Ltd, most is beyond me if I was a keen member I would get my accountant to explain it to me but it would be a waste of money.

What I wanted to know was how many members do they have? How much is spent on wages, how much is spent on the Olympic team (this can be seen clearly on the accounts it was £1567, 024) and how much was spent on legal fees trying to prosecute a top Coach and failing?

If you a BJA member and say what it to do with me well a big bulk of their money come from Government sources i.e. us the Tax payer . Maybe some one out there can explain things to me.

If we send 14 players to the Olympics each player would have cost us £111930.28p and we told we might not even get a medal while a few years ago rumours were of a possible 8 is this good value for money? Has this investment seen a massive improvement in membership? Should other people have got the chop?

When I was training for the 1980 Olympics I recollect we only had one Tony Ray on the admin side being paid a salary and on the Coaching side it was Dave Strarbrook and Tony McConnell, and the BJA most successful International period was the 1970’s and 80’s. Oh yes the Coaches were British makes you think

British judo chairman Densign White had to axe the Team GB elite coaching set-up in order to try and get an Olympic medal

BRITISH Judo chairman Densign White maintains he had to take a gamble in the quest to land an Olympic medal and axe the Team GB elite coaching set-up less than a year from the London Games.

A fifth-place finish for European bronze medalist Colin Oates was the highlight of an otherwise disappointing showing from the British squad at the recent World Championships in Paris, where the likes of leading contender Euan Burton, ranked in the top six for the half-middleweight division, failed to make the latter stages.

Last month the British Judo Association took the unusual step of changing their key personnel mid-cycle with the departures of performance director Margaret Hicks, head coach Patrick Roux and senior women’s coach Jane Bridge.

German Daniel Lascau, who was world champion in 1991 and competed at the Barcelona Games, today officially started his new role overseeing the BJA’s High Performance Programme.

White admits it was a tough decision to dispatch with the services of staff he had worked with for some time, but felt it necessary under the spotlight of delivering targets on the biggest stage of all next summer.

“I haven’t seen any improvement in our performance in the last two years that shows we could win more than one medal at London 2012,” White said.

“The World Championships target was one to three medals, so not to get any at all was very disappointing.

“I am not sure what we can do that is going to make a dramatic difference, but we have to try something.

“It is never pleasant to tell someone they no longer have a job, but the bigger risk for me is to come out of the London Games with no medals.

“If there is any chance I can change that, I have to take the risk.”

Team GB’s last Olympic medal was silver for Kate Howey in Sydney in 2000.

Letters From The Past

2011-10-11T10:31:00.000+01:00

When my Mother died in June 2004 we sold them her house to Pete Wise a 2^nd Dan in the YJC it seemed some what appropriate. Pete was recently clearing out the loft and found some old paper work.

The first piece which I have attached was a lesson plan from Nobby Clarke dated about 1963 although there is no date my father had not become a Professional Judo Coach at that time and it looks as though he scribbled a lesson plan on some works paper. The interesting point is that you could still use the lesson plan today but the most fascinating was that he used part of the lesson as a self defence session using throws as the basis of his techniques. I can not remember him doing this but in those days there was very little Jiu Jitsu about so it made sense that he utilised his knowledge of Judo to make in roads into Self Defence. My father was strange in a lot of ways he would bring new ideas into Judo once everybody was doing it he just forgot the idea, like self defence Judo another was Kata he was the first to introduce Kata into Kent, who would have believed that. He was very inventive in his outlook on Judo as was my mother she was doing Judo to music back in the 1960’s and laughed at. I learnt a lot from the two of them and when I found pieces of paper like this and look at what I teach and believe in I realise as youngster I must absorbed a lot of their knowledge.

Another piece was the programme on Terror Kampf dated 1968; this was a self defence system from Germany what I remember of it my mother gained her 1^st Dan in this art. What I remember, it h was just another form of Jiu Jitsu with one difference they would wear Black Gloves. Valerie remembered learning some of this art which she said was mainly using your hands to grab and twist ears, fingers, hair and other body parts to inflict pain. I have looked on You Tube it is still going but seems to have another name Anti Terror Kampf’.

The Young Judo club Philosophy when it started was:

This Yong Judo Club is open to all free from strife, animosity or petty jealousy and functions in the true spirit of Judo

Members are told to

To Brag Little to Lose Well

To Crow Gently if in Luck

To Pay Up To Own Up

To Shut Up If Beaten

Are the Virtues of a Sporting Man?

Author: Arthur Wendell Holmes

Also found was a letter from a school in Edenbridge asking for details of Felt from Bowater’s? Dry felt was used in the making of making paper and my father realised that this heavy Felt would make the ideal covering for his old feathered mattresses he had when he started the Young Judo Club in 1957 and when schools started doing judo they would use their old gym mats but these would slide all over the place but covering them with felt would keep then together. In those days the old Straw filled Tatami came from Japan and was expensive. I believe it was Milom who mad e the first reasonably priced Form Judo Mat with canvas and frame

Mother Margret Clarke started teaching Judo in Schools about 1961 Father Nobby started in 1965

British Sombo 25 years

2011-10-05T20:17:00.002+01:00

The British Sombo Federation was started 25 years ago at my club in Sittingbourne, The founder members were myself Martin Clarke, Valerie Clarke, Brenda Jones, Alan Kontozi and Dave Boulding

In that period we have run countless competitions in England and Scotland, we run the European Championships in 1989 and Worlds in 1992 at Herne Bay. The BSF is accepted as the Governing body for Sambo/Sombo by UKSport. It has taken teams to World Championships practically every year since its formation.

To celebrate our Birthday the BSF will be running 25th anniversary championships in conjunction with the English Open on December 4^th at the home of British Sambo/Sombo Sittingbourne.

When we started 25 years ago only a few had Sambo uniforms and when we organised the first comp we had to allow Judo Jackets that is no longer the case all Competition competitors are now expected to wear the proper equipment.

I hope as many as possible turn up for this event details are on the web

http://www.grapplinguk.co.uk/Silver%20Anniversary.htm

Bedford Judo

2011-10-02T19:25:00.003+01:00

Bedford Open Judo Championships

Saturday October 1^st 2011

IBF Black belt Russell Dodds recently started a new Judo club and to give this new club a boost he organised a Judo event in the Town of Bedford. His new club has been a run away success and operates on a Saturday morning; it has been a few years since Bedford has held a competition.

I am not going to write a report on the tournament I shall this leave to Russell to write one for the IBF site and Drew for the Young Judo Club but I would like to make a couple of observation

First it was very well attended and organised even though the venue was a bit on the small size but this due to the success of the competition. When Russell first approached me about running an event we both expect about 40 Judoka, this was about the norm for comps lately in Kent, and we did not expect 80 Judoka. Most importantly there were different players competing from as far field as Scotland. This made the competition interesting to watch as regular medal winners were being eliminated or being pushed down the medal table, this was a good thing as some of my own Clubs Judoka was becoming stale and complacent.

It was also good to see all the IBF Bedford getting together to make the competition a success, this particular section of the IBF is a very young group and have plenty of enthusiasm but there one old timer who I was glad to see that was Steve Jacob who has had some problems recently but has now returned minus his pony tail.

IBF Bedford has supported Kent Judo for over thirty years now it is time for Kent to support them especially as most Kent Judoka does not want competition. Plus Bedford is better positioned being in the middle of the country and travelling any where today is no longer cheap, so if we all help bear the cost Judo Competitions may not collapse altogether

I think the rule changes to Judo have had a detrimental effect especially the down grading of Ippon to what 10 years ago would have been Yuko, this has made the competitions quicker but will deter novices in competing. Those in power, who administer these rules, administer for World Class athletes not for the ordinary Judoka. This weekend I saw many novices and beginners competing who were on the mat for just under a minute some had travelled from Kent and Scotland to give up a day, travel for about 5 hours and pay petrol for a couple of fights which in total lasted 1 minute 30 seconds will not encourage people. If the Judo hierarchy, will not do anything then the ordinary Judoka must, because these people sit in their ivory towers pontificating and earning good money from Judo, reminds me of Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burns

Here are two ideas which will encourage new Judoka 1) make obtaining an Ippon harder this will lengthen the matches or leave Ippon as it is but have three to win the bout 2) Stop oseakomi being an outright win, I have seen literally thousand of youngsters enter there first competition only to be pushed over held down match finished in 35 seconds and they paid up to £20 for that.

If you want to try something different come to my Junior Points scoring competition in December. To finish well done Russell and Bedford you are helping to keep Judo alive

Uchi Komi

2011-09-30T09:16:00.000+01:00

For years I have been unable to compete because of a damaged Knee and Hip and I miss it, since having a knee and hip replacement I feel 200% better and get the temptation to get back on and have a go is great The surgeons have told me that if I take a heavy blow to my knee I could become a cripple and as my wife says you have done your bit what have you to prove. Nothing but that urge is still there. So I have taken a leaf out of the Japanese Judoka Book where they old players go on and just do Uchi Komi, I do not think I am old but thought I will give this a try. So got my old mate 66 year old Alan Kontozi 2nd Dan to get his kit out and last night we had a 1/2 hour Uchi Komi moment. It was very satifying and I especially noticed how much my movements were restricted through muscles and joints not used to moving in such a way, bit more practise and at least I will be able to demonstrate moves again.

Word of advice to all young figthers "NEVER IGNORE AN INJURY AND ALWAYS MAKE SURE IT IS HEALED BEFORE YOU RETURN TO TRAINING" because if you do not it will come back to haunt you

Marin Clarke

Kenshiro Abbe

2011-09-26T20:27:00.000+01:00

I have never been one of those who makes a God out of a Martial Art Instructor but occasionally you do get the odd Martial artist who catches your imagination. One of hem has to be Kenshiro Abbe 8^th Dan deceased both my parents were in his association and both received their Dan Grades from him. I met him several times but I was only 10 or 11 so did not take much notice he was just another Jap who was floating about in the early 1960’s. As I got older he was becoming a cult figure not with my parents I might add who treated him as a normal person who was extremely good at Judo.

The reason I tell this story is because someone sent me some old Film footage of him demonstrating some techniques and the Kaeshi Kata. He had some beautiful movement I especially enjoyed watching his hane goshi his hiza guruma was some what suspect but he had a good uke.

With Judo numbers dropping through the floor and with people refusing to compete I am wondering whether we need a Renaissance to Judo becoming a Martial Art again instead of a competitive jacket wrestling sport.

Do watch this Youtube clip it is well worth it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKXhK9OZltY

CombatSombo Competition

2011-09-26T19:42:00.002+01:00

Normally I only put a few photo's on the web but our photographer Rob
Birchmore took some excellent Photo's will send the report when I get full
results English CombatSombo Wrestling Championships

https://picasaweb.google.com/102428263424782695829/BCSACombatWrestling2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCLyL0aWHpq_DEg#

Kiddies Cage fighting

2011-09-22T13:11:00.005+01:00

As the crowd roars, cage fighters aged 8 and 9 do battle... even after one breaks down in tears (but police say they won't take action against it)

Police will take no action against the organisers of 'barbaric' cage fighting
Organisers defend event as 'perfectly legal'
Jeremy Hunt condemns the contests

This is the headlines in the Daily Mail let’s be honest not the best way to promote a Sport or is it a Sport?

I have to agree with most of what is said about Cage Fighting in general in that it is “Hard, Tough, Barbaric and Spectacular” I personally have no great love for it but if grown men or women want to do it by all means lets them participate after all they are grown ups, I am told it is becoming more regulated and a lot safer which is only a good thing. Children NO they need to be protected till they are old enough to make their own decision.

The competition mentioned above I did watch and did not see any kicking and punching unlike others I have seen on the internet but to suggest, as some did, that this was no worse than kids doing Judo or Wrestling is absolute rubbish, many of the techniques I saw being applied neck cranks, arm/leg locks, strangles etc would never be allowed in either sports. Remember Judo and Wrestling have had nearly a Century of developing rules to make the sports safe eliminating the most dangerous of techniques.

The supporters of this Kiddy Bashing tell us is that is just like MMA this is supposed to means something a Mish Mash of Fighting Styles with no governing body or one set of rules. Well that has now finished SPORTS ACCORD which is the controlling Body of all World Sports has asked FILA (http://www.fila-wrestling.com/) International Federation for all Wrestling Styles, to take over MMA which is now called FILA Grappling MMA in GB the governing body is the British Wrestling Association and I would recommend everyone to join this legitimate organization.

Let’s be honest the reason they done this in a cage was to create an image that it was something different than the normal forms of grappling, a crowd puller hence a financial success.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt today condemned cage fighting among children as young as eight as 'barbaric' and expressed shocks over an apparent lack of restrictions on the activity.

I totally agree yet he along with his government allows the British Taekwondo Board of Control to teach children as young as 3 to kick and punch surely that is just as barbaric.

The fighting in a cage symbolizes wild animals fighting, caged because they a danger to the onlooker a spectacular not unlike Romans watching gladiators fight to the death. Do we really want this type of blood lust instilled in our children?

For those who not content with traditional Grappling sports develop your own system but make sure it is safe with codes of conduct and ethics. Yet I think Kids Cage Fighting will get bigger because there is money to made organizing events, starting clubs etc and you will always have parents trying to live through their children doing things they can not or will not do.

As for me I will stick to the traditional styles.

Martin Clarke Sambo Grandmaster 8^th Dan Judo

http://youtu.be/e4rTB0zhsNs

With Kicking and punching notice no head guards

http://youtu.be/2j6LuoPOvm8

More Sambo Techniques

2011-09-07T09:20:00.003+01:00

Summer Camp is finished and I am back home

2011-08-29T09:39:00.001+01:00

Back home from Summer Camp, pleased to be in my own bed, once again over indulged put on 6 lbs and my diabetes was up to 12, will soon have them down take me about a week. Feel totally whacked out and did not do a lot, some say it is an age thing but I believe its because you are on a high all the week.
Summer Camp is like being in a Bubble away from reality, you are with people you want to be with doing something you all enjoy and want to do, where else i life can you say that? You meet old friends and make new ones. For the first couple of days after camp you feel deflated and in a period of Anti Climax but then reality kicks in and of we go again.

Many have said you have never real experience the Martial Arts until you have spent a week at Camp quite agree and this is my 45th year

http://www.budo-ibf.co.uk/ibf_summer_camp_2011.htm

Weather in USA

2011-08-28T09:12:00.000+01:00

It is the end of Summer Camp maybe not successful in numbers but in spirit and quality of players a good week. All week we have moaned about the bad weather but sometimes I feel lucky to live in England when you consider the weather conditions in the USA. I hope all my Friends in the USA are safe and I send out my prayers to them.

Want to read the report on the Summer Camp go to www.britishsambo.co.uk and open the IBF web site

Martin being attacked

2011-08-27T17:32:00.003+01:00

Photo's of the past

2011-08-23T12:31:00.002+01:00

From my Photo Album

Various IBF

https://picasaweb.google.com/102428263424782695829/VariousIBF?authkey=Gv1sRgCMawn9-19KXX6wE#

Young Judo Club

https://picasaweb.google.com/102428263424782695829/SwaleMartialArtsClubYoungJudoClub?authkey=Gv1sRgCIfshceYp66HHg#

Past Summer Camp

https://picasaweb.google.com/102428263424782695829/SummerCampThroughTheYears?authkey=Gv1sRgCNH4-rHN0ObVzwE#

Summer Camp 2011

2011-08-22T19:42:00.004+01:00

IBF SUMMER CAMP 2011

Well August is here again and once again it is time for the Annual IBF Summer Camp in fact this is our 45th year it was first started by Nobby Clarke 6^th Dan Deceased using the old St Mary’s Bay Schools Journey Centre, then the ACF camp St Mary’s bay Romney Marsh which was to be our home till 2006 when that was demolished to the newly built ACF Camp Dibgate St Martins Plain Folkestone. Nobby ran the camp till 1988 when illness prevented him carrying on his son Martin took over, the camp is still known as Nobby’s camp event though Martin has run it for more years, but then that is what a legend is all about.

As the years moved on we saw massive improvements in the facilities and the equipment used, plus the camp expanded from a Judo programme to Martial Arts and Combat Disciplines. Sadly the interest in these courses has slowly died, at the height of Summer Camp in the late 1970’s Nobby would run for 4 weeks with two junior weeks and two Senior weeks over that period he would have 600 players not just from GB but from all over the world, this year we were down to one week and 18 course members. Some say it is time to throw in the towel but my answer to that is NO what we need to do is change the way we run the run the course and what we do.

Those involved in Combat Disciplines today are not the hardy breed of yesteryear, they no longer want be thrown around the mat. There are two distinct types who want to do Combat disciplines

1) Is the traditionalist who still want carry the tradition of hundred of years, enjoys the discipline, courtesy, realises that what they do is a Martial Art and always appreciate the need for such things as Kata and realise that competition is just a part of what they do.

2) Then there is the Modern concept made popular by Cage Fighting and Shoot Wrestling this has led to various off shoots involving different forms of Submission Wrestling some with stinking some without, this has been widely called MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) a very discredit name which has nothing to with Martial Arts. The correct term for grappling without strikes is FILA Grappling and with strikes FILA Combat, both are about grappling and beating your opponent nothing more, unlike Traditional Combat there is very little throwing involved and this is one of the reasons it has become very popular. There are no standard clothing just Beach style shorts and a T shirts. FILA Styles are recognised by the the government body the British Wrestling Association. MMA has no governing body has no government recognition or will have.

So if Camp is to survive we need to cater for both and that is what we plan, next years camp will be divided into three, 5 day residential course August 20 til 24th, will be Martial Arts, same venue but different area Summer Sambo Camp and another area Summer Grappling Week featuring FILA Grappling Styles (also known as MMA). If we have sufficient interest we will run a Judo Instructors, Sambo Instructors and BCSA Submission Wrestling instructors’ courses.

The Martial Arts weekend will be for 11 years and above and Adults in fact we want to actively encourage juniors to attend, the grappling weekend will be more intense so the minimum age will be 15. The price will be kept low just £200 this will include all tuition fees, dormitory accommodation and breakfast and evening meal plus will give discount for block bookings.

SUMMER CAMP WILL SURVIVE

10th Dan at 98

2011-08-17T08:12:00.000+01:00

98-year-old woman earns top judo black belt rank

A 98-year-old woman standing just 4'11" has achieved one of the highest honours in the world of martial arts after being promoted to tenth dan black belt in judo.
Sensei Keiko Fukuda, a Japanese-born American, is just the fourth person on the planet who currently holds the distinction, and only the 15th person in history to be awarded the honours. The other three people who are currently tenth dan 'judoka' are all men living in Japan.
Fukuda, who took up the sport in 1935 and still teaches judo three times a week at a women's dojo in San Francisco, was thrilled with her promotion.
"All my life this has been my dream," said the woman who is the last surviving student of judo's founder, Kano Jiguro.
Fukuda is not exaggerating. She eschewed traditional Japanese arts such as calligraphy and tea ceremonies - not to mention her marriage - when she took up the sport in her 20s, she then spent 30 years stuck as a fifth dan black belt due to a regulation prohibiting women from being promoted beyond that level.
She managed to break down that rule in 1972 and was the first woman to become a sixth dan black belt and has since continued to climb the ranks and inspire her students with her personal motto: "Be gentle, kind and beautiful, yet firm and strong, both mentally and physically

BJA sent me a letter

2011-08-14T12:15:00.002+01:00

The BJA recently sent me and their BJA members a letter stating “Some changes in direction and personnel to address some specific issues and promote a clearer focus on the delivery of our objectives” this sound like there is some under lying problem within the BJA Administration, I do not know what maybe someone can enlighten me.

What did strike me they continue you to say that their membership is steadily increasing? Why is that clubs are closing, Competitions are being cancelled and most clubs have seen in a drop in membership is the membership coming from the School Kids who just pay £5 and do Judo for 6 weeks?

The Hey Day of Judo was the 1970’s and 1980’s I believe they had a couple of paid staff now they have 80. They say their turnover is up to £7m a year most of it coming from government funding presumably this being paid on staff and Olympic Squad members.

With the amount of money being spent on the Olympic Team we should expect at least 8 medals but will this lead to more people doing Judo I doubt it. One would have thought with the Olympics being so close all sports would be on the increase yet figures show there is a 20% decline in Sport participation.

I have said for years Judo needs to re brand itself for example

1) Coloured Gi’s with advertisement

2) Judo Boots like Sambo Boots

3) Change the rules so a complete Novice can understand them with 10 minutes

4) Introduce rounds

5) Give Kata a bigger presence because this makes Judo different to all other grappling styles

6) Introduce more all association championships

7) Get referees out of Blazers they look to officious

8) Have more Judo shows like Boxing shows where you have say 6 matches with people watching from tables where they are being served a meal, this will create Judo celebrities

9) How much would it cost to have a Judo TV channel maybe the £7 million would be better spent there

I have said before some are saying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will be more popular then Judo in a few years, if they were properly organised in GB they would be bigger now. My main love is Sambo but sadly this has not had the impact in the UK I had hoped but the throughout the rest of the world participation has been astronomical

I am already organising Jacket Wrestling Competitions to attract all Jacket Wrestlers, why doesn’t the BJA do the same maybe have an All Style Judo Competition change the rules slightly i.e. allow more then hold, award points how your opponent lands and extra for technical skill just an idea, some one steal it if they like

Martin Clarke 8^th Dan

Did I invent CombatSombo

2011-08-14T10:20:00.000+01:00

Very often people asked did you invent the CombatSombo system and the answer would be yes but sometime I am asked did you invent a new Martial Art and the answer would be NO

Let me enlarge on this for example someone invented the Wheel this in all probability was a solid wooden disc and then someone came along and invent Spokes he may invented a spokes wheel but he did not invent the wheel, then came the Metal Rim that went round the wheel which was most probably called a tyre, then came a rubber tyre and so on all were improvements to the Wheel but they did not re-invent the Wheel.

This is what I done with my CombatSombo I had studied Judo, Sambo Jiu Jitsu and played with various Japanese weapons, Aikido, Karate and Kickboxing and felt there was a better way of teaching a Combat System. Maybe Teaching is not the right word maybe performing and using a better Combat System is better way to explain it, a system designed for me.

I started Judo when I was five up until I was 23 that was my only interest mainly because in those early days that’s all there was occasionally, when I was young, I was taken to Acton Town Hall to watch demonstrations given by various foreign guys who done different stuff in Judogi’s. These were of course Japanese masters, when you were 11 years old that did not mean a lot to me only that we fought them in some war. These were of course experts in Karate, Aikido, Kendo, Jodo, Bo, Sai and Iaido etc. So from about 1961 onwards after Judo a few of the members would go on to practise these other arts and some went on form clubs.

You will notice I never mentioned Jiu Jitsu well it seemed in those days Jiu Jitsu had a bit of a bad reputation and Japanese masters would stick to the more Classical Martial Arts and you will notice all were Japanese Systems. My introduction to Jiu Jitsu was when the Founder of the International Budo Federation Peter Schonewille 9^th Dan also known as the Flying Dutchman attended the famous St Mary’s bay Summer Camp organised by my father Nobby. Peter held Black belts not just Japanese arts but in Korean and Chinese style, he was actually taught by the founder of Tae Kwon, Do Choi Hong Hi plus he also had trained in Japan. His style of Jiu Jitsu relied a lot on wrist locks etc a rough version of Aikido I gained a few grades in this and then stopped, in later years I trained in other styles and eventually moved up the grades to 6^th Dan.

During the very early 1970’s I decide to try Olympic free Style Wrestling found this extremely hard and totally different to grappling with a Jacket, I won a few medals in this and also found it helped my Judo, although the Judo snobs thought I was committing a sacrilege doing it. They were to be even more upset when the British Wrestling Association started running Sambo events (it was called Cambo in those days go to my web to read why). This was to change my whole concept of Jacket Grappling and in a lot of ways change my life.

You may think I am rambling but I forgot to say in my younger days I done Door Work and most of the time I worked with Judoka, Wrestlers and Boxers, occasionally KarateKa, (Kickboxing had not been invented then or had Cage Fighting) when there was a fight those who done striking were great at knocking people out and in those days nobody really cared but they had difficulty removing people or restraining people. As time went by Dance Promoters were become worried about being shut down because the Doorman were to violent, when I supplied Doorman they were practically 100% Grapplers and with todays laws it is near impossible to hit someone and to be honest why should you.

So I relooked at what I was doing and tried Jiu Jitsu but in those days Jiu Jitsuka was only taught in a Rote Fashion i.e. your opponent does this attack and you defend with this technique, like one step sparring. Then it occurred to me the reason Grapplers with or without jacket were better on the door they actually fought each other every time they trained, they knew how to reacted in fight situation OK so there’s was competitive not fighting but they knew how to react.

So now I knew where to go my new system would teach very much like grappling i.e. learn a throw and perfect it. Then I would look how many ways I could use this technique as a self defense it worked, the only drawback it would not suit everyone as part of the system would be you had to grapple. You could not rely just on a pre determined set of scenarios very much what Jiu Jitsu was teaching, although I notice a lot of Jiu Jitsu styles have realised that as well.

So how else could I change my style?

1) No fancy moves, as you moved up the grades in some styles I had learnt you would have perform many different moves to get to one end

2) I could never get on with the complicated Wrist Locks, so these would be at a minimum use of these techniques

3) Would teach strikes only so that one could learn how to defend against them

4) Would only teach weapon techniques as a means to learn how to defend against them

5) No Kata. Nothing against Kata but as I wanted this as a grappling self defence system, I could not see the logic of it

6) My system would have to have a Philosophy

7) My system would have to be educational, not just something that teaches you to be barbaric to another human being

Finally what name should I give to it? MartinClarkeCombat would be some what pretentious, Combat must be included and with the Americans changing the name of Sambo to Sombo and with the fact that Sambo loosely translated meant self defence without weapons why not put the two together COMBATSOMBO. The name I would register and the rest as they say is History.

It would be a mistake to say CombatSombo is for everyone it is not but that is the joy of Martial Arts it is finding that suits your own needs and enjoyment. You can learn more by going to www.combatsombo.co.uk

Gary Kirkham

2011-08-12T11:38:00.000+01:00

With participation in Judo and Sport in decline generally it is nice to sometimes reminisce about the past and the good times and occasionally something jogs your memory. Sadly this memory Jog was not a pleasant one as I have just heard of the death of a former pupil of mine Gary Kirkham who was only in his Mid Forties. Gary was one of a large family all of whom were doing Judo back in the 1970’s when the Young Judo Club Sittingbourne boasted 600 members. The breed of youngsters then was totally different then today’s youth (the majority but not all) they were prepare to travel, train several times a week and most importantly compete throughout GB and Europe. Competitions were not 50 0r 60 competitors they were in there hundreds, my Father Nobby organised a Junior Judo Tournament at the Stour Centre Ashford in the 1970’s which attracted 1200 competitors those were the days. Gary would often be in a weight group of 50 plus, his Mum must have boxes of medals her kids have won. I have not seen Gary for some years but I have very fond memories of him an excellent fighter but sadly he lost the ultimate fight. Gary rest in peace and when you get chance to talk to God ask him to help us get more kids to do Judo. My thoughts and prayers go out to Mum Nadine and the rest of the family

Martin Clarke

World Judo Federation a New World Body

2011-08-11T14:42:00.000+01:00

http://www.worldjudofederation.org/

This is a new World Body which seems to be in opposition to the International Judo Federation. I am not surprised that another organisation has been formed consdiering the balls up the IJF has made to the rules of Judo and other aspects of the Way. Maybe this new body will rejuvinate Judo in GB who knows what I do know I watching from the sidelines and not getting involved

Economy-Riots-Bar B Q

2011-08-07T13:30:00.000+01:00

"The Economy of the World are in down turn Stock Market rices drop fear of Crash"
This is what you hearing from the Press Panic stations but in reality stock and share are only paper, the only intrinsic value is when they sold or purchased. So if you do neither you are no worse of. It is like buying a House for say £200,000 and its value drops to £150,000 If you do not intend to move or sell you are no worse of and no better off. So what hits ordinary Joe Bloggs is when the Bank Rate goes up, Wages come down and prices go up, the latter two is normally about greed. Well that's my take on it.

Riots in Tottenham these are gangsters most being being black it has nothing to do with it, there are enough white gangsters scum in other cities who would do the same. Now I hope the Police look through all the TV coverage and pick out those involved and lets hope the Judges send out a message buy giving them heavy sentences. Already the Lefty Liberals are starting to make excuses and blame the Police and lets be honest they are the one who decide what British Justice is.

Any way had a few old friend round for Bar B Q Saturday night had a great time well away from it all Cheers Trevor and Kendall, Keith and Wendy, Norman and Maggies special thanks to wife Val Oh must not forget Granddaughter Connie who popped round on her 13th Birthday

Frankfurt Judo IBF 1977

2011-08-06T18:22:00.000+01:00

This was IBF Multi Nation Frankfurt 1977 Below British Team this was of the best Tournament the IBF had run. Sorry to say I had just won a place in the BJA National Squad and was banned from attending the event Some excellent players in the team doubt if many are still practising some are now dead. Details sent by Chris Dawson 6th Dan who still runs a club up North I believe he won Gold in this event

Thanks for the memories

Child Abuse and Martial Arts

2011-08-01T12:47:00.001+01:00

Ihave wrote several articles showing my concern about children under 5 doing kicking and puncing arts but nobody would listen accept SportEngland SO WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT CHILD ABUSE

Dear Martin

Thank you for your recent email about ‘Kiddie Cage Fighting’.

We have shared your concerns with the Child Protection in Sport Unit (part of the NSPCC) who are one of our National Partners who support National Governing Bodies of Sport we fund and recognised sports with matters relating to safeguarding and child protection.

The NSPCC have expressed their concerns about this type of activity happening (they refer to is as ‘mixed martial arts’) and following a documentary which was shown on Channel 4 a couple of years ago entitled ‘Strictly Baby Fighting’ issued the below statement to all press and media / LAs which is still relevant and one which we in Sport England endorse:

Mixed martial arts is not recognised as a sport by any of the UK Sports Councils or the Department of Culture Media and Sport. It has no single governing body that the Sports Councils can intervene with or that the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) can engage in dialogue with to raise the serious issues highlighted by this programme.

There are a number of sports and recreation activities that children and young people are involved in that fall outside of the regulated Governing Body structure. This can often mean that standards fall short of that which we would expect to see in place, and may encourage practice that can compromise the welfare and safety of young people. In the absence of regulation by a Governing Body local interventions are the only means of raising the standards of operation of these activities. All Sport England County Sports Partnerships and many Governing Bodies of sport operate club accreditation programmes that promote and recognise best practice in providing sport for children and young people. Information on this can be found at www.clubmark.org.uk and on the CPSU’s website at www.thecpsu.org.uk .

Specific concerns in relation to safeguarding should be referred to local Children's Social Care services. There may also be the opportunity for local interventions by Local Safeguarding Children Boards.

Local Education Welfare Services have a responsibility under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and 1963 and the Children (Performances) Regulations 1968, to investigate and monitor employment undertaken by young people of compulsory school age. The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that it is safe and legal, and that it does not damage or interrupt their education. This would apply to children taking part in a “professional” fight (i.e. where spectators have paid to watch).

The Licensing Act 2003 requires authorisation for regulated entertainment or of entertainment facilities to be obtained, and this would include an indoor sporting event or boxing or wrestling entertainment. Before granting the license the applicant will be required to demonstrate how they are promoting the four objectives of the Act, which includes the protection of children from harm.

Local letting policies have been established in a small number of local authority leisure services to promote best practice in the provision of sporting activities for children and young people. Within the safeguarding policies of these leisure services departments provision can be made for clubs and associations seeking to use facilities to demonstrate minimum standards in relation to safeguarding. Where non-affiliated or unregulated sports clubs seek to hire facilities this approach to letting can be an effective means of introducing minimum operating standards, raising standards of practice, and addressing some of the worst aspects of youth sport highlighted in the programme.

Should you have any further questions / concerns about this please contact Jayne Molyneux, our Strategic Lead Children at jayne.molynuex@sportengland.org or Young People or the CPSU (via the website address above).

We are still looking into your previous email regarding children in martial arts and will respond as soon as possible.

Best wishes

Richard

Richard Clarkson

Senior Grants Manager
SportEngland

Creating sporting opportunities in every community

Sport England, 3rd Floor Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square, London WC1B 4SE

4 Year Old Black Belt

DISGUSTING

Yes it was reported in a National Newspaper that Erin Parfoot was graded to Black Belt at 4 after starting Tae Kwon Do at the age of 2 ½ .

Now a Black belt is a level of Competence issued by an organisation and yes different organisations have different criteria, So you can have Black belts of different standards but this Black Belt is taking it a step to far, over the last 20 years we have seen a major increase in children being awarded Black belts much to the dismay of sensible Martial Arts Practitioners. Some organisations offer there junior members offer a Junior Black Belt, this practice was started 40 years ago by an organisation called the Kent Junior Judo Association who could grade a 15 year old to Junior Black belt the recipient wore a Black belt with a green stripe through the middle on reaching 16 they would automatically become a Senior Green this in its self was quite a good idea but note the age. Judo out of all the Martial Arts seem to have a more uniform approach to Dan Grades status even though there several different organisation, most will not grade to Dan Grade below 15 years of age and most combine Competition and Traditional Theoretical knowledge to obtain the grade.

So why grade Baby’s and children to Black belt? Money and Power is the answer. Instructors can make a considerable amount of money from Kids Gradings and Kids Classes, how many more students will this baby’s instructor Gareth Davies get because of this grading and at 24 he is a Black Belt Examiner? But above of all it is about power, a large majority on becoming Black belts suddenly become aware that they stand out from the crowd because they have achieved what the public think is the ultimate Martial Arts accolade, suddenly people look up to them and what is worse most believe their own hype. Now they start to have power either within there own organisation or they create one of there own, if they are with a reputable organisation they will have constraints and control placed upon them. Yet many believe they have the answer to everything and create a new association and a new style. How many times have you read of someone creating the Ultimate Martial Art! Suddenly someone who was a 1st Dan a few years ago suddenly becomes an 8th Dan Master and of course they go on some well known names course have their photo taken with them, some time later they publish the photo saying they have trained with so and so to give kudos to their style. Now if they say they are 8th Dan PingBangdo Karate a style they evented that is what they are but if they say they are graded in a traditional style like Shotokan then they can be checked. My own style of CombatSombo which I introduced nearly 30 years ago was just a different approach to a Martial Arts Self Defence System I wanted a system which suited my Jacket Wrestling background i.e. Judo, Free Style Wrestling and Sambo, although I created a grading system I never gave myself a grade, how could I who would award it so if asked what grade CombatSombo am I the answer would be the FOUNDER

Sometimes these new Styles group together to form a Coop, large numbers again give them KUDOS and they think respectability. Yet the way to respectability is high technical ability and high moral standards.

So back to this 4 year old baby doing Tae Kwon Do, my own feeling taking children this young is a form of child abuse, at the age of 2 ½ the child can barely walk let alone do hard physical exercise and what of the damage the parents and Instructor are doing to the child? The child body is far from developed its bones are still soft as is the rest of the body, so things like excessive stretching can be dangerous and lead to early arthritis (this has been a problem with young gymnasts), striking and kicking pads can be dangerous to hands and joints and competition against other children can be dangerous beyond belief.

To teach any child to Kick and punch someone is morally indefensible when a child is young they do not understand wrong from right, who can say this 4 year old doesn’t start school and in an argument with another child knocks them out and may kills them with a kick and do not say that can not happen! those of us who taught in schools knew the playground can be a dangerous place at the best of time. In law the Criminal Age of Responsibility is 10 so should anyone be teaching children to Kick and Punch? To make some excuse that it is self defence is not realistic, the only way to subdue your attacker by kicking and punching is to inflict a mass of pain and damage to there body that is why grappling is a far better introduction for children who want to learn Combat and how can a child or a baby defend themselves against an adult. I have copied a letter sent to me by the late Great Geof Gleeson some 25 years ago, please read it and tell me the Martial Arts have advanced?

A Lot of Karate, Tae Kwon Do styles etc are far more sensible concentrating on Kata where the student is taught the discipline of self control and perfection of techniques rather then learning how knock someone’s teeth out. The most experienced Striking art in the world is boxing and the Amateur Boxing Association has a minimum age of 11 before they can box so why is this baby being taught Tae Kwon Do?

So you think what we need is Government intervention and we a Governing Body for Martial Arts which will be a legal requirement for all those that teach. NO as these have been tried in the past and just become Dictatorships, the Martial arts needs room to move, invent and adjust, because martial arts continual change just imagine if there had been a Government body 30 years ago with absolute Power there would be no Kickboxing, no Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, no Vale Tudo, no Cage Fighting etc. New Martial Arts will come to the fore that is the nature of the beast what we need is more information. Do not just attack an a rival because they have moved on to your patch and make it personal, tell your local paper, Council, MP, Church Hall, Schools etc and ask does this new club have:

1) Pi, PA, and PL Insurance

2) Who taught them and where can they be checked out

3) How long have they been practising

4) Have they a Coaching Award

5) Have they got a CRB check

6) Have they got the right equipment

Other things to watch out for, grading very young kids to Black belt, is the instructor there all the time or does he get a student to teach, are they trying the hard sell like knocking at doors and wanting people to sign up before they have even seen a class in action, after a few months do they appoint a Student to instructor level and the present instructor moves on.

If you had an established club for years people can check on you my Young Judo Club was started in 1957, new people should be given the chance but there is a lot of Con Men out there all claiming to Martial Arts Masters so beware

Martin Clarke 8th Dan Judo 6th Jiu Jitsu Grandmaster Sambo Founder CombatSombo System

World Masters Judo Champion, World Silver medallist Jiu Jitsu and Sambo

Judo Kata Course & Sambo Instructors Course

2011-07-18T16:40:00.001+01:00

Judo Kata Course

Congratulations to all those who took part in the weekends nage no kata course at The Warriors Grappling Academy in Sittingbourne. Both Lawrence Sandum (Black Belts Martial Arts Academy, Chelmsford) and George Loscombe (Sittingbourne) passed thier dan grade theory for this kata, and at the grading afterwards, Andy Smith, Ben Franks (Sittingbourne) and Robin French (Chelmsford) obtained their 2nd kyu (blue belts). William Hanna (Spitfire, Folkestone) was awared his 3rd. kyu (green) & Mark Ball (also Folkestone) his 4th. kyu (orange.)

Grading officers: John Clarke 5th. dan & Colin Carrott 4th. dan.

Points scoring Judo

2011-07-13T19:22:00.002+01:00

Young Judo Club

Points Scoring Judo Championship

For

Boys and Girls 5, 6, 7 – Boys and Girls 8, 9, 10, 11 – Boys and Girls 12, 13, 14

Swallows Leisure Centre, Sittingbourne, Kent

Sunday December 4^th 2011

Dear Judoka

There has been a massive decrease in children doing Judo Tournaments in recent years and some of the reason for this is the new IJF rules which seem to hinder the development of technique. So the YJC has looked at other Jacket Wrestling sports and have come up with a simpler set of rules that encourage youngster to try lots of different techniques.

Ippon will remain the only difference is you have to throw someone on their back and remain standing; this eliminates what some call A Lucky Throw. The other scores will be 1 point, 2 points, 3 points and 4 points, the better the throw the higher the points and all points add up, if you can score 12 clear points over you opponent you win if not you fight to the end of time and who ever has the biggest lead will win. As for hold downs (OseaKomi) that will stay, but will only give you 4 points this allows children the chance to develop their throwing skills.

With regard to weight categories this will be done by getting all the weights a week before the event and matching them, you will still be weigh in just in case you weight changes in the week.

Let me know if you are interested because we need to do something to rejuvenate Junior Judo. Entry form will sent round nearer the date

Martin Clarke

USWF Shoot Fighting

2011-07-12T08:41:00.000+01:00

USWF Shoot Fighting Inc, Owner-Steve Nelson
After going back and forth to Japan wrestling, one of my best friends from high school talked me into starting the USWF. Felix Rios (my high school team mate) helped me start and run the USWF. He was my right hand man and the USWF owes a great deal of its success to Felix. Without his help and confidence, the USWF would not have ever begun. Felix is still a fight referee and stays very involved in the fight game.
My first USWF show was August 2, 1996. It was an amateur shoot wrestling event just meaning no money. After USWF 1, the fighters competing wanted paid. I didn’t blame them. I was receiving the gate. I had great athletes on USWF 1
such as Ron Trip who is the only person to ever beat
Rickson Gracie who was 300-1 according to history data.
Heath Herring and Paul Jones, both future UFC fighters. Paul Jones who ended up 21-1, his only loss was to Chuck Liddell. Herring was ranked #2 in Pride at one point in time. It was only fair to take shoot wrestling to a professional level.
I received written permission from the president of the Texas Boxing Commission Dick Cole on September 4th,1996 to hold shoot wrestling events under a professional wrestling license. Dan Severn was a friend of mine and had just won the Ultimate Ultimate Fighting Championship. Dan Severn and Royce Gracie were the biggest names in the fight business at the time.
I brought in Dan Severn for USWF 2 on November2, 1996. The USWF became the biggest shoot wrestling/shoot fighting company in America. I never expected the success but was grateful to UFC. Without the UFC there would have never been a Dan Severn to help bring the USWF company name to the attention of the fight fans.
The terms shoot wrestling and shoot fighting had been inter-changeable all over the world since the beginning of the sport. I named the company the
Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation Inc, and advertised as USWF Shoot Fighting.
Texas professional mixed martial arts was started with the USWF in 1996 but shoot wrestling didn't get sanctioned as MMA under the boxing commission until a few years later.

I honestly started the promotion purely to make a little extra money. There was not any ego involved I was just a struggling teacher/coach that wanted to make some extra income through the fight industry.
I wrestled since I was nine years old including college for Oklahoma State University. I was a black belt judo player and had won three world medals in Sombo.
A Bronze in the 1987 World Cup, a Silver in the 1991 World Championships and also a Silver in the 1994 World Championships. I wanted to be involved with fighting at the professional level.
Amarillo had a lot of other men living in the Texas Panhandle that were college All-Americans and many former great high school wrestlers. I believed if I could talk some of the local heroes into fighting, I just may get lucky and draw a crowd.

The USWF is truly a company of the people. Amarillo fans feel they still own shoot fighting and wish the USWF come back. Amarillo had minor league hockey and baseball but nothing had audience attendance like the USWF. Amarillo fans treated the fighters like professionals and were always very excited to see USWF fighters at special appearances and of course the arena. I built the USWF to be a company with class and didn’t allow any kind of disrespectful language or cursing on the microphone at events or during radio interviews. I never wanted myself or my fighters that reflected as if fighters that didn’t like each other. The USWF represented shoot fighting as a sport and not a fight company which employed belligerent out casts. The USWF had a lot of young kids that looked up to us and I felt every fighter had an obligation to be a role model for the company.
I had no problems getting fighters. The USWF had athletes wanting to fight to Amarillo from all over the U.S and Japan. It was purely a respect the USWF earned by the way Felix Rios and I handled business, treated people, and how hard the fighters fought every time they stepped into the ring. It was a respect helped by reporters that came from around the world to see USWF events. These rpeorters could easily see the influence the my fighters had on the public.
The person most responsible for letting the world know what the USWF was about was boxing and MMA reporter
Eddie Goldman. Eddie told the world everything he knew about the USWF and the great town of Amarillo. I will always be grateful to Eddie for reporting to the world what he saw in the USWF and Amarillo, Texas.
It made a giant difference in my career and many
Other USWF competitors.

I never could get a TV deal for the USWF. We only advertised on the radio, newspapers, and put up posters. We did many interviews and special appearances but those were the only outlets we had to bring those big crowds in to our events. I remember trying to get several TV syndicates to come watch us after sending them a USWF VHS. All of their answers were the same, “your company is too violent for television”. I found it hard to believe no sports channel could see the potential that I saw in the USWF being on television.
I currently enjoy all the new fight promotions and what they have done for grapplers. Amateur boxers have always had a place to go when they were ready to turn pro and make a fare salary doing what they love. Fortunately now amateur wrestlers, sombo, judo, jujitsu and other grappling sports have a place to go and make money with their skills as professionals.
Some very good UFC fighters had their first fight with the USWF including:
Evan Tanner former UFC Champion-(deceased) who was a true friend of mine and hero of the people.
Paul Jones, Heath Herring, Frank Trigg Paul ”The Head Hunter” Buentello, Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia
And Eric “Big Head” Davila
Other famous fighters that competed in the USWF were
Dan “The Beast” Severn-3 Time UFC Champion
Don ”The Predator” Frye-UFC Champion, Ralph Gracie,
Ali Elias, and Ron Trip --defeated Rickson Gracie who was 300-1as an amateur.
I know the USWF helped groom all these fighters but they are where they are because of their own determination, work ethic, and more than anything, perseverance.
Some people ask me do I have a favorite USWF fight and all I can say is there are several fights I consider my favorite. I will say being a fighter, promoter, agent, and coach too many of these fighters taught me respect for all different kinds of people
History of USWF ownership.
The first 16 USWF events were promoted and owned by
Steve Nelson.
Evan Tanner was going to take over the USWF and ran USWF 17-18 but then Evan decided to fight for the UFC full time. Evan realized he could not promote the USWF and fight to his full potential at the same time.
Steve Nelson agreed to take back ownership of the USWF.
Steve Nelson (a high school head wrestling coach and teacher) then sold the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation corporation name and equipment to his high school assistant coach Lisa Hunt. (Lisa was also a world champion professional shoot fighter in the USWF)
Lisa Hunt promoted USWF 19 then changed the name of the corporation to International Fighting Alliance Inc.
Under the International Fighting Alliance Inc, she ran one more show.
For information on USWF 17 and 18 you would need to contact Jeff Tanner of Amarillo, Texas.
For information on USWF 19 and IFA 1 you would need to contact Lisa Hunt.
Steve Nelson currently owns three corporations including:
USWF Shoot Fighting Inc,
Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation Inc,
and USWF Inc.

Kiddies Cage Fighting is it Child Abuse

2011-07-11T09:27:00.000+01:00

Some weeks ago I wrote an article about a 4 year old getting his Black Belt; I went on to write how dangerous it was for children under 5 to any Martial Art especially those that involved Punching and Kicking. Teaching this to the very young, I felt, was a form of Child Abuse my article got very little response with one exception “That it is down to the Governing Body to decide was is a fit age to start Martial Arts” that is a cop out what if the Governing Body does not have the expertise and what if the Martial Art has no overall governing body? Interesting enough much is being done and said about “CLUB MARK” being the way forward for sports, they make a great deal about Health & Safety, Child protection, Codes of Conduct but they give Club Mark to club who have under 5 (pre school) doing Martial Arts?

In last weeks Sunday Mirror the middle pages were given over to “Kiddie Cage Fighters” where Children as young as 4 are taught to beat the living daylights out of each other you can find the article at

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20110703/ai_n57772933/pg_2/?tag=content;col1

Below is an article from a USA paper The Telegraph you can find my own article http://combatarts.blogspot.com/2011/05/4-year-old-black-belt-disgusting-yes-it.html I even found an organisation who would teach 1 year olds http://combatarts.blogspot.com/2011/06/one-year-old-being-taught-tae-kwon-do.html

Violent 'cage fighting' craze reaches children

Parents of young cage fighters insist the sport is not dangerous and that it teaches children to respect their peers

By Tom Leonard in New York

4:54PM GMT 28 Mar 2008

Children as young as six are taking up the controversial sport of "cage fighting", alarming medical experts and sports officials.

The violent sport, also known as "ultimate fighting" , combines martial arts, wrestling and boxing but with few rules often looks like little more than a brawl.

The Republican presidential nominee, John McCain, has described it as "human cockfighting" but the popularity of the sport, which usually takes place in a cage, has spread to young American children.

Egged on by parents who regard it as character-building, the children fight two minute bouts in small cages. They are required to wear head gear and padding.

From the Web

They can kick, punch and grapple with each other but are not allowed to use elbow blows or hit to the head when the opponent is on the ground.

Experts say the child version of the sport is growing along with the popularity of the adult equivalent, now showing on cable television and even in a new film, Never Back Down.

Last month, CBS became the first of the big television networks to announce a deal to broadcast prime-time fights. Regardless of any psychological harm, medical experts believe young bodies cannot withstand the pounding.

"It's dangerous from a physical standpoint," said Dr Lisa Thorton, a paediatrician with the University of Chicago Hospitals.

"It can cause significant injuries to the neck and bones, and if they're being taught that fighting is a way to solve problems that is obviously very negative for any child."

Joe Miller, administrator of the Oklahoma Professional Boxing Commission, said cage fighting used a lot of arm and leg twists to force opponents into submission. "There's too much potential for damage to growing joints," he said.

However, parents of young cage fighters insist the sport is not dangerous and – like conventional martial arts – teaches children to respect their peers.

Jennifer Swinehart, whose sons – aged 10 and 14 – are members of the Garage Boys Fight Crew in Joplin, Missouri, said: "It's wonderful. They build such good character and good friendships, and that's what you need to further yourself in life."

Tommy Bloomer, father of two more of the Garage Boys, said the sport was no more dangerous than youth wrestling.

He said: "We're not training them for dog fighting. As a parent, I'd much rather have my kids here learning how to defend themselves and getting positive reinforcement than out on the streets."

One Year Old being Taught Tae Kwon Do

2011-06-18T11:20:00.000+01:00

A week or so ago I wrote an article condemning a 4 year old getting his Black and gave my reason why, I decided to go one step further and check the World Wide Web it seems that most of the respectable Karate and Martial Arts Organisation suggest 7 being the optimum age the exception being Tae Kwon Do, I took the following from a well Tae Kwon do Web Site please read the whole article.

First they list the following five points which are commendable

.

COURTESY

________________________________________

To be courteous is to have deference and consideration for others. We teach our children to say please and thank you. We appreciate when someone holds the door for us. Being courteous is a fundamental necessity in any society. It demonstrates a deep respect and consideration for others. “When one is possessed by a high regard for the greater good, courteous acts do not require a deliberate effort, but become a natural expression of one’s inner state.” Marc Tedeschi

________________________________________

INTEGRITY

________________________________________

To have integrity is to show a firm adherence to moral values. To know inherently what is right and to choose consciously or sub-consciously to do that which is right, is honorable. Trust must be earned. It is through a person's integrity that others become willing to offer that trust.. It is difficult to always have the right action. It is too easy to lose integrity in the eyes of others. Once we lose the trust of our peers, it is almost impossible to regain. So it is better to cultivate integrity in everything that we do, rather than work to regain it because of a momentary lapse.

________________________________________

PERSEVERANCE

________________________________________

To persist in spite of opposition is to have perseverance (en nai). If a goal is easy to achieve, then it has no real value. In order to achieve great things, we must have the ability to persevere. Overcoming obstacles (gun gi) takes resolve. Through Tae kwon do training, we gain the confidence necessary and patience to persevere.

________________________________________

SELF-CONTROL

________________________________________

To exercise restraint over you impulses, emotions and desires is to have self-control. It is extremely important to gain self-control when training in martial arts. Training in Tae kwon do gives you powerful knowledge of deadly skills. If you do not have control over physical actions and emotions, you risk hurting yourself or your partner. Self-control is not just about successfully denying yourself the things you love that may or may not be good for you. It is the triumphant use of patience as we strive for the greater good.

________________________________________

INDOMITABLE SPIRIT

________________________________________

To have a spirit that is incapable of being subdued. We admire greatness in the face of adversity, whether in an athletic event or a medical crisis. Having the confidence to believe in yourself and your goals and knowing that steady resolve will lead the way to great things is reflective of an indomitable spirit. Not everyone is born a hero, but heroism can be cultivated. A true hero is one who does not retreat when the going gets rough, but sticks it out and continues to do the right thing, regardless of each victory or defeat.

The tenets of tae kwon do evolved from ancient moral teachings of the Hwa rang warrior class and are a integral part of tae kwon do study and the fabric of Korean life.

THEN THEY TELL US THE FOLLOWING

Tae kwon do classes start as early as age 3

Kid’s tae kwon do classes can range from toddler age to young adult.

I even developed a class for 1 to 3 year olds!

Starting your child in a kid’s tae kwon do class is simple. The only equipment she will need in the beginning is a uniform.

Many schools even provide the first uniform as a bonus for joining the school. If not, a basic student uniform is sufficient and relatively inexpensive

1 Year Old being taught how to Kick and Punch!

If a proper School Teacher was teach a child in their care they would be charged with child abuse, so when will Government do something about this form of abuse

4 Year Old Black Belt

DISGUSTING

Yes it was reported in a National Newspaper that Erin Parfoot was graded to Black Belt at 4 after starting Tae Kwon Do at the age of 2 ½ .

Now a Black belt is a level of Competence issued by an organisation and yes different organisations have different criteria, So you can have Black belts of different standards but this Black Belt is taking it a step to far, over the last 20 years we have seen a major increase in children being awarded Black belts much to the dismay of sensible Martial Arts Practitioners. Some organisations offer there junior members offer a Junior Black Belt, this practice was started 40 years ago by an organisation called the Kent Junior Judo Association who could grade a 15 year old to Junior Black belt the recipient wore a Black belt with a green stripe through the middle on reaching 16 they would automatically become a Senior Green this in its self was quite a good idea but note the age. Judo out of all the Martial Arts seem to have a more uniform approach to Dan Grades status even though there several different organisation, most will not grade to Dan Grade below 15 years of age and most combine Competition and Traditional Theoretical knowledge to obtain the grade.

So why grade Baby’s and children to Black belt? Money and Power is the answer. Instructors can make a considerable amount of money from Kids Gradings and Kids Classes, how many more students will this baby’s instructor Gareth Davies get because of this grading and at 24 he is a Black Belt Examiner? But above of all it is about power, a large majority on becoming Black belts suddenly become aware that they stand out from the crowd because they have achieved what the public think is the ultimate Martial Arts accolade, suddenly people look up to them and what is worse most believe their own hype. Now they start to have power either within there own organisation or they create one of there own, if they are with a reputable organisation they will have constraints and control placed upon them. Yet many believe they have the answer to everything and create a new association and a new style. How many times have you read of someone creating the Ultimate Martial Art! Suddenly someone who was a 1st Dan a few years ago suddenly becomes an 8th Dan Master and of course they go on some well known names course have their photo taken with them, some time later they publish the photo saying they have trained with so and so to give kudos to their style. Now if they say they are 8th Dan PingBangdo Karate a style they evented that is what they are but if they say they are graded in a traditional style like Shotokan then they can be checked. My own style of CombatSombo which I introduced nearly 30 years ago was just a different approach to a Martial Arts Self Defence System I wanted a system which suited my Jacket Wrestling background i.e. Judo, Free Style Wrestling and Sambo, although I created a grading system I never gave myself a grade, how could I who would award it so if asked what grade CombatSombo am I the answer would be the FOUNDER

Sometimes these new Styles group together to form a Coop, large numbers again give them KUDOS and they think respectability. Yet the way to respectability is high technical ability and high moral standards.

So back to this 4 year old baby doing Tae Kwon Do, my own feeling taking children this young is a form of child abuse, at the age of 2 ½ the child can barely walk let alone do hard physical exercise and what of the damage the parents and Instructor are doing to the child? The child body is far from developed its bones are still soft as is the rest of the body, so things like excessive stretching can be dangerous and lead to early arthritis (this has been a problem with young gymnasts), striking and kicking pads can be dangerous to hands and joints and competition against other children can be dangerous beyond belief.

To teach any child to Kick and punch someone is morally indefensible when a child is young they do not understand wrong from right, who can say this 4 year old doesn’t start school and in an argument with another child knocks them out and may kills them with a kick and do not say that can not happen! those of us who taught in schools knew the playground can be a dangerous place at the best of time. In law the Criminal Age of Responsibility is 10 so should anyone be teaching children to Kick and Punch? To make some excuse that it is self defence is not realistic, the only way to subdue your attacker by kicking and punching is to inflict a mass of pain and damage to there body that is why grappling is a far better introduction for children who want to learn Combat and how can a child or a baby defend themselves against an adult. I have copied a letter sent to me by the late Great Geof Gleeson some 25 years ago, please read it and tell me the Martial Arts have advanced?

A Lot of Karate, Tae Kwon Do styles etc are far more sensible concentrating on Kata where the student is taught the discipline of self control and perfection of techniques rather then learning how knock someone’s teeth out. The most experienced Striking art in the world is boxing and the Amateur Boxing Association has a minimum age of 11 before they can box so why is this baby being taught Tae Kwon Do?

So you think what we need is Government intervention and we a Governing Body for Martial Arts which will be a legal requirement for all those that teach. NO as these have been tried in the past and just become Dictatorships, the Martial arts needs room to move, invent and adjust, because martial arts continual change just imagine if there had been a Government body 30 years ago with absolute Power there would be no Kickboxing, no Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, no Vale Tudo, no Cage Fighting etc. New Martial Arts will come to the fore that is the nature of the beast what we need is more information. Do not just attack an a rival because they have moved on to your patch and make it personal, tell your local paper, Council, MP, Church Hall, Schools etc and ask does this new club have:

1) Pi, PA, and PL Insurance

2) Who taught them and where can they be checked out

3) How long have they been practising

4) Have they a Coaching Award

5) Have they got a CRB check

6) Have they got the right equipment

Other things to watch out for, grading very young kids to Black belt, is the instructor there all the time or does he get a student to teach, are they trying the hard sell like knocking at doors and wanting people to sign up before they have even seen a class in action, after a few months do they appoint a Student o instructor level and the present instructor moves on.

If you had an established club for years people can check on you my Young Judo Club was started in 1957, new people should be given the chance but there is a lot of Con Men out there all claiming to Martial Arts Masters so beware

Martin Clarke 8th Dan Judo 6th Jiu Jitsu Grandmaster Sambo Founder CombatSombo System

World Masters Judo Champion, World Silver medallist Jiu Jitsu and Sambo

A Man with Control

2011-06-14T09:42:00.000+01:00

Watch this clip That man has some control and watch the Yob crawl away

Young People ar wimps

2011-06-02T12:14:00.002+01:00

Are Young People Wimps

Just after Christmas Sal White and myself started a Pankration Class, Saul softly spoken amicable sort of guy would take the first 45 minutes on striking and I would do 15 minutes on submissions and throws we supplied equipment and it was a reasonable success. As the weeks went by students were told they had to purchase their equipments gloves, jacket etc and they had pay a joining fee, this cost us a few members but for everyone we lost one filled their place.

About 6 weeks ago Saul injured himself and had to step back from coaching, so I took a more active role help by Michael and George. My teaching of any Combat Discipline is the student should be fit and able to fight that is the nature of the beast, so the throws got harder and higher. This culminated in last week a hour session becoming hour and quarter with 20 minutes of continual sparring/grappling, with about 10 in attendance it made an ideal number for changing opponents. Yes this was a harder session but I do not want student play acting I want fighters, I have lost count of so called hard men who only attend once. The following week, this Wednesday past, out of the 10 only 1 returned (Michael text being of sick) what a load of wimps one harder session and they blow but I bet they are in the pub bragging how they do MMA.

Compare modern day youth with the 1960’s and 70’s all we had was Judo but everyone would train at least twice a week and 6 week you would be committed to a competition or course and a lesson lasted 2 hours, now a day youth want to fight on the Xbox only WIMPWS

Martin Clarke

4 year Old Black belt Disgusting

2011-05-31T15:25:00.002+01:00

4 Year Old Black Belt

DISGUSTING

Yes it was reported in a National Newspaper that Erin Parfoot was graded to Black Belt at 4 after starting Tae Kwon Do at the age of 2 ½ .

Now a Black belt is a level of Competence issued by an organisation and yes different organisations have different criteria, So you can have Black belts of different standards but this Black Belt is taking it a step to far, over the last 20 years we have seen a major increase in children being awarded Black belts much to the dismay of sensible Martial Arts Practitioners. Some organisations offer there junior members offer a Junior Black Belt, this practice was started 40 years ago by an organisation called the Kent Junior Judo Association who could grade a 15 year old to Junior Black belt the recipient wore a Black belt with a green stripe through the middle on reaching 16 they would automatically become a Senior Green this in its self was quite a good idea but note the age. Judo out of all the Martial Arts seem to have a more uniform approach to Dan Grades status even though there several different organisation, most will not grade to Dan Grade below 15 years of age and most combine Competition and Traditional Theoretical knowledge to obtain the grade.

So why grade Baby’s and children to Black belt? Money and Power is the answer. Instructors can make a considerable amount of money from Kids Gradings and Kids Classes, how many more students will this baby’s instructor Gareth Davies get because of this grading and at 24 he is a Black Belt Examiner? But above of all it is about power, a large majority on becoming Black belts suddenly become aware that they stand out from the crowd because they have achieved what the public think is the ultimate Martial Arts accolade, suddenly people look up to them and what is worse most believe their own hype. Now they start to have power either within there own organisation or they create one of there own, if they are with a reputable organisation they will have constraints and control placed upon them. Yet many believe they have the answer to everything and create a new association and a new style. How many times have you read of someone creating the Ultimate Martial Art! Suddenly someone who was a 1st Dan a few years ago suddenly becomes an 8th Dan Master and of course they go on some well known names course have their photo taken with them, some time later they publish the photo saying they have trained with so and so to give kudos to their style. Now if they say they are 8th Dan PingBangdo Karate a style they evented that is what they are but if they say they are graded in a traditional style like Shotokan then they can be checked. My own style of CombatSombo which I introduced nearly 30 years ago was just a different approach to a Martial Arts Self Defence System I wanted a system which suited my Jacket Wrestling background i.e. Judo, Free Style Wrestling and Sambo, although I created a grading system I never gave myself a grade, how could I who would award it so if asked what grade CombatSombo am I the answer would be the FOUNDER

Sometimes these new Styles group together to form a Coop, large numbers again give them KUDOS and they think respectability. Yet the way to respectability is high technical ability and high moral standards.

So back to this 4 year old baby doing Tae Kwon Do, my own feeling taking children this young is a form of child abuse, at the age of 2 ½ the child can barely walk let alone do hard physical exercise and what of the damage the parents and Instructor are doing to the child? The child body is far from developed its bones are still soft as is the rest of the body, so things like excessive stretching can be dangerous and lead to early arthritis (this has been a problem with young gymnasts), striking and kicking pads can be dangerous to hands and joints and competition against other children can be dangerous beyond belief.

To teach any child to Kick and punch someone is morally indefensible when a child is young they do not understand wrong from right, who can say this 4 year old doesn’t start school and in an argument with another child knocks them out and may kills them with a kick and do not say that can not happen! those of us who taught in schools knew the playground can be a dangerous place at the best of time. In law the Criminal Age of Responsibility is 10 so should anyone be teaching children to Kick and Punch? To make some excuse that it is self defence is not realistic, the only way to subdue your attacker by kicking and punching is to inflict a mass of pain and damage to there body that is why grappling is a far better introduction for children who want to learn Combat and how can a child or a baby defend themselves against an adult. I have copied a letter sent to me by the late Great Geof Gleeson some 25 years ago, please read it and tell me the Martial Arts have advanced?

A Lot of Karate, Tae Kwon Do styles etc are far more sensible concentrating on Kata where the student is taught the discipline of self control and perfection of techniques rather then learning how knock someone’s teeth out. The most experienced Striking art in the world is boxing and the Amateur Boxing Association has a minimum age of 11 before they can box so why is this baby being taught Tae Kwon Do?

So you think what we need is Government intervention and we a Governing Body for Martial Arts which will be a legal requirement for all those that teach. NO as these have been tried in the past and just become Dictatorships, the Martial arts needs room to move, invent and adjust, because martial arts continual change just imagine if there had been a Government body 30 years ago with absolute Power there would be no Kickboxing, no Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, no Vale Tudo, no Cage Fighting etc. New Martial Arts will come to the fore that is the nature of the beast what we need is more information. Do not just attack an a rival because they have moved on to your patch and make it personal, tell your local paper, Council, MP, Church Hall, Schools etc and ask does this new club have:
1) Pi, PA, and PL Insurance
2) Who taught them and where can they be checked out
3) How long have they been practising
4) Have they a Coaching Award
5) Have they got a CRB check
6) Have they got the right equipment

Other things to watch out for, grading very young kids to Black belt, is the instructor there all the time or does he get a student to teach, are they trying the hard sell like knocking at doors and wanting people to sign up before they have even seen a class in action, after a few months do they appoint a Student o instructor level and the present instructor moves on.
If you had an established club for years people can check on you my Young Judo Club was started in 1957, new people should be given the chance but there is a lot of Con Men out there all claiming to Martial Arts Masters so beware

Martin Clarke 8th Dan Judo 6th Jiu Jitsu Grandmaster Sambo Founder CombatSombo System
World Masters Judo Champion, World Silver medallist Jiu Jitsu and Sambo

Yuko 2pts

2011-05-23T20:08:00.002+01:00

These days my only interest in Judo is with the IBF and my own club YJC Sittingbourne, I leave the coaching to my son John, Colin Carrott, Keith Costa and Paul Soulsby who are doing a fine job, I still serve on the IBF international Body. I enjoy IBF Judo because the IBF is like a family and when we have a Judo competition it is an enjoyable event where on the whole with people you want to be with. My last venture out was a year ago where I watched some IJF/BJA judo and I totally disliked it, the IJF have totally changed the rules and it is no longer the Martial Art I started some 55 years ago and has become just another Jacket Grappling Sport, the only thing I did like was the new mat design.

So why am I so critical?

1) They change the rules yet half the referees do not apply them and the other half do, so on one mat you have two different competitions. The main one is leg pick ups what is and what is not?

2) What has happen to Ippon? It used to be flat on your back with power and impetus not any more roll them over on there back and you have won

3) Never been a keen lover of Ne Waza yet now it seems nearly non existent

These in my eyes are faults but the newer generation may think they are positive moves yet Judo is on the decline some experts say in 5 years there will be more people will be doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu then Judo and that is like Judo with no throwing.

The above is down to the IJF but the BJA must take some of the blame for the decline in member take Clubmark our Judo section tried for 3 years to go through this bureaucratic nightmare, we had 4 changes of BJA personnel during this time, was expected to go to Sheffield for 4 hour courses (we are in Kent) I am even told there is a Judo Club in Kent which is a Centre of Excellence that does not have a Clubmark. Yet our Grappling Academy has applied to Kent County council for club mark and we are on the verge of completion and this has taken about 10 months.

The BJA spend money like it is going out of fashion, take the Schools programme where coaches go in to schools for 6 weeks, the idea being that it will promote Judo in fact it does the opposite as the visiting coach can only recommend Club Mark Judo clubs, so you can be a BJA Club and get no benefit plus those who move from school to club is practically zero. Yet it gives a false impression on Judo participation as these youngsters get an award from the BJA at a very low price which boosts their membership, they maybe members but they are not regular participants.

Junior Grading scheme is expensive, every time a child has a grading the BJA receive £7 but a child can only move up one tab at a time and can grade once a month, so I believe if they start as a beginner and reach maximum grade they will have taken 15 grades (I am assuming there 3 grades between belts) £105 plus they may have to pay the examiner if he is out of pocket. For the sake of harmony we joined the BJA and any club member who wanted a BJA license the club would pay for it and their grading NO MORE we can not afford it. The IBF is far more friendly and helpful to its members all Club Examiners keep all the grading fees and the money for gradings, the IBF get a fee when they go for Dan Grade plus registered Club gets a good discount for every member that joins. This money helps club buy new mats, take kids to competitions, and pay for courses. The IBF get no government funding yet financial our member clubs are a lot better and in these days of financial constraints this could be the difference in club remaining open or closed.

A well known BJA Judo Coach was excused of “inappropriate behaviour with a minor” which allegedly happened several decades ago, the BJA followed the correct procedure and suspended the Coach while enquires were made (Not very British Guilty till proven Innocent) eventually the matter was handed to the Police and 18 months later he was completely exonerated. So you may think this was the end of the matter NO the BJA have continued the persecution of this Coach he is stilled banned from his Club even though he has committed no criminal act. I am told there is an ulterior motive for his suspension this may be the case but the real point is that I am told it has cost the coach thousands of pounds and may cost the BJA tens of thousands of pounds is this good use of members’ money? To put things in perspective an IBF Coach was accused of inappropriate behaviour but was cleared by the Independent Safeguarding Authority, this took months not years and the Coach is now free to continue coaching.

Let move on to some practical issues, I started Judo when I was 5 years old, 56 years ago in those days Judo still had the excitement of being something new and something children did not do it was only my parents who insisted on creating a Junior section that we had children’s Judo in this part of the world. Children could only get three grades 1st Mon, 2nd Mon and 3rd Mon white belt with red tabs. Competitions outside London were a rarity and children’s competition non existent I believe my first tournament was in 1961 at the age of 11 now why am I going down memory lane well it what Judo was. First of all it was considered something mystic which made it different from all other sports and there were no other martial about the time. Our first karate section started in 1962, two of our Judoka read a book about karate and decided to start teaching it, those were the days no knowledge, no qualifications, no proper safety arrangements could not happened today! You must be joking I would suggest 80% of so called MMA club have no insurance cover or proper mats let alone coaching qualification. I digress in those days Judo was more of a Martial Art then a sport but when there was competition they were quite simple:

1) Most mats were about 18ft x 18ft

2) To win you threw your opponent on his back and you got Ippon

3) You could also win by scoring two ½ points Waza-ari which gave you an Ippon

4) Hold Down Oseakomi Ippon 30 seconds A Waza-ari 25 seconds

5) Submission by Strangle, Choke or arm lock

Simple to understand, easy to watch, no penalties as fouling your opponent was considered not the act of a Gentleman.

Obviously as Judo became an Olympic Sport, competition became more important and by definition more competitive and the idea of a gentleman’s conduct was soon abandoned for the need to win. With competitors become more astute to the rules and a lot fitter, the contests were become closer which would lead to a lot of Judges Decision, which proved very unpopular. This led to lower scores being introduced the Koka and Yuko this in itself was not a bad thing what was bad was that Koka and Yuko were not accumulative i.e. no matter how many koka’s you get they never add up. This had the opposite effect by encouraging competitors to go for lower scores which did not need the commitment required for an Ippon plus with more competitors using the rules to their advantage more penalties had to be given. Result contest being won on very low scores and on penalties producing some rather stagnant Judo, of course when you reach Olympic Standard this may not be the case but how many reach Olympic standard and Judo is a participation sport not a spectator sport. The IJF could have reversed this situation when they lost the Koka they should have changed Yuko to 2 points, Waza-ari 5pts and Ippon 10 points with the first to reach 10 points being the winner, with regard to Oseakomi how many kids have spent all day at a competition only to be pushed to the ground held down for 25 seconds end of match.

To enjoy a sport you have to have understanding within 5 minutes, youngsters and there parents do not want be baffled by oriental name and signs. Before anyone says what he is trying is Sambo well it is not, although I do agree that Sambo rules make far more sense then Judo. What judo can do is stick to their upright posture avoid all the leg shoots but alter the rules as I suggested it would be still Judo

Martin Clarke Sittingbourne

PankrationMMA Grappling

2011-05-12T09:32:00.000+01:00

Things seem to be picking up at the Swale Martial Arts Club/Warriors Grappling Academy Sittingbourne, our Junior Judo Club has seen a slight increase in memberships but it is our senior section that has taken a big boost. John Clarke’s Jacket Grappling night on a Tuesday which features Judo, Kurash, Sambo and belt Wrestling is proving popular. Pankration the ancient Greek art of combat continues to be popular with the original instructor Saul White being of with a broken foot Martin Clarke assisted by George Loscombe and Michael Hutchinson have taken over. This type of Combat requires you to wear a jacket and involves a lot of throwing what is more popular is MMA Grappling which involves nearly all ground fighting with little throwing. So on July 6TH we intend running an extra class for MMA Grappling this will be coached by John Clarke, who has been an International Judo, Kurash, Sambo grappler, he also won a British Silver in Free Style Wrestling. This will start at 7pm till 8.15pm followed by Pankration/SportCombatSombo till 10pm, those who wish to can take part in both for the same price “BUY ONE GET ONE FREE”. Sambo on a Thursday coached by Martin Clarke still only get a few dedicated players but this to be expected as it is an advanced class.

Another interesting development is on a Saturday Morning Paul Sargent has be running the Kokusai Karate Club for over 20 years, teaching a small group of enthusiastic Junior karateKa Shotokan Karate. Paul who is a 3rd Dan Karate also holds Black belts in several other Martial Arts, that is why he will be adding Shiai Jutsu to his curriculum on a Saturday morning. Shiai Jutsu is a mixture of Karate and Judo below is a brief summary:

Shiai Jutsu is more suitable for Juniors then MMA as only allows semi contact kicks and punches, it allows limited amount of Gi holding (this stops it becoming a Judo Match)

Points are given as follows:

3pts controlled semi contact kick to head

3pts for a high throw

1 pt for Kick to Body, Punch to head or body

Hold on Floor 5 sec 1pt 10 secs 2pts 15 secs 3pts (Max 3pts on ground)

Submission from Strangle, Armlock or Leglock (Adults and 12 years and above)

3 minutes fights highest score wins or win by submission

Competitors wear a Judogi’s and MMA gloves

The club has several websites for more in depth insight on who we are and what we do:

www.sittingbournekarate.co.uk

www.youngjudoclub.co.uk

www.warroirsgrapplingacademy.co.uk

Dave Boulding 40 years at YJC

2011-04-28T10:29:00.002+01:00

Dear Editor

A lot of people give their time up to help fellow sportsman and women, especially children but I wonder if anyone has put in the years that Dave Boulding has given to the Young Judo Club?

40 years, he joined the Club in 1971 and came to us as a Green Belt; he started his Judo at the famous London Judo Society. On moving to Sittingbourne with his wife Lynn Dave decided to keep up his Judo by joining the club with in a few years he reach Black belt Status and become a club Instructor. In those 40 years he reached the dizzy heights of 6th Dan (Red/White Belt), became a Senior Coach with the British Judo Council, first person to become a Level 3 Coach with the International Budo Federation, managed the IBF GB British Judo Junior Team on many occasions, qualified as an IBF Class A referee and still serves on the IBF England Judo Technical Commission all this time he never gave up teaching children at the club.

He did not restrict him self to Judo, he became a Black belt in Jiu Jitsu, Sambo and CombatSombo, he won a World Masters Sambo Silver and was a founder member of the British Sombo/Sambo Federation which is 25 years old this year.

I have only scratched the surface of this remarkable man, hopefully you will contact him to get some more historical background, and the YJC is planning a presentation meal to celebrate his 40 years.

You can contact him on 01795 471218 or 07816642478. I am sure the thousands of youngsters he taught would like to know he is still at the helm

Martin Clarke 8th Dan

YJC President

FILA MMA called FILA GRAPPLING

2011-04-21T12:18:00.001+01:00

Amateur MMA FILA governs and promotes amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) under the name combat grappling. This discipline incorporates techniques from most existing Martial Arts systems, creating a unique fighting environment that alternatively takes the fight from standing to ground positions. Matches are either won by grappling holds such as joint locks and chokes, or by striking and kicking techniques.

Despite its tremendous popularity, MMA is facing various legitimacy issues due to the lack of sanctioning by the national sports authorities and the lack of universal rules that would protect the athletes' physical and psychological integrity. FILA considers that the implementation of an amateur variant that could guarantee a safe training environment and a competition systems complying with the Olympic standards has become an urgent necessity for all athletes wishing to engage in a professional career. Through the mandatory use of protection gear and limited impact rules (especially regarding ground and pound), FILA intends to offer a safe and educational sport that can satisfy athletes with both recreational or professional goals.

With its combination of stand up and ground techniques, amateur MMA represents a great form of self-defense, which is particularly recommended for the training of police, security, and military forces. Amateur MMA is practiced with board shorts and an optional rashguard along with approved protection gear that includes head gear, shin protectors, and gloves that allow grabbing and holding the opponent for a comfortable application of grappling techniques.

Amateur MMA counts 7 weight categories for men and 5 weight categories for women. No absolute category is considered in order to avoid potentially harmful situations.

Men: 60-65-70-75-80-90-110kg

Women: 50-55-60-65-75kg

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Licence and insurance: The FILA licence is mandatory for all international amateur MMA competitions with more than two participating countries. Every international competition shall be anounced to FILA and added to its official calendar. The FILA insurance will only apply to competitions which appear in its calendar. The FILA licence allows its holder to take part in all wrestling styles ruled by FILA.

St Petersburg to host 2013 World Combat Games

2011-04-21T12:15:00.000+01:00

Sambo is one of the major events in this Combat Games the equivalent to the Olympic Games and the British Sambo Federation will be sending a team. Our selection will start as of now we will be seeing the progress of our athletes over the coming 3 years what competitions they enter, what seminars they attend etc. Those who will represent GB will be chosen by a selection committee not by a one of trials So if you are interested in competing in this prestigious event let us know now. NO JOHNY COME LATELY FOR BRITISH SAMBO

St. Petersburg to host the 2013 SportAccord World Combat Games 08/04/2011 London, 8 April 2011 – St. Petersburg has been announced as the host city of the 2013 SportAccord World Combat Games. SportAccord President Hein Verbruggen and Mikhail Ossievski, First Deputy Governor of St. Petersburg, exchanged the Host City contract during today’s SportAccord General Assembly.

2013 will see the second edition of the SportAccord World Combat Games. Savate and Fencing will be new on the programme. ‘We are happy that two more sports want to join the World Combat Games’, says Hein Verbruggen, President of SportAccord. ‘This shows that our concept is appreciated by our members and that they want to take this additional opportunity to promote their sports.’

Mikhail Ossievski adds: “Martial arts have always been popular, among the numerous sports practiced in St. Petersburg. More than 35 000 children and youngsters go to sports schools and sports clubs where they do wrestling, boxing, fencing, karate, wushu, taekwondo and other kinds of martial arts. There are hundreds of sports clubs in the city and we think that the World Combat Games will further propagate healthy lifestyle among the population and promote the philosophy of good will inherent in the sports.”

EU's £10bn slap in the face for Britain with 4.9% budget rise | Mail Online

2011-04-21T09:04:00.000+01:00

NOW TELL ME WHY WE HAVE TO STAY IN THE EU

EU's £10bn slap in the face for Britain with 4.9% budget rise Mail Online

Judo in the words of Isao Okano-Sensei

2011-04-20T16:08:00.000+01:00

This was sent me, its contents I totally agree with

Voice of Japan by Gotaro Ogawa

Judo in the words of Isao Okano-Sensei

In late January, I asked Mr. Isao Okano for his thoughts on today’s judo. It hardly needs saying that Okano-Sensei was Gold Medalist in the middle-weight category at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, as well as two-time winner of the All-Japan Judo Championships (still holding the record for lightest-weight champion). Having also won the 1965 World Judo Championships (middle-weight category), he is one of the very few in Japan to hold the triple crown of Olympic, All-Japan and World titles. He presently holds no official post in Japanese judo circles, but his skills and his unwavering stance toward upholding the fundamentals of judo command respect both at home and abroad.

Though he has just turned 67, Mr. Okano still gets into his judogi and takes his place on the tatami mat in an on-going career that, including his position at Ryutsu Keizai University, involves judo instruction both in Japan and overseas. He carries a mettle that says, “I can’t just stand by and watch judo turning into a sham.” Each of his statements below bears important points relating to the essence of judo.

( February, 2011 Edited by Gotaro Ogawa)

1. “Looseness” in the fit of judogi

For some time, I have felt there is something wrong with today’s judogi.

It is because when you get into them, you don’t get a feeling of “looseness” or “roominess.” To give one example, when I’m giving lessons on Seoinage, I can’t even maneuver my wrist grabbing my opponent’s collar because there isn’t enough room, and that shouldn’t be. If things go on this way, we’ll no longer be able to use this most basic of judo techniques, and it will be impossible to practice real judo. The difference between combative sports like sambo, sumo and Iran’s wrestling as compared with judo comes in what you wear. The outfits make a big difference in what kind of techniques you can use.

Judogi had their origins in the Japanese kimono, and because kimono are loose-fitting, this made it possible to execute a wide range of techniques, and that led to judo’s distinctive “Sho yoku dai wo seisu (small can conquer large)” character. The outfit formerly used in jujitsu was relatively close fitting, but modern-day judo brought in judogi with a fuller, looser fit.

When judogi don’t have the necessary looseness, it kills the unique nature of judo, and judo begins looking like other combative sports, one result being that you lose the interest and attraction of open-weight matches. Speaking of matches, one thing we need is to have pre-match checks, inserting the hand to see whether the athletes’ judogi are loose enough.

2. Ban on use of the hand in direct attacks below the obi

I myself haven’t gone to see many international tournaments so don’t have an accurate grasp of how the new rules banning hand attacks below the obi are actually being applied. But when I heard of these new rules, I felt concerned that they would make it difficult to use “Go no sen (to make a delayed offensive move taking advantage of the opponent’s attack)” and would reduce the interest of open-weight matches.

There are two main approaches to taking “Go no sen.” One is to use your opponent’s technique and turn it on himself. The other is to absorb it and turn to applying one of the techniques you yourself are good at. I got the impression that under the new rules, we’d no longer be able to use techniques like the Sutemi Kouchigari, Kataguruma, or Ouchigari with a hold on the leg, and that it would be hard to execute Sukuinage or techniques where you hold your opponent around the waist and throw. In that case, it would put an end to “small can conquer large” open-weight category matches. I thought that at the very least, there must be a way to designate just a bare minimum of techniques to be banned.

Only, later on, when I went to the United States and watched practice and matches there, I noticed that under the new rules, a good number of judoka were not aiming for the legs but instead working harder to master fundamental judo techniques like the Uchimata, Taiotoshi and Seoinage. It was good to see judo becoming more authentic, but in another way, I felt there were fewer techniques showing originality and that offensive and defensive interactions had become simple and less interesting.

I want to keep a close watch on how these new rules develop.

3. Newaza

Newaza are essential to judo. Gaining skill in Newaza depends on how you use your legs and requires hard training in using all four limbs, both arms and both legs. Many of today’s judo athletes don’t know of these fundamentals.

When you watch Newaza in matches these days, you find a tendency to lie face down on the mat waiting for the referee to help you out with a “Mate” call. With tactics like this, Newaza are as good as dead. Turning your back on your opponent means getting attacked from behind, and that kind of tactic has no place in the martial arts. You have to lie face up and spar. Shouldn’t they be considering laying penalties on athletes so passive as to lie face down waiting for help from the referee? That would be one way to get Newaza back to the position it deserves.

There are also problems with the referees. Referees don’t know enough about the process of Newaza, so they have a strong tendency to make the two opponents return prematurely to their feet. If they had a good knowledge of the unfolding process involved in attacking and defending in Newaza, they would know whether it’s coming to a standstill or not. There are all too many referees who don’t know much about it, or who have only shallow experience. There’s a need to stop giving refereeing positions to people like that. While on referees, to make another point, it’s really regrettable how many times in international matches you find techniques unqualified as Ippon being declared, nevertheless, as Ippon. There is a clear need for the training and drilling of referees.

4. Riner’s manners

Last September in Tokyo at the open-weight category finals of the World Judo Championships, when France’s Teddy Riner lost by decision, it was reported that he was dissatisfied with the referees’ decision and left the mat without giving the “rei” bow. I wasn’t there to see it in person, but if the media reports are correct, it is a serious problem. Judo begins and ends with “rei.” You might have lost or disagreed with the decision, but leaving without “rei” is the same as starting a brawl.

Down through the years, judo in France has been taught as judo should be, so it is my expectation that this incident has not been overlooked. It would be strange if those in French judo circles did not caution Riner or serve him with a penalty, and could lower France’s reputation. Japan herself should have given a warning on this matter. Many young people and children learning judo here in Japan were watching through television and other broadcasts. “Judo Renaissance” has been emphasizing manners and respect. Japan should have lodged a protest. If Japan is weak at voicing her opinions on an international level, then she should join with France and speak out on this subject.

Thanks M.A.I.

2011-04-19T12:39:00.000+01:00

Some years ago there was no end of Martial Arts Magazines but now there is only two Martial Arts Illustrated and Combat (plus its other names) and an Internet mag MartialArtsNews which has been very good to us in publishing some of our reports, the others left a lot to be desired so it came as a pleasurable surprise to see a couple of articles published in M.A.I. thanks very much it is appreciated so lets respond by buying their mag and maybe we will get more published.

Over Inflated

2011-04-18T19:57:00.000+01:00

A friend of mine from the USA sent some details of some new Sombo Introductory tapes by someone who calls himself a Master of Sport in Sambo, now I am not going to mention his name or his product for two reasons 1) I have not looked at his films in depth so can not make a real comment, what I do know sometimes these people who promote and inflate their own ability can make some very good basic beginner films in the Combat Disciplines, so it may bring in some extra people to Sambo and once they see quality they will move on 2) I am not about to promote anything this gentleman does.

The little I saw of the film an introductory clip did not impress. The most important thing about promoting a Combat Sport is to use correct equipment these guys wore no Sambo Boots wore in correct Shorts and on one occasion wore a white jacket, straight away I am thinking what a bunch of amateurs.

If you want to learn Sambo try and go to a proper Club or look on YouTube there is thousands of clips you can learn from but if you want waste your money go ahead

Judo Ne Waza

2011-04-11T20:50:00.000+01:00

British Judo Association

Kent Championships Dartford

Sunday April 10th

Just one member of the Young Judo Club participated in this even and that was Ben Franks who managed Silver and was selected for the Kent Squad. YJC Coaches who attended said that that the turnout was very poor, which seems a shame as 25 years ago Kent had the largest Judo membership in the country. They all thought the Junior Judo was of a high standard with lots of Ippon throws but the Adult section was of a very low standard as was the refereeing with some abiding by the new rules and some not.

The weekend prior to that Keith Costa of the Young Judo Club held a Ne Waza competition at the Swale Martial arts Club East Street Sittingbourne. Ne Waza means ground fighting so a competition that is only on the ground this went down a storm and everyone enjoyed it. Rolling around the ground instead of throwing has become very popular especially as Martial Arts Players seem not to be so robust as those of previous years and the throws which are more difficult to learn and apply need not be learnt. Therefore the throwing styles of Grappling such as Judo, Sambo, Pankration etc are no longer in vogue, only our own club which only does Grappling Arts which involve throws has a had a slump in numbers I am pleased to say has had a slight revitalisation with more Juniors and Adults attending classes. So much so we are thinking of starting a Grappling section for Juniors on a Saturday morning at Nobbys Gym Milton Regis.

Further information www.warriorsgrapplingacademy.co.uk ibfbcsa@gmail.com

Message from the founder of FIAS and others

2011-04-08T16:28:00.003+01:00

Dear Martin :

Many thanks for your information concerning the Sambo History in Great

Britain.

Also, I like send to you my congratulations for the 25 Anniversary of the

British Sambo Federation, and my recognition of your excellent work in the

Sambo promotion.

You are the founder of this National Federation and also a Grand Master of

Sambo in FIAS.

Dear Martin, congratulations.

I send to you my best regards and my friendship.

Fernando Compte

FIAS Founder

Honorary President

Dear Martin Clarke!

Thank you for SAMBO.
You are a GREAT man and a big SAMBO coach. You are the best SAMBO man
of the YEAR.
I'm very happy to be in touch with you. I will be in London in next
year on the 30th Olympic Games.
With best regards

Josef Roytman

Dear Martin :
Many thanks for your information concerning the Sambo History in Great Britain.
The 25 Anniversary of the British Sambo Federation – Congratulations!
You are the founder and Grand Master of the British SAMBO Federation.

Best regards,

Dr. Jack Kogan

Pan-American Sambo Federation

(PRESIDENT)

Tel: (732)765-9229
E-mail: FPASambo@Gmail.com

British Sambo Federation 25 years old

2011-04-08T11:35:00.000+01:00

http://www.britishsombo.co.uk/25th%20Anniversary.htm

Judo Coach under trial

2011-04-04T13:22:00.001+01:00

I have been reporting over the last 18 months how a well known judo coach has been accused of child abuse some 35 years ago and I have said if he was found guilty he should be punished, but the problem with an accusation of child abuse is that you are guilty till you prove your innocence.

This coach was reported to his Association and they acted by suspending him from all judo activities and his club, which sadly is the correct procedure; subsequently he was reported to the police.

The police investigation took over a year and after a vigorous police enquiry the coach was not charged as there was no wrong doing. So you would have thought that the coaches Association would have said sorry, we have to investigate these things, and you are welcome back to the judo world.

NO. The Organisation decided they would continue the enquiry, he is still on the banned list.They have even employed a Private Investigator who is hounding players who knew the coach, to make up some stories! I believe that others have been phoned up by an Association employee, and almost encouraged to make statements against him, despite their positive responses.

The cost of all this must be extremely high, many thousands of pounds! They seemed determined to make the mud stick. So one must ask the question, was there alter motive to this rather dubious accusation?

One thing is sure, the members should ask why they are spending massive amounts of money on this witch hunt, chasing an unsubstantiated allegation, and maybe the people leading this campaign should be asked to resign from their well paid jobs, especially as they are employed to promote judo.

Coaches beware, do not be too friendly with children or parents, someone may be watching.

IBF MULTI NATION NOW AN OPEN

2011-04-03T16:58:00.002+01:00

IBF Multi Nation Judo Championships

This event is no longer a closed event this the first time since the IBF was founded some 40 years ago that this has happened. This decision was taken by International President F Niering without any consultation with IBF GB. IBF GB believes this is a retrograde move and asks why do IBF GB pay affiliation fees to the International Body? The President seems reticent in answering. What is even more insulting we are told if an IBF country doesn’t bring referees they will be fined, that may be understandable in a closed event but not in an open event. In fact IBF GB will not be sending a team several IBF Clubs will be sending fighters. For details of the competition go to the International IBF web site.

After complaining about the multi nations in Holland I was quite shocked by the lethargy shown by IBF members when it comes to competing. I am well aware that times are hard, fuel is expensive that is why the IBF and YJC are organising local competitions in smaller cheaper venues but we must learn to pull together. The Young Judo Club/Warriors Grappling Academy organising Fund Raising event such as Disco’s, Race Nights, Club Competition Waste paper collections that and the commission we receive from the IBF for selling membership helps our members. Recently Senior Judo members went to the top rating Belgium Open Keith Costa who is Chairman Fund Raising Committee helped sponsor the travel, those members attending the Multi Nations will given £1000 towards there travel in fact this will cover the mini bus and fuel, those members attending the British Open Sambo will have the majority of there accommodation paid for, we have spare mats so that we can start clubs in different venues. Our Judo club has about the same membership as other IBF Clubs, but show if there is a will there is a way. Everyone is aware Judo has been in decline for several years but it will not always be so one day it will rise again and IBF GB should be ready for that day.,

Great Sambo Great Wrestling

2011-03-29T09:37:00.000+01:00

A couple of different films for you
1) Russian Film on the origins of Sambo notice it is a lot of self defence and is not called Combat Sambo very simular to my own CombatSombo
2) Film on a young lad doing proper wrestling not that boring MMA Street Wrestling good fighter stupid haircut

Woodside Side Judo Club IBF GB Top Club

2011-03-23T08:28:00.001Z

Woodside Judo and Sambo Club, Bedford, travelled to Dalfsen, Holland, to compete in the Dutch Open Judo and Sambo Tournament on the 18th and 19th March.

The International Tournament boasted over 1000 competitors from 19 different countries.

The first day saw the club competing in Sambo. First up was Richard Lilley, 11, a judo competitor who was fighting in his first ever Sambo tournament. In the first round Richard found himself 4 points behind early on, he then showed great strength to find a 4 point throw and followed with a 4 point hold. He then went on to gain 1 more point from a throw to eventually win 9-4. In the next round Richard immediately went 4 points ahead, and his opponent had to withdraw with an injury. This meant Richard was in the final, where he lost 10-0 to a very experienced Dutch fighter. Richard finished with the Silver medal.

Next up was Cyeanne Eaton, 13. Due to the female entries being low in numbers for the Sambo, Cyeanne found herself in a weight group 11kg above her weight in the under 52kg's. Cyeanne was winning 4-0 in her first fight but went on to lose 8-4. Her next fight, against the favourite for the Gold, her opponent was too strong and cyeanne found it difficult to unbalance her. she went on to lose 10-0. Cyeanne finished with the Bronze medal.

Vinny Dragan, 22, grew up and trained sambo in Lithuania. He moved to England last year and has recently re-started training at Woodside. Vinny was looking strong through the preliminary rounds winning fights comfortably 12-0 and with submission work. The final against a French oponent was a much closer contest. Both fighters picking up points and swapping the lead between them. The fight went the distance with Vinny unfortunately losing 8-6. Leaving him the Silver medal.

Next up Head Coach Ian Parker, 25. After dislocating his finger early in his first fight, Ian was finding it difficult to keep any grips on his opponents and was knocked out the tournament in the second round with an Ultimate win from a Kata Guruma.

Adam Dodds, 14, has recently moved from the junior section up to Youth (14-17 yr olds). Adam dominated his first opponent and won the fight 12-0 with 2 4-point throws and a 4-point Hold. Adam then found himself facing an experienced Ukraine fighter. Adam fought extremely well to take the fight the distance but lost on points 10-0. Adam received the Silver medal.

Russell Dodds, 43, had earlier in the year retired from fighting the youngsters to concentrate on masters and veteran events. However he was tempted to fight once more. Russell won his first fight against an experienced Scotsman 12-0. He then went on to beat a French opponent 12-4 at the end of the fight. Russell lost his next fight on points and his final contest he withdrew from with breathing difficulties. Russell finished with a Bronze medal.

With the club exceeding the club coach, Ian Parker's expectations on the first day, everyone was excited for the judo on the saturday.

Anton Parocki, 8, was looking to defend his Gold medal from the year before. Anton found himself in a large group of 16 youngsters. Anton had a total of 8 fights and won 7 of them with maximum points from either Ippon throws or Holds. Anton was looking very tired by the time he got to the final but found one last bit of energy to throw his opponent for a Wazari score which he successfully defended to take the Gold medal.

Vinny Dragan, 22, had never entered a judo tournament. Despite knowing the rules his instinct took over and he immeadiately performed a leg grab! The referee spared him disqualification and this fight went the distance with no score. In the Golden score Vinny got Caught with a Tani Otoshi to lose the fight. Vinny then had 3 more fights which he won with ease and with maximum points and finished with a Silver Medal.

Head Coach Ian Parker, with his dislocated finger heavily strapped up, was forced to fight very tactically, not his usual style of fighting. he won his first four fights with 2 Ippons, a Yuko and a Wazari. He then lost to the eventual Gold Medallist to a Drop Seio Nage for Ippon score. He finished with the Bronze Medal.

Aimee Lilley, 13, was next to fight. Aimee had 4 fights in total all of a high standard. Aimee showed great maturity in her style of fighting by being very controlled in her fighting. In all Aimee's fights she took the lead then defended her lead until she had an opening to attack again. she won the Final with a hold to take the Gold Medal.

Elora Parocki, 13, also had a large group. Elora was fighting particularly well and didnt take any chances. she dominated all her oponents and won all her fights to take the Gold medal.

Cyeanne Eaton, 13, first fight was dissapointing as she lost to a hold against an opponent cyeanne and her coach thought she should have beat. Cyeanne showed great mental strength to pick herself up, win her next 3 fights, and then be faced with the same opoonent that beat her in the first round, in the semi-final. Cyeanne made no mistake this time winning with Ippon throw to get into the final. Cyeanne lost the final to a hold and finished with a Silver medal.

Shannon Lilley, 11, had a pool of 4 girls. All experienced players shannon new it would be a tough group. Shannon did well to win one of her fights with a hold and took the Bronze medal.

The total tally of Medals was 3 Gold, 5 Silver and 4 Bronze. 12 Medals from 14 Fighters. This is the best result the club has ever had from this competition.

Chris Dolman Worlds Greatest Grappler

2011-03-22T20:44:00.002Z

Worlds Greatest Grappler “Chris Dolman”

Whilst at the Dutch Open this year I had the pleasure and privilege to meet up with an old adversary Chris Dolman. Chris had travelled down from Amsterdam to Dalfsen to visit me; we have seen each other for 19 years. I fought Chris in the final of the World Games Sambo in 1985 and lost to him on a leg lock, I was 35 and he was already 40.

Chris was already a famous Judoka, Olympic Free Style and Greco Roman Wrestler, Samboist he had won World Medal in all disciplines so he had made his mark by the time he was 40 but he was not going to stop there. After the World Games the new Sport of Bushido was capturing the World of Martial Arts and promoters were soon on to Chris to take on all comers. Bushido was the for runner of cage fighting but done in a ring and people from all over were pitted in this limited rules Matches. Chris first fights were against people like Geoff Capes the famous GB Shot Putter and World Strongest man Bill Kazmaier , he beat Capes on a leg lock (I know how painful they are) and Kazmaier threw in the towel after have his legs kicked to pieces both of his opponents dwarfed him and out strengthen him but he proved that technique will beat just brute strength but his critics said he would never beat a good striker well once again he proved them wrong when he took on from Holland Chris proved he could take a punch and a kick defeating his opponent in the last round with that famous leg lock. The Japanese got to hear about him and became a star attraction in Japan for over 5 years taking on all comers and beating them,

So can I justify the claim Worlds Greatest Grappler YES because I do not know anyone else who has reach World Standard in so many different Grappling Skills?

Please go to YouTube and type in

Chris Dolman VS Geoff Capes

Chris Dolman VS Bill Kazmaier

Dick Frij vs Chris Dolman 1/2

Chris Dolman vs Gary Barber (USA) & Chris Dolman vs Martin Clarke (Great Britain)

Point of interest for those who have read my book “Martin For Moscow” you will see I mention an altercation with Peter Adelaar, well Peter can be seen at the end of the Geoff Capes fight he is the very very tall Gentleman who pushes Geoff Capes

Chris if you are reading this it has been an honour to have known and fought against you.

The photograph was taken at the Dutch Open I am now 61 and Chris is 67

CombatSombo US affiliates to AASF

2011-03-12T10:24:00.001Z

Great News CombatSombo International USA has affiliated to the American Amateur Sambo Federation. The AASF is headed by legendary David Rudman and Jack Kogan, AASF is the only US Body to be recognised by FIAS the International Body for Sambo.
Frank Fuller is CombatSombo International USA Rep appointed by the founder of CombatSombo Martin Clarke. Working along side AASF gives CombatSombo the credibility it deserves plus CSI USA can help promote Sambo throughout the USA

Frank Fuller

A Reminder of what CombatSombo is?

Every few years I have to remind people what is CombatSombo and the fact I developed the system. Yes the fact that I say I am the inventor of the system seems to upset some so called experts, who continue to maintain that CombatSombo is a Russian style of Martial Art. So let me correct some of the misunderstanding yes I have used the Sombo as part of my name solely because I use much of the grappling techniques of Sombo and Judo in my style and putting the word Combat in front of name is not unusual I believed I was the first to do this in 1983 but I was corrected as someone from the USA back in the 1950’s used Combat Judo. Sambo is a Russian Self defence Sport and was started in the early 1900’s and I am very active with International Sambo and FIAS being placed in the Top 10 of the most influential people in the World for Sambo. Pre the break-up of the USSR the word Sambo meant all concepts Sport and Military self-defence, with the collapse of Communism many ex soviets wanted to make money from their expertise. The first time the Self Defence of Sombo was seen was in the USA and was called Military Sambo several magazine carried articles eventually they realised my name was more suitable I refused them permission to use the word CombatSombo because I wanted to keep control, they eventually used the word Combat Sambo. Now when I registered the name in 1988 with the British Trade Marks Registry I stupidly only registered it the UK not World Wide but I can stop people in the UK using the word CombatSombo or wording similar i.e. CombatSombo, Combat Sombo. Combat Sambo something I have done on a few occasions and something I will continue to do.

So why am I so paranoid about the name CombatSombo well quite simply it is my Philosophical approach to it (please read below) this make it entirely different from the Russian Combat Sambo who system is extremely more violent and more suited to the Military a very effective system if you are a Soldier but I want to teach CombatSombo as an educational system to make better human beings so the two styles are not compatible. Some people use the word Sambo Combat which I think distinguishes the difference a lot better. Finally CombatSombo was accepted by the World Governing Body FIAS in 1988, the first FIAS Combat Sambo Commission was started in 1992, something I was invited to serve on but I declined, The Soviet Union Collapsed in 1985 I started CombatSombo in the 1983.

So is CombatSombo big in the UK No it is very small and that is intentionally I have only trusted a few people to carry on my work here but over the last 8 years I have suffered with bad knee and hip and have been restricted to walking with a stick. The good news in February 2009 I had a new knee and March 2010 I had a new hip and now I am in fine fettle, I am back teaching Sport CombatSombo, Sombo Wrestling and in September will be starting CombatSombo classes, plus I will be teaching at the annual Summer camp and hope to run CombatSombo Instructors course in December.

CombatSombo will remain pure because the system was developed by me (Martin Clarke) and is owned by me (Martin Clarke) If in the early days of Martial Arts the traditional styles had been registered you would not have so many bastardise forms and so many inflated grades with overrated Chief Coaches believing in their own hype. Recently I saw a 40 year old claiming to be a 10th Dan! yet that particular grade was reserved for old men who had spent in access 50 years in the Martial Arts, someone who had contributed more then the average who was recognised throughout the World a rare Martial Arts Practitioner. CombatSombo will have that purity

CombatSombo Philosophy

As you can see by my cv which is enclosed I have been involved in the Martial Arts/Combat Disciplines since the age of 5 (1955) I was born in 1950. I have always enjoyed the competitive side of Combat and I have won medals at international and national level at Judo, Sombo, Jiu Jitsu and Free Style Wrestling. I have also been a keen advocate of the Founder of Judo Jigaro Kano, in one of books he made the following statement “Judo is more than just a sport or Martial Art, it is a means of Physical and Cultural Attainment” in other words “it is a way of producing better human beings” I apply this philosophy to all my Martial Arts and Combat Disciplines. Grappling sports I feel help you achieve this by teaching us such simple things as:

Respect (all grapplers have respect for there opponent, note I use the word opponent not enemy, they may not always realise it)

Duty of care (this is a must as if some of the techniques are very dangerous that we could damage our opponent. This is not we trying to do we are trying to win but not at the expense of an injury).

To abide by the rules (competitions have rules not only to keep the activity as safe as possible but to make contest equal)

Comradeship.

In my CombatSombo system I try and introduce people to a Self Defence/Combat Discipline system that has a set of morals. Unlike other systems I advocate control and restraint. My aim is not to turn people into Barbaric Animals with no consideration for others. After saying all this I am a practical man, I realise that self-defence has different degrees. Dealing with a drunk is different to dealing with several assailants with weapons. Although my system teaches techniques that can maim, they are only to be used in extreme cases. Remember no one has the right to cause life long disablement to another human being.

To do CombatSombo you need to be healthy and fit, we encourage our members to take regular excise and grapple on a regular basis. To understand any self-defence you need to practise in as near real situation as you get. To advise any one to get involved in a Pub fight to test their techniques would be immoral and irresponsible, so the nearest I can offer is some sort of controlled fighting, i.e. SportCombatSombo, CombatSombo Submission Wrestling, Sambo. Remember there is no easy route to becoming a proficient CombatSombo Practitioner.

'Impersonation is the highest form of Flattery'

They say that 'Impersonation is the highest form of Flattery'. Well that certainly is the case when it comes to CombatSombo. I invented the name CombatSombo in 1983 to register with the public my particular system of Combat. I registered it as a trademark with explanation " CombatSombo is a self Defence grappling system". It took many years plus many meetings to get the Trademark but I did, it then took further years for the International Governing Body for the Sport of Sombo/Sambo to accept it. You will find below a copy of letter which confirms what I say, what is unique about this letter it signed by the Founder of FIAS Mr Fernando Compte at the time when there was only one International Body. My mistake was not to register the name CombatSombo/CombatSambo on an International basis. At least in the UK the system is pure and protected. So what of the other Combat Sambo, Combat Sombo unless they are affiliated to CombatSombo International they do not do CombatSombo. They may claim to have authority from some Russian Master, this may be true but what they do may be a Martial Art but not CombatSombo.

Martin Clarke

MMA BJJ what is this

2011-03-05T17:59:00.002Z

Martial Arts is no longer what it used to be I mean in terms of numbers, I hear of many clubs closing through lack of membership. Some forms of Grappling are kicking the trends not the traditional style like Judo and Sambo but the relative new ones lick Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA.

Some tell me Brazilian Jiu Jitsu BJJ will soon take over Judo in the UK in being the most popular Jacket Wrestling Sport. I much prefer Judo and Sambo to BJJ but then I would say that I have spent the last 55 years doing Judo and 35 years doing Sambo. Sometimes you have to move with the flow BJJ is very well organised with rules, syllabus and uniform and has a large World wide following. My main criticism is that there is no National Body representing the whole of the UK (to my knowledge any rate) I have for several years tried to get a BJJ section established at my DOJO in Sittingbourne, I have emailed several people but get no reply! I am not interested in running a BJJ club but want to offer my Dojo for rent as I know that my Sambo, Kurash, Judo clubs will benefit by having a BJJ section. So let hope sooner then later we get a National Body here is name for you BJJ UK or GB BJJ.

After complementing BJJ I can not say the same for MMA, this lot of rag a muffins start clubs up with no qualifications no experience. OK maybe I am to hard, some have credibility but not many, I have a name for it STREET WRESTLING, this where a group of youngster just chuck a couple of mats down and start rolling around the floor and all of sudden they are doing MMA what ever that means. I recently saw a MMA competition on YouTube what a mess, they were on some inferior mats the competitors looked like they had just come from the beach with those ridiculous shorts, the referee looked like some hippy from the 1960’s and the audience were all standing on the mat which had no demarcation area. I very much doubt if they had any insurance and totally ignored any health and safety issues but what was most frustrating was that the Wrestling itself was pretty good and enjoyable to watch There is light at the end of the tunnel FILA the International recognised Wrestling organisation has taken on board a lot of the more of the out landish grappling style such as Grappling- Pankration- Combat Wrestling – Beach Wrestling – Belt Wrestling. The British section of FILA is the British Wrestling Association and they have formed FILA GRAPPLING which run by Paul Ivaenus and Oliver Ellif while FILA COMBAT which covers the rest of the Grappling Styles this is run by Andrew Brownbridge who is also President British Grappling Association with these guys in charge Grappling can be become main stream with some credibility but lets get away from the name MMA.

Many years ago my club used to practise Freestyle Wrestling as I did myself, I also once organised a British Junior Wrestling Championships at Herne Bay, with the interest in Grappling I have decided to get the club to rejoin the BWA and get my members to learn how to do wrestling properly

Martin Clarke dinosaur

2011-02-07T23:03:00.000Z

It’s a Strange World

25 years ago the Young Judo Club had 400 members and the better one would be put into my Competition Class it was considered an honour. I would shout at them expect them to work hard, expect them to turn up at competitions and most importantly only praised them when it was just. Did the parents or kids complain NO they thanked me for instilling discipline a sense of pride in their children also the children were made to realise you never achieve anything without hard work and dedication, they realised not everyone won medals or could be a champion but they also realised to train to be a champion was a good thing just trying to get there improved you as a Judoka and as a person. Yes I had the pleasure of training many Champion and saw nothing wrong in a Youngster wanting a Gold Medal

What of today the Political Correct way is not to shout that is considered bullying; competition is bad as it promotes elitism, rewards such as grades, medals etc should be given to anyone who attends irrelevant of standards NO one fails, every instructor is considered a potential hazard to children until they have a CRB check, Children and Parents demand grades they are not worthy of. How many kids do Judo today?

I know which system made the children better human beings but then again what do I know

Martin Clarke 8th Dan

Alan Roberts and Nobby Clarke

2011-02-06T18:00:00.000Z

I am trying to find a photo with my father John Nobby Clarke and GB most successful Judo Coach Alan Roberts
Alan has trained many Olympians and won the BJA Coach of the Year 3 times with the BJA and most credit him as GB's most successful Coach. What a lot of people do not know he started his Judo with my father and designed the Young Judo Club Badge. He recently organised the funding and building of the World Famous Dartford Judo Club, he seems to have gone of the radar recently if any of you are in contact with please let me know. GB could do with his expertise

Report on Adam Dodds Woodside Judo Bedford plus Wrestling Technique

2011-01-31T09:44:00.000Z

Adam fought at the u20 British trails

I entered him because on the form it said 1992-1996 but I thought it was in years.

I arrived at Sheffield at 7 am they wouldn't recognise his ibf junior blue belt so they weren't going to allow him to fight , it was lucky that I knew an official he gave adam verbal verification that he was that grade.

Then bearing in mind I hold a second dan in judo and is a level 2 instructor,also a bja 1st dan

I was unable to get a coaching pass because i didn't do a bja coaching course

so Adam was left in the compound of fighters with out any encouragement or coaching but apart from all that it was a good competition no soft ippons which was good to see with some very good judoka coming Adam did well but he was the youngest in the group first competition with senior rules he held his own But lost all three fights

on back badges Adam was told he would be ok this time but if he had progressed from this it would be needed, however 95% of the players were wearing them

Regards

Russell Dodds

Here is a wrestling joke for you!

Before the final match, the Norwegian wrestling coach came to Ole and said, "Now, don't forget all the research we've done on this

Russian.

He's never lost a match because of this 'pretzel' hold he has". Whatever you do, do not let him get you in that hold! If he does,

You're finished'.

Ole nodded in acknowledgment.

As the match started, Ole and the Russian circled each other several times, looking for an opening. All of a sudden, the Russian lunged

Forward, grabbing Ole and wrapping him up in the dreaded pretzel hold.

A sigh of disappointment arose from the crowd and the coach buried his face in his hands, for he knew all was lost. He couldn't watch

The inevitable happen.

Suddenly, there was a scream, then a cheer from the crowd and the coach raised his eyes just in time to watch the Russian go flying up

In the air. His back hit the mat with a thud and Ole collapsed on top of him making the pin and winning the match.

The crowd went crazy. The coach was astounded.

When he finally got his wrestler alone, he asked, "How did you ever get out of that hold? No one has ever done it before!"

Ole answered, "Vell, I vas ready to give up ven he got me in dat hold, but at DA last moment, I opened my eyes and saw dis pair of

Testicles right in front of my face. I had nuttin' to lose so wid my last ounce of strength I stretched out my neck and bit dose babies

Just as hard as I could."

So the trainer exclaimed, "That's what finished him off!"

"Vel not really. You'd be amazed how strong you get ven you bite your own nuts!"

Sambo equipment

2011-01-29T17:40:00.002Z

It seems there is some interest in the Kent Open Sambo great Remember if you want to compete in the World masters you have to be a member of the ESF or SSF or NISF and attend the trials. This year I am told it will be in Greece

I have a limited amount of Sambo Jackets in Stock

Sambo Boots Black Canvas Seconds £5 a pair

Size 9 8 7 6 5 4

Sambo Boots red/Blue leather Seconds £7.50p

Size 2 3 4 5 6

White Sambo Jackets

Sizes 130/140 £20

Reversible or Red Sambo Jackets

Size 200 165 170 180 £35

Stock is limited so be quick price doesn't include P

New Rules on Judogi

2011-01-23T14:40:00.002Z

No matter what the BJA say Judo is on the decline along with a lot of other sports, but what I heard yesterday if true (which I hope it is not) beggars belief.

I refer to the rumour that the BJA are about bring in a Rule that when you enter competition you have to have your name printed on the back and not only do you have to have one blue one white suit you now have to have two just in case one get torn, now this maybe OK for international players who have all their expenses paid for but what about the ordinary Judoka? Averages suit is £70 with name another £10 so £80 a suit time 4 equals £320 and what about resale? Who will buy a second hand suit with someone else’s name? So much for re-cycling, it seems strange as soon as a Manufacturer of Judogi’s sponsors the IJF we have to buy all this extra kit?

What’s a matter with reversible kit? Sambo is the same as Judo if you enter an international competition you have a single colour kit normally one of the sponsors agreed kit. Is this about making the sport better or making money for the committee members to have jollies?

Has anyone heard from GB’s most successful Judo Coach “Allen Roberts 6th Dan” what I hear he is desperately needed? They tell me if we do not get a least 8 Olympic Judo Medals there could be troubled times ahead, mind you the amount of money being spent on elite training we should get the amount required

Judo at Westlands

2011-01-16T17:21:00.001Z

Dave Boulding 6th Dan assisted by Keith Costa 3rd Dan have started an after school Judo Club on a Friday for the students of Westlands School. This came as quite shock to some of the pupils as Dave is a caretaker at the School, they never imagined that this little caretaker was one of Britain's leading Junior Judo Coaches for the last 35 years. The club will be a feeder for the Young Judo Club at Swale Martial Arts Club East Street Sittingbourne

Two membersfrom the Warriors Grappling Academy took part in a Belt promotion in Sambo Michael Hutchinson 3rd Grade Green Belt George Loscombe 6th grade Brown Belt

more information http://www.youngjudoclub.co.uk/ http://www.wariorsgrapplingacademy.co.uk/ ibfbcsa@gmail.com

Natural Health

2010-12-29T14:13:00.002Z

thought this article would interest before I get accused by some academic that I advocating this that and the other all I am doing is showing you an article make up your own minds
Dr. Mercola Is Another Dumbbell

Roger Mason

December 28, 2010

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

88,000 people every day go to www.mercola.com to be misguided about natural health. What a mistake! Only about 10,000 people get our weekly newsletter. You have to sign up and register to read any of his articles. Why? We certainly don't do that. Alexa.com is the website rating authority. They rate www.mercola.com as 500 in America! This is simply incredible, and hard to believe. This is one of the most popular websites in the world, and THE most popular "health" web-site. Young Again is rated as 200,000. Please go there if you need a good laugh for free. Here are five planks in his natural health platform:

· Eating fat does not make you fat. Eating whole grains makes you fat.

· A low-fat diet is dangerous to your health.

· Whole grains like brown rice raise your blood sugar and give you diabetes.

· Eat all the meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products you want.

· Cholesterol doesn't count, and low cholesterol is actually dangerous.

· Soy foods are poisonous and carcinogenic

Is this guy insane or what? Folks, this is a guaranteed road to sickness and early death. This is just another ketogenic Atkins clone who advocates the "Paleolithic Diet". These people love the word "carbohydrates" or "carbs". Actually, the words "carbohydrate" and "carb" are meaningless terms. They refer equally to both brown rice and white sugar, Twinkies and oatmeal, or chocolate candy and whole grain bread. How does that make sense? What do whole grains have in common with simple sugars?

According to Mercola and his friends, there is no difference between eating a bowl of brown rice, and eating a bowl of white sugar, because they are all "carbohydrates". This is patently ridiculous. If people like Atkins, Mercola, Crayhon, Sears, Eades, Douglass, and Heller can't see the difference between Twinkies and oatmeal, or chocolate candy and whole grain bread, they need a new brain. Crayhon just fell over dead from cancer at only 49 from following his own deadly advice. Atkins fell over dead years ago from chronic heart disease, obese, sickly, and suffering from numerous health problems from following the same deadly program.

Anyone who knows anything about nutrition realizes that fat contains about twice the calories of protein or carbohydrates. It is FAT that makes you fat! It isn't food that makes you fat- it is FAT that makes you fat. Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, and Helen Keller can see that much. Read any of the books by Susan Powter, Neal Barnard, Gary Null, Robert (or Nathan) Pritikin, Terry Shintani, Michio Kushi, or Dean Ornish on low-fat eating. You can eat all you want, and be slim and healthy all your life, if you eat a low-fat diet, and avoid meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Animal fat makes you fat.

A whole grain, low-fat diet is the basis of your good health and long life. People who eat a balanced whole grain based diet can literally avoid cancer, diabetes, heart/artery disease, and other such epidemic conditions. What more proof do you need? A whole grain based diet keeps you slim while maintaining low insulin and blood sugar levels. The rural Japanese are the healthiest and longest lived people on our planet. The Okinawans are specifically the healthiest and longest lived. The Okinawans eat more soy foods than anyone which comes to 12% of their diet. Mercola is always warning about the "dangers" of soy foods, and how deadly they are. This is prima facie absurd. The healthiest people on earth prove soy is good food.

The garbage he sells is pitiful. We can only cover a few of the worthless supplements he sells. How about UNREFRIGERATED krill oil for $62.97 for a 180 day supply ($20.99 a month, compared to $3.50 a month for our REFRIGERATED flax oil). Worthless ubiquinol $21.97 for 30. Our REAL CoQ10 is only $10 a month. Useless chorella. Ridiculous "nanotechnology" vitamin D spray $42.97 for a 90 day supply. You don't "spray" vitamin D! Our vitamin D is $2.50 a month. Purple Defense is too stupid to even bother discussing, at $44.97 for a 90 day supply. Our Better Immunity (real beta glucan) is $15.00 for a 90 day supply. Their moronic Prostate Support is $25.00 a month for worthless saw palmetto and pumpkin seed oil. Real Beta Prostate® has 600 mg of actual mixed sterols, for a fraction of the price (www.betaprostate.com). Their $14.97 melatonin spray refuses to give any information about how much melatonin is in it. You don't "spray" melatonin for God's sake! Our melatonin is $2.50 a month for 3 mg. His vitamin B-12 spray is $16.97 for a mere 30 day supply. We put methyl cobalamin (oral B-12) in our All your Minerals and Vitamins. You get 13 vitamins and 20 minerals for $6.00 a month. He sells garbage like acai berry. His coconut oil at $17.45 a pint is just too much to comprehend. Folks, this is 90% saturated fats!!! His UNREFRIGEATED fish oil is $9.97 for a 60 day supply. Our RE-FRIGERATED flax oil (read Flax Oil is Amazing) is $6.95. Why continue?

Our books and articles have cited, published, international, clinical studies that prove you lower your cholesterol, CRP, homocysteine,

insulin, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels with a low-fat, whole foods diet based on whole grains, beans, and vegetables. We've also cited studies that prove saturated animal fat is a major cause of cancer, heart disease, obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Most all diabetics are overweight from eating too much meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Please read my books The Natural Diabetes Cure and Lower Blood Pressure Without Drugs. The journal Nutrition and Cancer (v 38, 2000) proves this. Doctors at the U of CA fed women an unlimited whole grain, low-fat diet, and their insulin levels fell an amazing 63% in only THREE WEEKS!!!! Notice that is 63%. Their blood sugar levels also fell dramatically in only three weeks. They ate all they wanted 24 hours a day and lost weight. There are lots of such published studies, yet dopes like Mercola tell you eating whole grains raises your insulin and blood sugar levels, and makes you fat.

Southern Chinese use rice as a staple, and Northern Chinese use wheat as a staple. They have SEVENTEEN TIMES LESS HEART AND ARTERY DISEASE than we do. CHD is the biggest killer of all by far, and they have seventeen times less than us. Migration studies prove this is due to their diet and lifestyle. 98% of the wheat eaten in the U.S. is nutrition less refined white flour. Only 1% of the U.S. diet is whole grains, and that is mostly all oatmeal and whole wheat bread.

Eating more meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products is a guaranteed way to raise your cholesterol and blood pressure so you'll fall over of a heart attack or stroke, get more cancer, succumb to diabetes, feel sickly, and die early. The American public hogs down an amazing 42% fat calories which is five times what they need. They hog down five times the fat they need- 500%! Almost half their calorie intake is from fat! Most all of these are saturated artery-clogging animal fats. These only come from meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Americans have the highest cancer, heart/artery disease, and diabetes rates in the world. We eat twice the calories we need, and twice the protein we need. We are overfed and undernourished.

Ironically, Mercola has written two good books- The Great Bird Flu Hoax and Sweet Deception. The first exposes the bird flu fraud, and the second exposes sucralose for the poison it is. We have been saying these things for years now. He is also a good libertarian and supports Ron Paul and other libertarian issues. He warns about simple sugars, refined grains, and hydrogenated oils.

Its men like this who gives natural health a bad name. People who take his advice only get sicker and then say, "Natural health doesn't work". Why is Mercola so popular? Because he tells people what they want to hear, rather than what they need to hear. The secret to success is to tell people what they want to hear. Robert Atkins was the most popular author of diet books in history- until he fell over dead at 72 from following his own asinine advice. Mercola will fall over dead prematurely from doing the same thing. Remember you heard that here first folks.

Please get the twice monthly free economic rant at www.youngagain.org. Warren Buffer has made a mere 7% a year for the last ten years. Silver has gone up an amazing 60% a year for the last ten years. This is 857% better than Berkshire Hathaway. This will be much better in the next five years.

1st Dan at twelve ??

2010-12-29T14:03:00.001Z

The film below show a Grading lasting 2 days
Can some one please tell what is the point of it?

When I examine I try and assess whether the participant has the ability to reach a set standard so why should it take to long? I also question some of the exercises some of these youngsters are doing? Can you examine that amount of people all in one go? Finally a 1st Dan at 12?

These a genuine question to Karateka I am not trying to decry what this School does but would like to have answers

Spitfire in the Sea

2010-12-28T16:13:00.000Z

All you here about is MMA or Submission Wrestling you know the stuff that doesn't allow any hard throws.
Well Spitfre Judo and Sambo Club are not just hard enough to take throws but they also train on a Boxing Day IN THE SEA at Folkestone. I was unavoidable detained as I would have loved to have been participating! I have a lot of bad luck with this event as I miss it every year

http://picasaweb.google.com/carrott444/BoxingDayDip2010#5555657040084972130

Martin Clarke Competitor

2010-12-28T15:50:00.001Z

Find some photo's of yours truly. the interesting one is the one where my brother is throwing me in the background you can see Johny Elmer, Robin Fullagar, Jimmy Gould and Trevor Jordan

http://picasaweb.google.com/Grapplinguk/MartinClarkeCompetitor?authkey=Gv1sRgCIWVmbTNyuykvQE#5555758783807530210

21st IBF Dutch Open

2010-12-22T12:17:00.000Z

21st Dutch Open Championships 2011

 Sambo   Judo  Karate  Hand-to-Hand Fighting

21st Dutch Open Championships 2011

 Sambo   Judo  Karate  Hand-to-Hand Fighting

Organisation:

Budo Promotion Ommen under auspices of the International Budo Federation, Dutch Sambo Federation and the Nederlandse Culturele Sportbond.

Place: Meeting centre ‘De Trefkoele’

Ruigedoornstraat 108

7721 BW Dalfsen – The Netherlands

Schedule:

Thursday 17 March

Arrival of the delegations

Friday 18 March

Dutch Open Championships Sambo, Combat-Sambo and Hand-to-Hand Fighting (Fights and Kata)

Saturday 19 March

Dutch Open Championships Judo and Karate

Sunday 20 March

Departure of the delegations

Competitors:

During the Dutch Open 2010 there were competitors from the following countries: Netherlands, Ukraine, Lithuania, Italy, Estonia, Germany, France, Jordan, Greece, Poland, Scotland, England, Czech Republic, Belgium, Swiss and Russia.

Entrance fee:

Spectators till 13 years of age: € 3,- Spectators 13 years and older: € 5,-

Match rules:

Sambo: FIAS-rules (www.sambo.com)

Hand-to-Hand: International rules (IBF)

Judo: IBF/IJF-rules

Karate: IBF-rules (information: www.ibf-international.org)

Equipment judo:

White judogi. Blue judogi is allowed but only when the judoka has to fight on the red (blue) side.

Equipment karate:

Karategi/club tenue – boys and men no T-shirts – ‘TOK’ under trousers (girls and ladies also) – competition with safety-equipment (hand shoes with dumb and fingers closed).

Referees and jury members:

Please enter the available referees and jury members on the registration form. At least one referee per country.

Registration fee:

(Combat-)Sambo: € 10,00 per competitor

H-to-H Fighting-Full-contact: € 10,00 per competitor

(It’s a lot like combat-sambo)

H-to-H Fighting-Kata: € 10,00 per competitor

Judo: € 9,00 per competitor

Karate: (weapen)kata: € 12,50 per competitor per kata

Teamkata: € 30,00 per team (3 persons)

Fights: € 12,50 per competitor until 15 yrs

€ 15,00 per competitor 16 yrs and older

Signing up obligates you to pay your registration fee!!!

No applications will be accepted on the day of the match.

Payments: Payments can be done on our no. 4167 53 329 of Budo Promotions Ommen (IBAN NL90ABNA0416753329; BIC ABNANL2A).

If you can’t pay by internet, payments will be made on the day of arrival.

Weight classes Sambo: ’00-‘99 Boys

-32, -35, -38, -41, -45, -49, -53, -57, +57 kg ‘98/’97 Boys

-35, -38, -41, -45, -49, -53, -57, -62, +62 kg ‘96/’95 Boys

-45, -48, -51, -55, -59, -63, -68, -73, +73 kg ‘94-‘93 Men

-52, -56, -60, -65, -70, -75, -81, +81 kg ’92-older Men

-62, -68, -74, -82, -90, +90 kg

Weight classes Combat-Sambo: ’93-older Men

-68, -74, -82 kg, +82 kg

Weight classes Hand-to-Hand Fighting: ’93-older Men

-70, -80, +80 kg

Weight classes Judo: ‘05/’04 -8 yr -10 yr Boys

-21, -24, -27, -30, -34, -38, -42, -46, -50,

-55, +55 kg ‘03/‘02 Girls

-20, -22, -25, -28, -32, -36, -40, -44, -48, +48 kg ‘01/‘00 -12 yr -15 yr Boys

-27, -30, -34, -38, -42, -46, -50, -55, -60,

-66, -73, +73 kg ’98/’97/’96 Girls

-25, -28, -32, -36, -40, -44, -48, -52, -57,

-63, +63 kg ‘95/’94 -17 yr Boys

-55, -60, -66, -73, -81, -90, +90 kg Girls

-48, -52, -57, -63, -70, +70 kg ‘93/’92/’91 -20 yr Men

-66, -73, -81, -90, +90 kg Women

-52, -57, -63, -70, +70 kg ’90-ouder +20 yr Men

-66, -73, -81, -90, +90 kg Women

-52, -57, -63, -70, +70 kg

Weight classes Karate: till 10 years Boys/Girls

-25, -30, -35, -40, -45, +45 kg till 15 years Boys/Girls

-30, -35, -40, -45, -50, -55, -65, +65 kg 16 and older Men

-60, -65, -70, -75, -80, -90, +90 kg Women

-55, -65, -75, +75 kg

If one of the weight classes has insufficient participation, classes will be put together. Be aware of a good registration! Too late at the weigh-in means disqualification!

!!! Changing weight class on the tournament day will cost 5 euro !!! (When changing is possible)

Accommodation:

Mercure Hotel Zwolle: h2109-sb@accor.com or +31 38 427 33 33

Triple room: € 90,- / single and double room: € 70,- (with breakfast)

Registrations:

Send your registrations at the latest on February 12, 2011:

Electronical registration (only in Dutch language):

Dutch: http://menno.fmns.rug.nl/emsland/UDOC2011.htm

 Sambo

 Combat-Sambo

 H-to-H Fighting

 Judo

 Karate

Or you can use the Excel-file and send it to:

Budo Promotion Ommen

o.v.v. Dutch Open Dalfsen

Emslandweg 17

7731 RP Ommen (NL)

E-mail: sportcentrumemsland@online.nl

Changes:

Changes in weight or tie color can only be passed before Tuesday March 15, 2011 by e-mail. Too late at the weigh-in means exclusion of the competitions!

!!! Changing weight class on the tournament day will cost 5 euro !!! (When changing is possible)

Registration/competitor cards:

The competitor cards will be send in week 9 or 10 to you by e-mail or will be handed out on the day of arrival or at the entrance of the sports hall. Please enter the right e-mail address.

Each competitor must be in the possession of a valid budo-passport and plays on his/her own risk. We wish all competitors a good trip and a lot of success!!

With kind regards,

Budo Promotion Ommen

www.emsland-ommen.nl / www.sambo-nederland.nl

Points Scoring JUDO

2010-12-21T15:05:00.002Z

Points Scoring Judo

I was in the company of a couple of Gentleman who practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA Grappling

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu wear a Gi similar to Judo but the emphasis is floor work what I can see 95% of the match ground work, MMA Grappling is somewhat the same but no Gi is worn. I do not particular warm to either as I prefer grappling sports which emphasise throwing i.e. Sambo, Judo, Kurash, Belt Wrestling etc. The sports that concentrate on ground work are having a real up swing in interest one of the gents told me he runs events with 500 competitors paying £30 to £40 to enter an event, I expect there are some very rich promoters.

Judo is the main Jacket Wrestling sport that still relies on throwing in this country so why is it hitting an all time low in participation? One reason is people today are softer and do not like the idea of being thrown not much we can do about that the other is the rules of Judo which I believe deters people from competing in tournament especially youngsters fro example The present system you can win by holding someone on the floor for 25 seconds, how many events have you seen a youngsters pulled to the ground held down the whole match may have lasted 35 seconds if he is lucky he may get another fight which may last just as long. You then get the irate parents who then tell you they have given up a day paid entry and spectator fee for what amounted to less then 2 minutes, they go away disgruntled maybe not returning to Judo and then you get the scoring where some add up and some do not, the hand signals do not give any indication of what is happening to some body who never seen Judo before.

I have tried many Jacket Wrestling Sports and have put together some rules for a Junior Judo Championships to be held in February in Sittingbourne, which I believe will give some encouragement to novices and also help more experienced players try new techniques and will allow them to do all Judo Techniques.

Ippon = Throw someone on their back and remain standing

4pts = Thrown some on their back and fall with them, throw someone on their side remain standing, hold some on the ground in Judo Hold-down for 20 seconds

2pts = Throw someone their side and fall with them, hold some on the ground in Judo Hold-down for 10 seconds

1pt = any throw that doesn’t warrant one of the above

Maximum of 4points can only be scored with a ground hold Ippon is not given for hold down.

Win is someone who scores Ippon – scores 12 clear points ahead of his opponent – has a majority of points when time is scored

It will be forbidden to do any submissions, any technique or action which is considered dangerous or disrespectful to either your opponent of an official, refusing to fight by running away or continually being passive. A point will awarded to your opponent if you infringe the rules on receiving 4th penalty point you will be disqualified.

The only Japanese terminology will be Ippon, Oseakomi; all other signals will be in English with appropriate hand signal.

This method competition will give everyone a fairer chance to try different techniques without worry that one mistake will cost them the match. I hope you will support our venture into Points Scoring Judo

Sambo

2010-12-15T09:04:00.001Z

World Combat Sambo 2010 Final Great Armlock

2010-12-10T20:17:00.001Z

World Sambo Finals 2010

2010-12-10T20:11:00.003Z

Legalize MMA in NY in 2011 - ACT NOW! But What is MMA?

2010-12-10T09:33:00.001Z

Legalize MMA in NY in 2011 - ACT NOW!

This email has been distributed around the World although I support most Combat Disciplines I have to know exactly what it is i.e Iknow what Judo, Sambo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Pankration they all have a set of rules and all have National and International Bodies but what is MMA? I know it means Mixed Martial Arts but what does that mean? What I have seen on the Web is forms of submission wrestling called MMA and forms of striking and wrestling called MMA. There is no set uniform or clothing and there are no one set of rules. Which obviously brings in Health and safety aspects. In GB Insurance companies in the main will not just insure something called MMA unless they have a complete set of Rules, an association backing them and a Health and safety policy in progress. So for example I call my own MMA style MMA SportCombatSombo which is a Jacket and non Jacket Striking Grappling Style which is part of my British CombatSombo Association and CombatSombo International This style has full set of rules etc which have been negotiated with the Insurance company and I know there are other Associations who have done the same by adding their own name to MMA.
If the people of want MMA recognised by New York State they should try an organise a National Association and eventually work to an International organisation although I do wonder if this is necessary as there are so many combat discipline out their which cover nearly every aspect of Combat for example Combat Wrestling which I believe appeared in the World Games is a wrestling sport which involves submissions and points then there is Pankration which involves Striking and Grappling and these are recognised by Sports Accord so I am yet to be convinced MMA is a Combat Discipline in its own right but I am prepared to be enlightened maybe there is an organisation out there who have a legitimate sport called MMA?

Now is the time to take up Sambo

2010-12-09T10:13:00.002Z

World Combat Games

Plenary Session (preliminary)

Lausanne (Switzerland)

November, 21-24

The 2nd World Combat Games will take place in 2013

The program will include 14 types of sport - French boxing - Savate

There will be a new competition formant. Similar groups will be grouped for illumination. For example, , quarter, semi and finals. This will be done according to each sports technical requirements (i.e. Boxing, Muaythai, Kickboxing, Savate - Judo, Taekwondo, Karate, Ju-Jitsu -Sambo, Wrestling, Kendo, Sumo- Wushu, etc.)

SportAccord proposes that each IF make a list of the national anthems of federation members in order to assist with verifications, accuracy and equal representation of member Countries

SportAccord proposes that the IF become more involved in the staging of cultural programs (i.e each night a sport will have highlighted activities in the Combat Village)

SportAccord proposes that the Ambassador Program be launched one year before the opening date of the event

The Ambassadors should be brought closer to the Athletes and Spectators/Local Community

Nobby departed us 20 years ago today

2010-12-07T16:58:00.000Z

My Dad John Nobby Clarke 6th Dan passed away 20 years ago today he is sadly missed there is not a day goes by where I do not think of him and my Mum Margret. I hope it will be a few years before I join you in that big Dojo in Heaven

Judo Instructors Course

2010-11-26T13:07:00.000Z

Instructors Certificate in JUDO

Sunday January 16th 2011 10am till 6pm
Swale Martial Arts Club
127 East Street
Sittingbourne
Kent ME10 4RX

This Course is for those who wish to teach Judo to School and Club Level. The course will be on a Sunday it suitable for those with minimal amount of experience in Jacket Wrestling i.e. Judo, Sambo, Kurash, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, other Jiu Jitsu Grappling forms etc and experience players as well. The Course will consist of Students learning sufficient knowledge to gain Instructors Level1,2 and 3 go to http://www.combatsombo.co.uk/ibf2.htm for details of exam requirements and for those interested in Coaching go to http://www.budo-ibf.co.uk/internationalbudofederation/ibf_has_2_types_of_coaching_prog.htm

The Course will cost £40 which includes examination fees and Certificate
Successful Candidates can then register with the IBF which includes PI Insurance

Members who are qualified and will be using this as a revision course cost £25
It is strongly recommended that existing Instructors and Coaches attend this event, for those who have been appointed Instructors they will need to qualify unless you qualify for Grandfather Rights

Judo Gi
Pen
Note Pad
Lunch
Drinks etc
Please bring your First Aid Certificate with you if you have one

Tutors: John Clarke 5th Dan, Colin Carrot 4th Dan
Course Supervisor: Martin Clarke 8th Dan

Enries with money to the above address by January 5th 2011
Participants must be a member of IBF/BCSA
Further information IBFBCSA@Gmail.com

Message from Ian Parker

2010-11-16T20:30:00.000Z

Hi Martin.

I'm glad the weekend was a success and I'm sorry I couldn't make it.
With the refereeing, I think we are in a bit of a vicious circle. I know referees that say they don't mind refereeing but don't want to do it all day, especially if they are also competing. But unless all referees offer their services, we will all end up on the mat all day.
I think the days have passed of 3 referees per mat. In holland, they have a better situation with refs than us but what was interesting was they had enough referees to put 3 on each mat, however they used only 2 and rotated regularly. 1 main referee and one sitting next to timekeepers table. They did not overrule any scores, he was just an extra pair of eyes who the referee could confer with, eg before awarding a penalty.
I think we have to use the new rules. They are the rules of judo whether we agree or disagree and I think we would alienate ourselves if we didn't.
Also, 3 times in this year I have entered a team into BJC tournaments, every one has been cancelled due to 'lack of interest'.
As for holland, the tournament was very well run with 340 competitors over 5 mat areas. Everyone gets sent their entry card before the day with your weigh in time and fighting time. 2 weight groups on each mat start all at same time, finish roughly the same time then a medal presentation for all 10 groups. Therefore you can turn up, weigh in, fight, and get medal all within 2 hours. No sitting around waiting all day. Makes a big difference in my opinion.
The standard of judo, especially juniors was high. The seniors was not the best turnout. Groups of 6 where juniors had up to 20.
Ian Parker, gold. Cyeanne eaton, bronze. James Passmore and Elizabeth dathan no medal.

More on Club Mark

2010-11-15T22:57:00.002Z

More on Club Mark

I think by now you will know my feelings on Club Mark especially where the British Judo Association are concerned 3 years and still not completed and you will have read about the Scots attitude to it. Well it seems Kent County Council also do Club Mark for those recognised sports who’s governing body are not participating in the club Mark scheme, why all sports do not have the chance to participate in this scheme is beyond me but that is another question. Our Warriors Grappling Academy are applying for a Sambo Club Mark and what a difference this makes to our Judo Club Mark, KCC sent a booklet telling us exactly what courses our members have to take and then list dates and venues for these courses all in Kent, not like the Judo alternative some being in Sheffield. Plus we are dealing with people who know us and they have a dedicated team which doesn’t change every year, most of what needs to be done has already been proved with the Judo Club Mark all the same people are involved in Sambo so hopefully it will take months not years. It seems some what ridiculous that the same people have to jump through the hoops twice, in Scotland we would have amalgamated the two clubs to get the one club mark, in England double the time double the money. Just proves what I have been saying take the Club Mark away from the National Bodies and bring it down to local level well done Kent County Council

Maybe some one could tell Faversham MP and Sports Minister Hugh Robertson, that’s if he has time to listen to local people with local knowledge

Martin Clarke

Still awaiting Club Mark after 3 years

2010-11-13T14:38:00.000Z

Follow this link and see what they do in Scotland with regards to Club Mark http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=71&p=0
You will see that it allows local councils to give accreditation for Sport by passing the Governing Body this is a far more sensible approach to Club Mark and more importantly it allows every club to be able obtain some form of accreditation, the other advantage is that the scheme will be considerably cheaper. The Sittingbourne Judo Society has taken nearly 3 years to obtain Club Mark from the BJA, the Warriors Grappling Academy are applying for a Club Mark through the Kent County Council we will see how long they take

Question in Parliament on ClubMark

2010-11-02T17:11:00.000Z

Most of you will know my concern reagrding ClubMark my MP Gordon Henderson asked a question the House for which I am very lucky to have an MP who is prepared to help

Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport

(1) what steps he is taking to ensure that sports clubs that choose not to apply for Clubmark status receive fair and equal treatment from local authorities and other providers of sports facilities;

(2) what role Knight, Kavanagh and Page has in the operation of the Clubmark scheme; and how much Knight, Kavanagh and Page has been paid by his Department for discharging that role in the last 12 months;

(3) what the cost of administering the Clubmark scheme was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 14 September 2010, c951W)

Hugh Robertson (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport; Faversham and Mid Kent, Conservative)

It is at the discretion of local authorities and local sports providers to determine the level of support they offer to local sports clubs. We are keen to help ensure quality of sporting provision across the board, and in many cases Clubmark, or its equivalent, helps deliver this.

Many local authorities have chosen to adopt the scheme because Clubmark accreditation recognises a club's commitment to providing a safe quality environment for young people.

Sport England invests £174,000 per annum into the Clubmark scheme directly through Knight, Kavanagh and Page who manage and administer the whole programme on their behalf.

Can not say I am over enthusiastic on Hugh Robertson MP reply especially as he is the MP for our neighbouring Constituency which is part of Swale B C One would have thought he would discussed his feeling with me direct as someone who lives in his Borough Council and was an ex councillor?.

The discretion is on local Councils this being the case I hope they instruct the local Schools Sports Officer to stop telling people not to go to Non ClubMark Clubs

Our Young Judo Club has been providing a safe quality environment for young people since 1957 when we were established and to suggest we do not is an insult to everyone who has been involved in the club If Hugh Robertson MP had spent more time looking round his Borough he would know that

£174,000 on Consultants to promote ClubMark which 80% of the Countries Sports Club are not involved in?
I believe Club Mark has been going for 8 years if this is the case that would have cost the Tax Payer £1,392,000 under Labour that is no surprise but under this Government that promises savings it beggars belief

Next time your Council Sports facilities increase ask them to get out of the ClubMark fund

Response to BJA membership numbers

2010-11-02T12:57:00.000Z

I recently published a report from the British Judo Association claiming their membership has increased, I have had a deluge of emails rejecting this report and most are from BJA members, the main thrust is as follows

1) if membership is on the increase why are competitions and courses being cancelled on a regular basis due to lack of numbers/

2) Everyone know at least 6 clubs that have closed in the last 12 months

3) rules are putting people of Judo ( I can not see this the rules may stop them entering competitions but they will not people joining)

4) Schools Judo Programme has had a negative effect on club numbers

These were the main items some blame individual in the BJA, some blamed the Recession, some blamed the money being spent on Olympic potentials, some say not enough money is not spent on grass roots some say the ClubMark is a disincentive (that one I do agree with)

I can understand the BJA boosting the their membership figures up with a bit of spin, remember cuts are coming and their grant will be top of the list. I expect there membership has risen for two reason 1) they now allow members from other organisations to join so people like me and many of my members hold a BJA License as well as an IBF one 2) there schools Judo programme where they allow a school child to buy a license for just £5 must make one hell of a difference, but these are not real Judoka 95% do not even join a club and by including them in the membership numbers gives a totally unbalanced view of who is regularly participating in Judo

The drop in standard of grading in the BJA over the past 10 years should have brought more members in but it hasn't what I think is a good idea is there no idea of Judosize an Aerobic fitness work out using Judo, maybe also they should try re invent Kata with no throwing for certain people like more Ju No Kata. I know at my club we have had countless people attempting JUDO but turn to MMA because they do not like throwing, What about gradings in NeWaza? we need to attract the softer element society back into Judo which I am afraid to say is the great majority.

In march 2011 I will be running a Junior Judo Tournament on a points basis and allow all the trows the IJF have outlawed you will get a 1pt, 2pt, 4pt throw and Ippon throw is where you throw some one on their back and remain standing, Hold down 10 secs 2pt 20 secs 4pts maximum 4 pts on the ground no Ippon for hold down. Winner is someone who scores Ippon or gets a 12pt margin or reaches time and has the most points. Any Coloured gi can be worn and each child is guaranteed two fights

That my idea mind you I may suggest to the IBF Judo committee a grading syllabus for Ne Waza

Increase in Judo members

2010-11-01T20:55:00.000Z

ARE WE EXPECTED TO BELIEVE THIS?

I would welcome an email at ibfbcsa@gmail.com to tell me if your club numbers have increased
Can I give you an example 15 years ago in the Swale Borough Council area there were 17 clubs now we have 4 Isle of Sheppy has none

BJA'S RECORD MEMBERSHIP FIGURES

By BJA
THE Olympic sport of judo is on the rise with the British Judo Association announcing record membership figures this week.
The figures published by the British Judo Association, for the year September 2009 to September 2010, illustrate an increase in both junior and +16 years judo participants in England.
As the National Governing Body for the sport in Britain, the Association has achieved a significant increase in junior membership with 47.5% clubs increasing their youngest ranks.
Overall junior membership has grown nearly 10% rising from 15,325 to 16,561 in the last 12 months.
There has also been a noted increase in participants aged over 16 years, with the number of members in England in this age group rising by 9.2%.
42.5% of British Judo’s clubs have increased their +16 members through a number of initiatives made possible thanks to the Association’s Sport England Whole Sport Plan.
The Association hopes to further build those exposed to the sport in this age group through the recently introduced Judo Fit, a new fitness class to music which can be performed by people all ages and fitness levels. The initiative aims to encourage a wider audience into the sport.
The new class will see the Olympic sport’s free-flowing patterns and movements will be performed to music as part of a high-energy cardiovascular workout.
Additionally, clubs have been supported through personalised marketing resources and a regional news service that have enabled them to promote themselves in their local communities.
The figures released come a month after a Government study, published by the Department for Education, revealed that judo is now being offered at 13 percent of schools, compared to 8 percent in 2003/04.
Schools currently host judo through the British Judo Association’s Enjoy Judo programme which sees British Judo coaches deliver tailored classes through breakfast clubs, curricular activity, lunch time and after school classes.
They also work in conjunction with British Judo’s School 2 Dojo programme which is supported by Sport England. The programme establishes strong ties between schools and a local judo club which provides an outlet for pupils, who have been equipped with the fundamentals, to practice the sport to a higher level. The programme has 600 schools linked with neighbouring judo clubs.
British Judo, which has adopted the motto of ‘judo for all’, has members ranging from five to 85 years of age.
The British Judo Association’s Chief Executive Officer, Scott McCarthy, said, “The indications are very positive that we are improving both the number of those entering the sport as well as our retention rates. We have built a system to support engagement and interactivity through our clubs as well as schools with the support of Sport England. We very much look forward to that system delivering improved growth figures for the foreseeable future.”
For more information on the BJA phone: 01509 631670 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01509 631670 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

MartialNews

2010-11-01T20:38:00.000Z

This is a great Web Magazine even includes articles I send in more the can be said for other Martial Arts Mags I advertise in

Martial News

Martial News is part of DFM Self-protection Ltd
64 Greenrigg
Blaydon-on-Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE21 5HZ
phil.doherty@martialnews.co.uk

Fellow Martial Artist,
The new November First Edition of Martial News went live on Sunday,October 31st.
It’s a bumper edition with more than 40 stories to celebrate our expansion into the North West of England.
We are also holding a reader competition for two free tickets to one of the North’s premier kickboxing shows…see below
Click on headlines to go to individual stories or click on:
http://www.martialnews.co.uk/

FIRST NOVEMBER EDITION
KOBUDO COURSE GREAT SUCCESS
FIGHT NIGHT ANNOUNCED
BBC UNDER ATTACK FOR UFC STANCE
WING CHUN - FEMININE TOUCH
UFC TO HEADING TO SCOTLAND...
TEENAGER TAKES BEIJING GOLD
ILKLEY KARATE – MEDAL HAUL
INSTRUCTOR GAINS 3RD DAN
BST HOLDS OPEN COMPETITION
MARTIAL ARTS HELPS KIDS ON THE WAY
BLACK BELT GAIL PORTER GETS FITTER
INSTRUCTOR’S 5TH DAN
KENJUTSUKA’S RAZOR SHARP DAN GRADE
CLUB'S FIVE NEW BLACK BELTS
BJA'S RECORD MEMBER FIGURES
JAILED FOR SWORD ATTACK
NFL - MUAY THAI
YEOH - REIGN OF ASSASSINS
INSTRUCTOR FACING DEATH PENALTY
LEBEN ARRESTED FOR DRINK-DRIVING
VAN DAMME DENIES HEART-ATTACK
RUSSIA SEEKS FIGHTER’S EXTRADITION
UFC CREATES NEW WEIGHT CATEGORIES
MARINES - NEW MARTIAL ARTS RULES
MARTIAL ARTIST PLOTTED JACKSON KIDNAP
BUSHIDO JUDO KWAI MIXES WITH THE FOOTBALL STARS
KARATE CLUB VISITED BY BIKA CHIEF
FEATURE - ESF'S 1ST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Plus, why not take part in our reader competition being held by the promoters of one of the North East’s biggest kickboxing shows?
The Extreme Full Contact show is being held in South Shields on November 27th.
Go to our home page and click on the EFC poster on the right to go to competition page.

Yours in Budo,
http://www.martialnews.co.uk/

Phil Doherty

Editor

Martial News

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Leg Lock

2010-10-28T16:24:00.001+01:00

Active Swale

2010-10-28T15:19:00.000+01:00

IBFBCSA Alliance with British Grappling

2010-10-18T08:58:00.000+01:00

Great News

International Budo Federation/British CombatSombo Association

To form Alliance with British Grappling

IBF/BCSA President Martin Clarke has been involved in talks with British Grappling President Andrew Brownbridge to see if they can work together and we are pleased to announce that the answer is yes

So how will it work IBF/BCSA will continue to promote the Martial Arts and various forms of Sombo/Sambo but will hand over to the British Grappling all other grappling disciplines they now practise such as Pankration, Belt Wrestling, Kurash and Submission Wrestling. They will both share the Insurance facility which IBF/BCSA already hold and each will allow the other members to compete in their event for those wishing to grade or compete Internationally there will be a nominal charge to purchase record book

Each will still be an independent Association but sharing each other expertise which hopefully increase the numbers participating in their combat disciplines
All this will happen on March 27th 2011
Martin Clarke

Best Price and is this allowed

2010-10-09T09:23:00.000+01:00

The Annual Summer Camp will be held on August 21st to 27th 2011 book in before April 1st 2011 Juniors u16 £150 Seniors £200

I always say it is value for money so lets make a comparisom this is a Sambo course in the USA $500 includes three days training, room & board (living in the gym), breakfast and lunch. A hotel has been arranged if you do not wish to reside in the gym (at your own expense)
*Ask about our special one day rate (for Friday or Saturday only) for local students*

It was pleasing to see the BJA Junior Championships attracted 750 Judoka so is only Kent that the numbers of Judoka are dropping?

I thought this technique was banned?

Sombo Sambo Demo

2010-10-05T08:59:00.001+01:00

Other traditional styles plus Russian Dance

http://www.youtube.com/user/Sambovision

2010-10-04T15:16:00.000+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/Sambovision

Pankration

2010-10-04T13:30:00.001+01:00

Allan ClarkinOctober 3, 2010 at 10:40pm
Subject: GB TEAM TRIALS/PANKRATIO/FILA RULES
Sunday 7 NOVEMBER 2010
11.00am till 2.00pm
OPEN SESSION TEAM TRIALS
GB TEAM
PANKRATION (FILA).
PANKRATION A FULL CONTACT STRIKING THROWING AND GROUND GRAPPLE FORMAT, WITH NO HEAD STRIKES.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR MALE AND FEMALE FIGHTERS, .
ALL CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS ARE WELCOME WE HAVE AN OPEN DOOR ATTITUDE, WE WANT A GREAT TEAM.
NOT POLITICS
RULES will be sent if needed, just contact me.
Venue
Black Knights DOJO/GYM Burnley
2nd FloorPentridge Mill
Holmes Street
Burnley,
BB11 3BE
The mill is behind the Circulation Night Club.
Cost £10.
Please bring GI(kimono),Change of tee shirts,
gum shield, groin guard,
SHIN/INSTEP pads,
(10oz gloves I can provide if you don't have), MMA gloves,
Please bring refreshments.
WORLD Pankration Championship 2011
Tel 07944789345
Allan Clarkin GB Team Director + Coach Pankration/FILA
Andrew Brownbridge FILA GB Director for Combat Grappling

Reviewing the Past or seeing John retire

2010-10-04T08:53:00.001+01:00

Reviewing the Past
I have been lucky in my Combat career I first competed in Judo when I was about 11 that was 1961, that was when Judo in the UK was still eyed with mysticism but it was something new, men, women and children wrestling in Pyjamas. My father Nobby Clarke was one of the first in the South of England to run tournaments for Men, Women and Children, I go as far as to say the first to run competitions for children. It quite ironic my father, years later said that our need to rely on children’s Judo could be the Sports undoing, to some degree he was right especially here in the South of England our Adults numbers decreased because Coaches concentrated on Children with hundreds of Judo Clubs appearing catering for children only, at one time we had about 7 Judo Clubs in Sittingbourne alone. The drop in Junior Judo and sport in general has seen many clubs fold and with very few adults doing Judo the sport is at a crossroads. The answer some say is to take Judo to the schools so the BJA have introduced Judo Coaches to schools where they give 6 to 8 week courses with the hope they will join clubs in fact the opposite has happened, in the child’s eye they have done Judo so why do it again, what they should have done is give them one lesson as a taster and then they may think I like this I want more or take the children to the club. This happened not just to Judo but other activities take my daughters Young Dynamics Dance and Gymnastics Club, she started this club at the tender age of 15 in that time she built the club up to a maximum of 100 plus members, the club entered competitions in Dance, winning many medals and trophies plus Bi Annually she would organise a show at the SCC. That has all finished this September her membership dropped down to 2 so sadly she has closed, and what was most frustrating I had a specialised Dance Studio built for her next to Nobbys Gym at Milton Regis Playing Fields, which is now not used. The Schools are encouraged to use their facilities better rightly so but with serious cutbacks on the way how long can after school clubs be financed? Outside clubs closing in all sports, at an alarming rate who will suffer?
Any way I digress as I started to say I have been lucky in that I have won many medals at Judo, Wrestling, Sombo, Jiu Jitsu, Olympic and Power Lifting but with all my wins including my World Gold I still get the same buzz, watching my pupils win medals that was and is a great feeling but an even greater buzz was watching my son John win medals. Sadly his competition days have come to end with the Clarke curse Knee troubles, I mentioned earlier I was very lucky but I forgot to mention some of the downsides spending most of my married life always short of money and of course injuries which have been to numerous to mention in the last two years I have had a knee and hip replacement but I still consider myself lucky. Yet I was hoping I could follow John through into the Masters division. It is not be hopefully after his cartlidge operation he will be able to walk properly but there is a possibility their could be a ligament tear, if that is the case time to retire from competition do not follow my example and try and keep going .
John has given me a great deal of pleasure, happiness and pride with his competition career winning hundreds of medal. His competition career stretch over 32 year period starting at 5 years of age, he won medals in Judo, Sombo, Wrestling, Kurash, Boxing, Belt Wrestling and Weightlifting, he represented Great Britain in Judo, Sombo and Kurash, his international medal success was in many disciplines, his best results were winning a World Silver in Sombo at 16 and a 7th Place in World Senior Championships. I think you will all agree a great career sorry it has to end .
Well Done and I am proud to call John Son and pupil

World Combat Games Sombo

2010-10-03T09:40:00.002+01:00

Robin Hyslop supplied us with nearly 3 hours of Sombo/Sambo from the World Combat Games in China. So if you are interested in Sombo/Sambo please take a look.All the clips are on Dailymotion.com Gapplinguk

Remember closing date for the English Closed Sombo is October 9th so get your entries in

World Combat Games China Sombo Part 1
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