MIXED MARTIAL ARTS COMES TO SITTINGBOURNE

For several years now Sombo Grandmaster Martin Clarke has been asked by leading MMA experts to get involved in MMA Submission Wrestling because of his knee injury he was very reluctant to but now after a very successful Knee replacement and with Hip replacement surgery just round the corner (Isn’t Judo and Sombo good for you?)Things look brighter. Martin’s son 36 year old John Clarke has semi retired from competitive Grappling just entering Masters events has more time to help his father in the Coaching aspects of the sport.

Mixed Martial Arts gathered interest with the ultimate fighting on the TV this where competitors Grappler and Strike in a Cage, to be successful you need to be an expert in many styles of Martial Arts something that can take a life time to develop in one style let alone many. So Cage fighters started to develop there own style taking bits which they can use from a many Martial Arts, some say this is bastardising the whole concept of the Martial Arts , other say it is a natural Hybrid. The simple fact is that Cage Fighting has become a phenomenal spectator sport and I emphasise the word spectator. The simple fact you can beat each up with punches and kicks etc is not going to lend itself to the normal member of the public having a go, yet the Hybrid qualities did strike a cord with the public and then came MMA Submission Wrestling. Submission Wrestling is normally done with just T Shirt and Shorts and the idea is to get your opponent to submit from Choke, Strangle, Arm Lock, Leg Lock, this encouraged those who did not want the Kicking or Punching with all subsequent dangers and did not like the high throws of Judo and Sombo.

What convinced Martin was when he had GB’s most famous Judo Player down for a course Neil Adams 8th Dan, Neil told Martin that 50% of his courses were with MMA people, he said with Martin experience in all forms of Jacket Wresting and Free Style Wrestling he was the ideal candidate to teach MMA. Martin will not be a complete novice as some 30 years ago he thought of the same concept of putting all the Martial Arts together and called it Shiai Jitsu (competitive art) he tried running several competitions found the style crude and dangerous and dispensed with it, saying it would never be a success HOW WRONG HE WAS


The new MMA Submission Wrestling Class will start after Easter on a Thursday night 7.30pm – 9pm Submission Wrestling 9pm Submission Wrestling with Gi and Sport CombatSombo. The session will cost £6 with a joining fee of £30 this includes insurance cover, to try to encourage Sombo and Judo players to have a go we will have a special offer train on Tuesday at the Judo/Sombo class and get the Thursday free. Where will you able to train for £3 a session under a World Champion judo Player and World Silver medallist Jiu Jitsu and Sambo (Martin Clarke) no where.

Contact Martin Clarke Sambo GrandMaster Judo 8th Dan at www.sittingbourne.org or sombogb@blueyonder.co.uk

Classical Martial Arts Society

What is the Classical Martial Arts Society?
We are an Examination Board specializing in awarding Grades in Classical Martial Arts

Who are the Examiners?
The Examination Board is headed by Englishman Martin Clarke 8th Dan Click to see his CV. He appoints experts from the International Martial Arts World to examine each candidate.

Is CMAS linked to any organisation?
No we are completely independent a CMAS qualification can be used as proof when joining the organisation of your choice that you have completed an examination and reached a certain standard

How to do I get examined?
You first contact us giving details of what Martial art you wished to be graded in. You will be expected to supply us with full details of yourself with a photograph; you will be expected to tell us how long you have been studying the Martial Art you wish to be examined in. You can supply your own syllabus which we will evaluate to see if it meets our criteria or we can supply you with a Syllabus.

Can you examine those wishing to take Competitive Grades?
No you would be expected to join an organisation that would have certain criteria for competitive grades.

How much does an examination cost?
This depends on what grade you are wishing to be graded in, there is once only fee for each grade if you fail for example a 1st Dan you can keep retaking that exam till you pass or give up.


email: Classicalmartialartssociety@blueyonder.co.uk

Neil Adams 8th Dan

NEIL ADAMS 8th Dan Judo Course
2 x Olympic Silver medallist, World and European Judo Champion

February 15th 2009

Young Judo Club, Swale Martial Arts Club, East Street Sittingbourne Kent

The Young Judo Club invited Neil Adams 8th Dan down to their Dojo to give instruction to its members; the Dojo had only enough room for 30 Judoka so the course was filled several weeks ago. Neil was asked to teach his famous Tia Otoshi and Ko Uchi Gari and this took up the first session. The second session concentrated on Armlocks and art form practically lost in modern day Judo but the reason the YJC wanted to learn Armlocks techniques from the world greatest exponent was because a lot of the Judo players are also International SAMBO players an in that sport more time is allowed to implement the technique. At the end of the session John Clarke 4th Dan stepped out and said that his 30 years of Judo it was first time he enjoyed a Ne Waza ( Ground work ) session

YJC President Martin Clarke 8th Dan opened the course stating that he had been privileged to have trained with some of the UK best Judo players in the History of the sport while in he in the National and Olympic Judo Squad but the best of the best was Neil Adams who he rated not only the best Judoka that GB has ever had but one of the best the World has ever seen. After the course had finished everyone agreed with him.

For those who are interested in Learning Judo at one of Britain’s oldest clubs they should go to http://www.youngjudoclub.co.uk/ http://www.sittingbournejudo.co.uk/ SomboGB @ Blueyonder.co.uk

More News On Club Mark

More News on Club Mark

For several months I have been writing about my concerns with regard to Club Mark and the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate and I am trying to warn the Public about its implication. Those in favour of Club Mark etc say it will never be a legal requirement in the formation of a Club, this may be true in theory but in practise I have my doubts for the following reasons:

1) Schools now have Sports Coordinators and they are already told not to recommend a Club that does not have a club Mark
2) Insurance premiums will be considerably higher for non Club Mark clubs if they can get insured
3) Schools, Educational Establishments, Sports Centre, Church facilities and Councils will only hire their facilities to Club Mark Clubs, This is being denied but I know of one School who will implement this in the next two years and as an ex Borough Councillor my sources tell me that the Council will be forced to operate the same.
4) Those clubs without Club Mark will be looked on with suspicion

So what is the Club Mark here is a piece from the official Web Site http://www.clubmark.org.uk
Clubmark was introduced in 2002 by Sport England to:
· Ensure that accrediting partners apply core common criteria to ensure that consistent good practice and minimum operating standards are delivered through all club development and accreditation schemes.
· To empower parent(s)/carer(s) when choosing a club for their children.
· To ensure that Clubmark accredited clubs are recognised through a common approach to branding.
· To provide a focus around which all organisations involved in sport can come together to support good practice in sports clubs working with children and young people.


The Club Mark is a great idea for Professional Clubs and Amateur Clubs with hundreds of members but my concern is for the Club of maybe just 20 children or the person who wants to start a club from scratch. Listed below is the Bronze award the lowest Club Mark on offer, I have used the Judo Version as that is the one I know but the rest of sports will be on the same level

Accreditation Criteria


Coaches and Volunteers


1) There are a minimum of two BJA Club Coaches or two UKCC Level Two Coaches working within the club programme -all coaches must hold a current valid BJA Coaches Certificate

2) The club has a Welfare Officer

3) The club has a Volunteer coordinator

4) The Welfare Officer has attended a Sports Coach UK Time to Listen course

3) At least two volunteers (one is the Welfare Officer)have attended a Sports Coach UK Safeguarding Children course

4) One coach has attended a sports coach UK Equity in your Coaching course

5) One volunteer has attended the Running Sport Club for All course in the last 12 months

6) At least two volunteers have attended the Running Sport Club For All courses in the last 12 months

7) The club has two or more qualified active Competition Officials within its membership


Duty of Care and Child Protection
8) The club has adopted the BJA Child Protection Policy and is working towards the procedures laid down

9) The club has adopted codes of conduct for all coaches, referees and volunteers working with children and young people

10) The club has a code of conduct for parents/guardians

11) The club has written procedures for dealing with injuries/accidents

12) The club has access to a telephone at all club sessions, gradings and competitions

13) Coaches and volunteers have access to first aid equipment at all club sessions, gradings and competitions

14) The club has the contact details of parents/carers and emergency/alternative contacts

15) The club records all junior players taking part in coaching activity on attendance sheets with access to important medical information
16) The club is affiliated to the BJA. and has Public Liability insurance

17) The club has an open/non­discriminatory constitution that is reviewed annually and comparable to the current BJA model

18) The club has a named contact for new and prospective players

19) The club has a specific membership category and pricing policy for children and young people

20) The club has contact with the Local Authority Sports Development Officer and/or County Sports Partnership

21) The club ensures that alt coaching and competition takes place within a safe facility

22) The club has a set of rules for children and young people

23) The club communicates regularly with players/ parents/carers via regular mailings of newsletter or information bulletin

24) The club has established one Club/School link at yellow belt standard

25) The club has a current written 12 month action plan updated annually at the club AGM


Playing Programme


26) The coaches and volunteers responsible for the programme have job descriptions with clear roles and responsibilities assigned

27) The club has separate Junior and Senior training sessions

28) The club provides opportunities for juniors to gain grades in the BJA Mon grading scheme

29) The club provides opportunities for members to attend BJA County/Area competitions

30) The club operates with a recommended player/coach ratio of no greater than 20.1


To obtain this you will need a Committee of a minimum of 6 to fit most constitutions plus you will need 2 qualified Coaches, Welfare Officer, 1 appointed Volunteer, 1 Child protection Officer, 2 competition official’s admittedly some of these can come from the committee, how many new clubs will get that amount of support from parents and how many new comers will have the expertise to organise the Club Mark. One of the Clubs that hire my Swale Martial Arts Club has had to form a sub committee to deal with the implication of getting a club mark this show how much work is involved.
What about the cost:
UKCC Coach Course £300 per person x 2 = £600
Welfare Officers Course £17.50
Volunteer Coordinators course £17.50
Safe guarding Children Course £17.50 x 2 + £35
Equity in Your Coaching Course £17.50
Running Sports Club for All courses £17.50
Competition Officials Course £17.50
First Aid Course £25

Total Cost £747.50

On top of this you have affiliation for your club and coaches on an annual basis.

So what do I think of the future?
1) Clubs will close
2) Clubs will try and merge to make clubs of 300 and more. This will eventually lead to all Coaches becoming paid professionals with all the relevant costs to the members
3) New clubs will not be started
4) Participation in Sport could fall by as much as 50% with all the Social problems that goes with children not being guided.
5) New Sports will not be invented
6) Competition will be paramount rather then participation
Although I have been great believer in Coach Education I had introduced a “Coaching Effective Programme” to my association back in the very early 1980’s I do think education should be a voluntary thing not compulsory. Since then there has been great strides in the education of Coaches and parents this has been done by modern technology and lots of information and publicity on the subject not by compulsion

I feel the UKCC and the Club Mark although well meaning will be detrimental to Sport in General and to the Public as whole if continued in its present model, there is a compulsion in this country and the EU for Government and its institutions to control every aspect of the Individuals life, the individual should have the Human Right to choose even if they choose incorrectly.

The UKCC and Club Mark will produce massive great clubs well organised and well coached, there events will be spectacular and a joy to watch and I can foresee a lot of people watching sport. Maybe we will get even more Olympic Medals to some this may justify the UKCC and Club Mark. Yet this will happen at the cost of less people actively participating in sport, sport is not about WATCHING it is about DOING. The Sports Council should remember their old slogan “Sports for All”.

Martin Clarke

The Author:



Martin Clarke Bio
D.O.B. 20/1/50 Father: John Martin Clarke 6th Dan 1927 - 1990 EnglishMother: Margret Gertrude Clarke 4th Dan - German. Wife: Valerie Susan 2nd Dan. Children: Donna Louise 19/5/70, John Martin William 4th Dan Judo 2nd Dan Jiu Jitsu, 4th Degree Sambo Wrestling 16/10/73, Susan Joanne 1st Dan 30/8/74. PRESENT GRADES: 8th Dan Judo, 6th Dan Jiu Jitsu, Grand Master CombatSombo and Sambo Wrestling. Black Standard Strength Sets. COACHING QUALIFICATIONS: Teachers Certificate in Handball & Weightlifting. Coaching Supervisor for the International Budo Federation, CombatSombo International, British Sambo Federation and Academy of Sport and Movement. Founder Member Academy of Coaching and Guild of Sports Internationalists.
POSITIONS HELD: Former Borough Councillor, President International Budo Federation GB, President British Sambo Federation and English Sambo Federation, Former Chairman Sittingbourne Sports Advisory Council, Former Treasurer Southern Region British English Olympic Wrestling Association, Former Council Member International Amateur Sambo Federation. International Budo Federation International Council Member. COMPETITION RECORD: won in excess of 300 medals in Judo, Sambo Wrestling, Weightlifting (Olympic and Power), Jiu Jitsu and Amateur Wrestling. Represented Great Britain at Judo, Jiu Jitsu and Sambo Wrestling. Member Olympic Judo Squad 78/79/80. World Games Silver 1985, World Silver 1986 Sambo Wrestling. World Silver 1984 Jiu Jitsu. European Bronze in 1991 at 41 years, first international at 16 years. World Sambo Silver Veterans 1998
World Master's Judo Champion 2001 ORGANISATIONAL RECORD: Since 1980 Martin has organised the IBF National Judo and karate Championships on an annual basis, before that he organised Area and County events for The British Judo Council and British Schools Judo Association, He has organised the British Amateur Wrestling Junior Championships, 5 Multi-Nation Judo Tournaments, 2 International Karate Meets, 1989 European Sambo Wrestling Championships, 1992 World Sambo Wrestling Championships. He has coached/managed Jiu Jitsu, Sombo Wrestlers and judo Players at International and World Events. Since 1989 he organised the International Summer School at St. Mary’s Bay.
Awarded Gold Medal for services to International Sambo by FIAS (World Governing Body for Sambo) only person in GB to receive this award. Member of the Academy of International Sambo Masters (only 8 people were invited to this Academy)WORK EXPERIENCE: Left School 1965. Agricultural apprenticeship, Agricultural College 1968 - 1969. Various city & Guilds, County Exams and National Certificate in Agriculture. Coached Professionally since 1971. KEC Coach 1971 - 1980. Since 1980 Managed the East Street Sports Centre. Owns a small boarding house, in 1990 opened Clarkes Sports Studio, 1997 opened Clarkees Bar. Continues Coach professionally.

UKCC and Canoeing

I thought my comments on the UKCC was a voice in the wilderness but NO Canoeing has fears as well try the link below

http://www.canoescotland.com/default.aspx?tabid=489&frmView=ShowPost&PostID=506

Sport Controlled by Government

SPORT TO BE CONTROLLED BY GOVERNMENT

Dear Reader
Some months ago I wrote article about the “Death of Amateur Sport” which is featured below. I sent thousands of emails and letters to Sports Organisations, Press, TV, MP’s, Clubs and individual out of all that I received 2 replies. Most people would then say either no one believes me or worse no one cares, so give up. Well I will give it one more try because basically the British have the attitude that “I am alright Jack” and they have total faith in Government and its institutions, the first attitude is born out of laziness and complacency and the second is mistaken trust especially into today’s climate. The British Government along with their partners The European Union have an obsession with controlling every aspect of an individuals life from Cradle to the Grave, unlike previous dictatorship like Communism and Nazism who imposed their will with the Gun and the Whip, The European Union along with NU Labour are still a dictatorship and impose their will by stealth with the individual having no say.

The Club Mark which will not only be a National directive but an EU one is already imposing its use as a means of control on the individual once again through stealth. The Club Mark is backed by Sports Governing Bodies, who in turn are backed by Sport UK who in turn are backed by NU Labour Government. Reports are already circulating that Clubs who do not have a Club Mark will in the next few years be barred from using Council Facilities and Schools, how long before the local village Hall will bar non Club Mark clubs, Schools are already told not to recommend a Club that does not have a Club Mark, next will be Councils, it has already been said that no club without a Club Mark will be able to applying for grants. So amateur clubs will not be able to practise their specific sport unless they join a Governing body and apply for a Club Mark at considerable cost which most small clubs will ill afford BUT I hear you say “it is not a legal requirement to have a Club Mark” true but how do you run a club or start one when you can not get a VENUE?

So what will happen to Sport? Will it collapse? NO it will be controlled by the Local Authority or the Local Education Authority or maybe franchised to a large Corporation all clubs will be closed and these authorities will run Sport by hiring coaches and running lessons the cost to the individual will be expensive either by charging the Sportsman a rate which cover costs or it will go on Tax to subsidise the venture and the only people to gain will be the paid Bureaucrats and the government who will have even more control of your life. The Duke of Edinburgh said several decades ago that it is the amateur volunteer/helper who is the backbone of Sport, this still true today and when the backbone is removed the body will collapse.

There is only way out of this mess is to have a New Government and withdrawal from the EU and bring back Democracy to the people.

Martin Clarke Sittingbourne



Are we seeing the death of Amateur Sport?

This may seem strange questions after one of our most successful Olympics ever and with the UK hosting the 2012 Olympics. Yet the British Olympic committee have said there has been a drop of 20% participating in Sport and remember the Olympics is now open to Professionals. So the word amateur sportsman is now a defunct name for Sports people? Yes in top sporting events to reach the top of the main sports you have to be professional but there are still people who are participating in Sport whether as a coach, competitor, participants who are at a level where they receive no financial gain in fact doing there sport costs money.
My feeling are that unless things change rapidly Sport participation is to sink to even lower levels especially with the under 16 years. Let give an example:

Ask yourself the question how many local Football teams started with a couple Dads kicking the Ball around a park other lads join in, some weeks down the line some one comes up with the idea let’s form a Team and join a league. A new team is formed which give the youngster discipline, sense of belonging, pride and all the other things sport can give.
Could that happened today? If it can what would they needed
1) Kit
2) Professional Indemnity Insurance to protect the coach
3) Accident Insurance for all the players
4) Public Liability Insurance
5) Coach Qualification
6) Club Mark
7) Join a league
Club Mark what is that I hear you say? Surely that is not a legal requirement No not yet but without a Club Mark you will most probably get no grant aid, it will be difficult to get insurance cover and the local schools will not recommend your club. Recently a member of my Judo Club the Young Judo Club asked the Person in charge of all the local SSCo (School Sports coordinator) why we were not on the recommended list she informed him that the Government has told them not to recommend any Club without a Club Mark! Yet our Club is over 50 years Old and is World Famous and never had a visit from this person, someone I might add who is paid by the local Tax Payer so much for Democracy in the UK. Our Club is lucky it has sufficient funds and expertise to get a Club Mark from both the British Judo Association and Kent County Council.
What is a Club Mark this basically a Kite Mark so people can recognise a Club has some basic standards, this in itself is not a bad idea but why do we need the HEAVY HAND of a dictatorial state
Here are some of the things require for a Club Mark Must have two qualified coaches , Two Volunteers must attend a course on running a club and how to be a volunteer, CRB Check, attend Child protection Course, has an open/non-discriminatory constitution and equity policy , The coaches and volunteers responsible for the programme have job descriptions with
Clear roles and responsibilities assigned. I could go on and this all for a group of people who want to help kids get involved in Sport and doesn’t finish there by 2012 all Coaches will be expected to have United Kingdom Coaching Certificate with prices up to a £1000 I wonder how many people will take up the offer.

All my facts can be checked by going to on the internet, after readings this am I right in saying amateur Sport will soon be dead? Or am I just a cynic but don’t say you have not been warned

Well Dads do you still want start that Football Team?
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne

Martin recieves International Accolade

HI! Martin!SAMBO Master Club was organised in Russia. The Sambo Masters Club invited 8 Supreme Masters SAMBO to participate they were: Academicians Nikolay Laverov and Boris Katorgin, Generals: Aslanbek Aslakhanov and Valery Serebrjakov; Master SAMBO Mikhail Schulz (son of SAMBO legend 6-times USSR champion Genrikh Schulz) and 3 Grand Masters: Ilya Cipursky, Eugeniy Gloriosov and Myself David Rudman President FIAS. At the 2008 World Sambo Championships in St

Club Members at World Championships

Petersburg you Martin Clarke GB, Dalil Scalli Morocco and Fernando Compte Spain were all invited to the Club and to be recognised as members of this unique club The idea of the club was to combine Grand Masters of World SAMBO and with the thought of us all working together in developing SAMBO in the World. It is independent, non profit making organisation. We will helping old Masters of SAMBO, Recognise and appoint NEW GRAND MASTERS.My proposal is to develop lower levels like Continental Sambo Masters Club, International Sambo Masters Club and finally National Masters Sambo Club these are for the future. I hope you will support this idea because the work starts now.With all the best,David

I recently received the above email from the Legendary David Rudman President Federation International Amateur Sambo; this great honour was bestowed on me while I was at the World Sambo Championships in St Petersburg 2008. At that competition I was awarded a Gold Medal for Services to International Sambo but to be invited on to the Sambo Masters Club came as a great shock to be considered to be one of the top 10 most influential people in World Wide Sambo is a great honour. My career in Sambo, Judo etc stretches nearly 54 years and though I have a couple of awards form Martial Arts Magazines I have never received anything from The Sports Council, Local Council, Government or any other organisations and in all honesty because of my political beliefs I never expected one. So I resigned myself to never receiving an award by convincing myself I did not want one and they do not matter but this one does mainly because of the fact it is Sambo people who honoured me. Who would have believed when I took over Sombo/Sambo in 1983 I would be the first and only Englishman to become a GrandMaster, FIAS Gold Medal recipient and a member of this unique club. Out of all the combat Disciplines I have been involved in it has been SAMBO that has thanked me, I will continue to help build this unique Combat Discipline into the biggest and the best in the World





Martin Clarke Sittingbourne

Photograph is of me in St Petersburg with other members of the Club

CAMCORDER JUDO GRADING

CAMCORDER JUDO GRADING

Classical Martial Arts Society

I started Judo when I was just 5 years old in 1955 and in all that time I was taught that Judo was a Martial Way which included a sporting element, SHIAI. For most of my life it has been Shiai that has dominated my Judo career yet I was brought up in a generation where you could not grade without understanding the Martial Way, which in my younger days meant learning and performing Judo theory and Kata it would be many years before I understood the Philosophy of Judo or should I say the Philosophy of Jigaro Kano. So now because of injures my competition days are finished and I look back on the past sometimes with misty eyes wishing I was what I was then, another time it is with a smile realising having to learn all those terrible Kata’s, which I would argue fervently were a waste of time and having to be taught and examined by people who could not beat me, were part of my road to understanding Jigaro Kano’s Judo. My parents both sadly no longer with us must look down on me and think it has taken him 53 years to learn.

Does that mean I have gone soft on the contrary I still feel that young people should experience Shiai, yet I feel there are people in the World of Judo who are being neglected? Many years ago I started Camcorder gradings for Jiu Jitsu and CombatSombo which have been very successful, 80% of enquires I get for Camcorder Gradings never go past the first enquire. Most believe that if they pay enough I will give them some grade, when they realise they have to work for their grade and a pass an exam with the outcome not a forgone conclusion they soon give up the idea. On a lot of occasions I have been asked to do Camcorder Gradings for Judo and I have resisted this but the majority of these enquire were not from people who did not want to go to their local Judo Club. They were from people who 1) lived literally hundreds of miles from the nearest Judo Club, where 3 or 4 men or women who have got together to practise Judo learning from books and magazines or Judoka who have learnt Judo practised but never graded or maybe got to 1st Kyu or 1st Dan after 20 years want to go further but their organisation would not let them jump grades, something IBFUK doe not allow. I feel I want help these people.

The Classical Martial Arts Society will be able to help them by offering grading in all the Classical Martial Arts, CMAS will not be an association it will be purely an examination board and will be for the assessment of an Individual ability to perform theoretical tasks in a Traditional manner. It will not be an award that tests their ability to teach others, this can be achieved by joining an Organisation. CMAS will present the candidate with a Syllabus which they will then have perform via DVD, the production of the DVD doe not have to be professional but it does need to be of a high amateur standard in content and production. All candidates will be vetted, as it not my intention to by pass the various Martial Arts Organisations, for example if some one applies to be graded to 1st Dan Judo and there are clubs in a 40 mile radius they will be expected to support their local club. My own expertise is in Judo, CombatSombo, Sambo and Jiu Jitsu, if a candidate wants to be examined in an Art I am not familiar with I will appoint an examiner who is, with over 50 years in the Martial arts this will not be hard to do.

Any one interested in CMAS contact Martin Clarke 8th Dan, sombogb@blueyonder.co.uk go to www.sittingbourne.org .org and check my various web sites

JUDO BIGOTS

I have been involved in Judo for 53 years and I am always bemused by those Judoka who believe that Judo is the only form of jacket Wrestling, these Judoka are convinced that they are purists and believe practising any other style of grappling will ruin there Judo! RUBBISH.

As the years went by I thought this attitude had changed the BJA are now employing Russian Coaches who have Sambo Champions as well as Judo champions, they have realised that to win International Competitions you have to be versatile and innovative, if Judo do not win medals they do not get a grant and that will effect all Judoka whether you believe Judo is a sport or a Martial Art.

The other day I came across a group of Judoka all Dan Grades bemoaning how Judo had changed, how standards had dropped because Sambo Players had become involved in Judo and turned it into a bad form of wrestling with no big throws. Well this is where I stepped in, my first question have you seen any World Class Sambo Tournaments? The answer was NO; I then asked how you can make such a sweeping statement without any knowledge is not just wrong but is unintelligent, I explained that Sambo has very high throws as does Kurash and Belt Wrestling and can only benefit Judoka. Obviously this remark created a heated discussion, I then asked the question when was Judo at its best in the late 60’s and 70’s they all replied before any of this wrestling rubbish got involved a further question was apart from the Japanese who was the leading Judoka. Of course the answer was the Soviet Union and all of their Judo players were Sambo Players, I remember meeting Soviet Judoka and them telling me that they never had a grading system, let alone done Kata, to them Judo was just another form of Olympic Grappling. Yet after saying that they had to abide by the Rules of Judo and even after abiding by rules alien to them they could still win Olympic and World Titles. So if Judo Competition is being ruined it is by the people who invent the Rules i.e. International Judo Federation.
Of course the discussion then moves on to personal insults things like “You do not like Judo because you did no go the Olympic Games in 1980” “as a non BJA member you have issues”, as some one who has been involved in politics you know when some one is losing an argument they start becoming personal yet reply I must. Firstly I said the only issue I have had with the BJA was that I was not allowed to belong to any other Judo organisation, I felt this to be deeply offensive and undemocratic, that has now changed, not only do I have a BJA license my IBF members have actively got involved in getting graded and getting BJA coaching awards, 4 of my students have won Kent International medals, my son John had his 4th recognised as well as being selected to fight for the South. Of I love Judo as an 8th Dan how couldn’t I but I am addicted to Sambo I feel the fighting is far superior to modern day Judo it is explosive, exciting innovative, the scoring is simpler and the scores easy to understand, yet Judo is much more then just fighting it is a philosophy for life as I get older I can see that I can see how valuable Kata is and why Jigaro Kano put so much emphasis on the subject but as some one who was a competitor of a reasonable standard I can understand why the young prefer to contest and I still get a buzz out of some one doing the perfect throw.
We then moved on to Club practise all of them thought that a Club practise is ideal for training for competition, I again disagreed I said at Club level you two types of Judo Recreational and Competitive and listening to these people all they done was recreational. Recreational is fun Judo which I expect 85% of Judoka want to do, most do not want be over stretched they have get up for work in the morning, they love things like Uchi Komi, a little bit of Kata s long as not much throwing and of course the Ne Waza here they can roll around the ground without any injury, you not over excerpted and you can have a good time. Would a Competitive Players spend hours in Ne Waza training of Course not, they would know that in Judo you would be lucky to have 45 seconds on the floor trying holds or submissions, so their training would be a maximum 1 minute in Ne Waza start again, Uchi Komi a good warm but you need to throw your Uki to get the feeling of the full throw and contest would be full bloodied. I am always bemused when some one says so and so is good on the ground that normally means they do not like standing work but who cares if they are not a competitor they enjoy that part of Judo. The Judoka who annoys me most is the one who will only do bits of the class, I do not do any standing contest, I only do ground work, no I do not believe in the fitness training and finally the talkative one when you trying to contest they will say you can not do that its not in the rules, that technique is banned, You are not allowed to grip like that, this is not true Judo. Thank God we only get the odd one turn up occasionally that is normally only the once.

My only form of Jacket Wrestling from 1955 till 1974 was Judo since 1974 I practised Free Style Wrestling, Sambo Wrestling, Kurash, Belt Wrestling, Canaria Lucha, Greco Roman Wrestling, Sport Jiu Jitsu, CombatSombo Wrestling and I have won medals in Judo, Sambo, Free Style and Jiu Jitsu. They have all have enhanced my knowledge and I have never got the rules mixed up when I entered different tournaments more importantly if I lost I never made the excuse I did not know the rules.

So to all those who believe that Judo is the only true way to enlightenment I am sorry to say you are wrong.


Martin Clarke 8th Dan judo Grandmaster Sambo

Former IBF/YJC member become Olympic hopeful

Congratulations to 18 year old Francesca Steggall who just made the British Judo Associations British Women's Squad at 52 Kilo. Francesca started her Judo career with the IBF and Young Judo Club and was taught by Greg Garside 4th Dan IBF/BJA. She now trains with another former YJC member Alan Roberts 6th Dan at Dartford Judo Club, Alan is one of GB's most successful International Coaches, so Francesca has an excellent chance of making the 2012 Olympics. Well done Francesca

Is Government Killing British Sport

IS GOVERNMENT BUREAUCROCY KILLING BRITISH SPORT?

I recently wrote an article about my concerns with regard to how Bureaucracy is killing amateur sport or shall I say how it is trying to prevent people starting sport. The main thrust of my article is one the cost and the amount of paper work you have to collect to start a club, lets have a look at cost:
1) To start any club it will soon be necessary for a newcomer to hold a United Kingdom Coaching Certificate, this will involved attends a weekend course including a Friday night, then there will be an exam and this is for you to be an assistant Coach the cost anything from £200 upwards. Now an assistant can only assist a full Coach, so you will have to move on the next step a Full Coach this involves several weekends and a lot more costs I am told anything from £600 upwards.
2) To start your Club you will need to aim for a Club Mark what does that involve (I am quoting the Judo Club Mark but I expect it will be the same for all Sports)

Coaches and volunteers
There is a minimum of two BJA Club Coaches working within the club programme - all
coaches hold a current valid BJA coaches’ certificate
At least two volunteers (one is a coach) have attended a sports coach UK child
protection course
One coach has attended a sports coach UK Equity in your Coaching course
One volunteer has attended the Running Sport Club for All course in the last 12 months
Duty of care and child protection
The club has adopted the BJA Child Protection Policy and is working towards the
procedures laid down
The club has adopted codes of conduct for all coaches, referees and volunteers working
with children and young people
The club has a code of conduct for parents/carers
The club has written procedures for dealing with injuries/accidents
The club has access to a telephone at all club sessions, gradings and competitions
Coaches and volunteers have access to first aid equipment at all club coaching and
competition sessions
The club has the contact details of parents/carers and emergency/alternative contacts
The club records all junior players taking part in coaching activity on attendance sheets
with access to important medical information
Club management
The club is affiliated to the British Judo Association, and has public liability insurance
The club has an open/non-discriminatory constitution that is reviewed annually and
comparable to the current BJA Model
The club has a specific membership category and pricing policy for children and young
people
The club has contact with its local authority sports development officer or Sports
Partnership
The club has a junior co-ordinator to act as a liaison with Sport England, Sports
Partnerships and the BJA
The club ensure that all coaching and competition takes place within a safe facility
The club has a set of rules for children and young people
The club communicates regularly with players/parents/carers via regular mailings of
newsletter or information bulletin
The Club has established one Club - School link
The club has a current written 12 month action plan
Playing programme – coaching and competition
The coaches and volunteers responsible for the programme have job descriptions with
clear roles and responsibilities assigned
The club has separate junior and senior training sessions
The Club provides opportunities for juniors to gain grades in the BJA Mon grading
scheme (including Novice to 6th Mon)
The club provides opportunities for juniors to attend BJA county/area competitions
The club operates with a recommended player/coach ratio no greater than 20:1

I expect some will say I am a Luddite on the contrary I have been advocating proper coaching syllabus for nearly 30 years, I along with Geof Gleeson formulated the IBF Coaching Effective Programme, I founded the Academy of Coaching with Geof and was a founder member of the Guild of Sports Internationalists details can be found on www.budo-ibf.co.uk . In all honesty the UKCC must have looked at the IBF Coaching Effective Programme because the similarities are obvious as with the Club Mark most of what is included all my clubs have practised for over a decade with one or two accept ions.
The one thing both Geof and myself agreed on all those years was educating people to become Coaches should be voluntary and inexpensive if it was to cater for all people. The idea of Government getting involved was horrific to the pair of us as we could see if they were involved the actual Coaches would be pushed to one side and the bureaucrats would take over eventually dumbing down everything to the lowest common dominator.

So before long Sports Coaching and Sport in general will become just another Government Quango i.e. State Run Sport.
Sometimes it pays for people who know their subject to be allowed to run their own organisation with out government interference and without government money. When you are self funding you become much more appreciative of where money goes and most goes on the subject you are interested in, as soon as Government money funds a project all of sudden you see the cost administration go sky high, soon there are more administrators then participants.

Coaching and Sport needs to be innovative, inventive, Government involvement will HARMONISE Coaching and Sport, this means it will standardise and innovation will be treated as interference in the well running of sport, with a compulsory system how would you get new sports or new ideas. How many new sports have been invented over the last few hundreds years if sport was run by the state would they be there now I doubt it.

Let me explain how I and many other sportsmen have worked in the past with great success I will use Judo as my sport as that is my expertise but this scenario can apply to any sport.
One of your adult students shows an interest in getting involved in the Club lesson; he or she is of reasonable ability (Judo Blue Belt). You start by allowing them to shadow you or a qualified coach as you see them progress you give them more responsibility till they are ready to take a lesson under your guidance. Once they have reached this stage you encourage them to take a qualification, the IBF has a Practical Proficiency Award Scheme for Instructors. This scheme allows the qualified Coach to examine the candidate on his Practical ability, there is no written work involved in this scheme and all work is done with in the club at a minimum cost of £10 this can be seen on www.budo-ibf.co.uk .

What is also important about this PPA is that it get people who are not academically aware i.e. have a problem with reading and writing, involved. These people can be very gifted Coaches who a natural ability to pass on their knowledge to others yet if we continue down the line of Compulsory qualifications which have a high academic and high cost input these people will be marginalised in fact “Academic & Financial apartheid”

Coaching should always be a two way ride the Coach teaches their pupils and by doing this they increases their own knowledge. For example many years ago a good friend of mine a Female Coach had two very good Female Judo Competitors both were Travellers after a period of time both wanted to be come Coaches yet neither could read or write to any level but they were excellent Coaches. Both passed their PPA but they were not contented with this they wanted the Full Coach Award, to do this both went to classes to learn to read and write properly, So becoming a Coach helped them redress the failure of the State to educate them and the State was not involved with their progress. Yet another plus was that the Female Coach who introduced them to Judo also taught them to read and write, she gained by the experience because it was an area she had never visited before, I could go on but by now you should have the idea.

The Compensation Culture is also causing a great deal of problems in the Sports World with more and more Coaches moving out of Coaching because of the fear of being sued. Recently there was a Court case regarding the injure to a Junior Judo Player whilst doing a Grading (Belt Promotion Test) his claim was that the boy he had to demonstrate on was bigger and older. He weighed 5 lbs more and was 6 month older; thankfully this was not accepted by the Judge, if it was Judo would be finished along with all other grappling sport. How can you have a child age for age, weight for weight it is impossible. Yet this case has brought up the scenario about age and weight, for years a junior was 5 years to 15 years divided into weights, with little or no injury. As we Judoka became more educated we realise that the age difference was to great so my organisation IBF UK made the following changes 5,6 and 7 years, 8 years to 12 years, 13, 14 and 15 years all divided into weights. Recently the Governing Body for Judo the British Judo Association introduce weight categories in two years age band, an excellent idea it was hoped it would encourage more youngsters to compete and would certainly be a lot fairer and safe (safe to me it not the right word as infers any other way is unsafe and that is not true). Sadly it has not encouraged more players what it has done it has made winning a medal easier, this in my opinion leads to a drop in standard but that is another matter. The problem is with Judo in decline over the few years and all associations membership has decreased create a problem when running tournaments. The governing body will have sufficient members to run these two year age band competitions but smaller organisations and clubs will not get enough players to have such varied amount of categories. They have relied on something similar to what the IBF UK organise, these smaller events have been the feeders for the major tournament, the ones that encourage the new player to have go. So if the Insurance companies decide insure only two year age band tournaments these will be finished another nail in the coffin.

This has been a long winded letter but I think it is important that something is done other wise we will sleep walk into State Run Sport which will there for the few who can win international medals just like the old Soviet Union who used Sports as a show piece for their political system.

If I can raise enough interested in my concerns I will try to organise a meeting it is hoped a leading politician will chair the meeting, please circulate this letter to anyone who you think may be interested in preserving British Sport

Martin Clarke 118 East Street Sittingbourne 01795 437124 sombogb @ Blueyonder.co.uk

Death of Sport

Are we seeing the death of Amateur Sport?

This may seem strange questions after one of our most successful Olympics ever and with the UK hosting the 2012 Olympics. Yet the British Olympic committee have said there has been a drop of 20% participating in Sport and remember the Olympics is now open to Professionals. So the word amateur sportsman is now a defunct name for Sports people? Yes in top sporting events to reach the top of the main sports you have to be professional but there are still people who are participating in Sport whether as a coach, competitor, participants who are at a level where they receive no financial gain in fact doing there sport costs money.
My feeling are that unless things change rapidly Sport participation is to sink to even lower levels especially with the under 16 years. Let give an example:

Ask yourself the question how many local Football teams started with a couple Dads kicking the Ball around a park other lads join in, some weeks down the line some one comes up with the idea let’s form a Team and join a league. A new team is formed which give the youngster discipline, sense of belonging, pride and all the other things sport can give.
Could that happened today? If it can what would they needed
1) Kit
2) Professional Indemnity Insurance to protect the coach
3) Accident Insurance for all the players
4) Public Liability Insurance
5) Coach Qualification
6) Club Mark
7) Join a league
Club Mark what is that I hear you say? Surely that is not a legal requirement No not yet but without a Club Mark you will most probably get no grant aid, it will be difficult to get insurance cover and the local schools will not recommend your club. Recently a member of my Judo Club the Young Judo Club asked the Person in charge of all the local SSCo (School Sports coordinator) why we were not on the recommended list she informed him that the Government has told them not to recommend any Club without a Club Mark! Yet our Club is over 50 years Old and is World Famous and never had a visit from this person, someone I might add who is paid by the local Tax Payer so much for Democracy in the UK. Our Club is lucky it has sufficient funds and expertise to get a Club Mark from both the British Judo Association and Kent County Council.
What is a Club Mark this basically a Kite Mark so people can recognise a Club has some basic standards, this in itself is not a bad idea but why do we need the HEAVY HAND of a dictatorial state
Here are some of the things require for a Club Mark Must have two qualified coaches , Two Volunteers must attend a course on running a club and how to be a volunteer, CRB Check, attend Child protection Course, has an open/non-discriminatory constitution and equity policy , The coaches and volunteers responsible for the programme have job descriptions with
Clear roles and responsibilities assigned. I could go on and this all for a group of people who want to help kids get involved in Sport and doesn’t finish there by 2012 all Coaches will be expected to have United Kingdom Coaching Certificate with prices up to a £1000 I wonder how many people will take up the offer.

All my facts can be checked by going to on the internet, after readings this am I right in saying amateur Sport will soon be dead? Or am I just a cynic but don’t say you have not been warned

Well Dads do you still want start that Football Team?
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne

Calling all Females

Calling all Ladies and Girls

Over the 51 years since the Young Judo club was established it has always attracted as many Females as it did Males in fact it is most probably the most successful club in the country in producing Female Judoka. Sadly over the last couple of years the numbers have fallen but Keith Costa and Miles Brown are trying regenerate female interest in the Martial Art/Sport. Keith teaches Self Defence for the Girls Grammar School and some of the pupils have joined the Club, Miles is catering for the mature women he has several ladies in their thirties and early Forties now training with him on a Wednesday night.
So why should a Female join the Young Judo Club apart from the obvious qualified Coaches, Good Facilities and tradition, Judo is an ideal way to get fit and keep you healthy it also teaches you self defence plus gives you confidence. A misconception is that they will become very manly and travel the country competing, this is far from the truth female Judoka have a wide range of things away from Contest, they practise the perfection of technique, they learn the art of Kata (Demonstration of Classical Moves), they learn how to use Judo as a self defence system, they learn how to teach others.
Well Ladies and Girls do you want to be a bit different from the rest of the herd YES well become a Judoka.

Further information www.youngjudoclub.co.uk sombgb @ blueyonder.co.uk 01795 437124 or turn up at the Swale Martial Arts Club East Street Sittingbourne on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. The Club is situated by the East Street Roundabout.

My 5th Grandchild

Today my youngest daughter Susan gave birth to a bouncing boy 6lb something. His name is to be George. Georges sister Poppy and Dad Anthony (Husband to Susan) are both very happy as are we grandparents

MY KNEE

My Knee again

At long last a surgeon has agreed to replace my knee this is after 6 years and two cancelled operations but even now I have been told there is a 4 months wait. So all well and good but before I was accepted I had to sign a form confirming that I understood:
1) I could die on the operating theatre
2) I could get blood clots and die
3) I could get MRSA
4) I may be in more pain after the operation
5) I may get an infection
6) The knee will not last very long because of my weight

The rather dower surgeon then asked if I was happy with this? He seemed surprise when I said NO I AM BLOODY NOT but I will have it done any way. It seems that they can transplant new arms to a patient, send a man to the moon but can not develop a knee for someone over 12 stone. The NHS is a disgrace.
Before I left he said your Hip is very bad that will need replacing “OOO Christmas all over again can not wait”

For those who interested I damaged my knee at the age of 24 demonstrating Kaeshi Kata (Kata of Counters) Uki attacks with Ippon Seoi Nage Tori responds by jumping in front to throw with Uki Waza. To do this your right foot goes ground first at this point I twisted my knee out of joint.

More About Injury

This was sent to me by Geof Gleeson approx 1988 still relevant today

"Watching the National Championships (Judo), all the injuries were caused by very badly performed skills. Competitors locking legs,round another and just falling over. Such badly trained people are bound to cause injuries. No one who was thrown skillfully injured themselves falling whether they used UKEMI or not!

this was a PS to a letter he wrote to me about my article on Ukemi

Geof Gleeson 9th Dan

Geof Gleeson 9th Dan
By Martin Clarke
I am now 58 years old (2008) and been involved with Judo since the age of 5 and the people with the most influence on my Judo career have been my mother and father Margret Clarke 4th Dan and John Nobby Clarke 6th Dan but there was also one other who would be come my mentor and that was Geof Gleeson. To read more about Geof clickhttp://www.budo-ibf.co.uk/geof_gleeson_9th_dan.htm

Theory only Judo Grades NO

The British Judo Association has now decide that there is no need for contest for all Kyu Grades and although I understand their logic in the fact that British people are softer now then they were 10 years ago and they no longer wish to compete or contest in the Club but it is still wrong.
With our dismal performance at the Olympic Games I expect the BJA are under a lot of pressure to get their act together and start producing champions this can only be achieved by having a much wider base i.e. more members. Yet should we sacrifice the heart and soul of Judo for the Olympics, twenty years ago they brought in a grading system that required no theory what so ever, this was wrong and led to the drop in standard and popularity of Judo. The reintroduction on a Theory based syllabus is excellent but it needs to link to Shiai. You will never understand the mechanics of a technique until it is tested in contest, for in contest you learn to expect the unexpected, you become adaptable and respond to different actions and attacks this is what makes Judo great and is a great character builder.
It is a common for coaches to say that Judo Theory and judo Contest is two different things sorry but that is rubbish. Yes if you have a syllabus and it has been decided a certain throw is given a certain name and done in a certain way this must be done when being examined, it is the perfect way to do that technique. Judoka should be taught how to do the perfect technique and this perfect technique will work in contest if the right scenario happens in contest, all of us have clapped and cheered when we see the perfect throw in contest. Yet the joy of contest is that the right scenario is rare and you adapt to the current circumstances this improves the Judoka’s knowledge and understanding of the Art. I am in agreement that techniques in grading should be done as near perfect as possible but it should not be annexed from Contest, the two should work in harmony.

If we fore go contest for just a theory based teaching regime I am certain that it will weaken our International Success and is certainly will not be the Martial Art I started in way back in 1955, Judo used to be translated as the “Gentle Way” rather the “Supple Way” but it will soon be known as the “Softies Way”

Martin Clarke 8th Dan

CombatSombo Revived

COMBATSOMBO REVIVED

As the Founder of the CombatSombo system I have always found it difficult trying to get my idea’s over to the public. My first idea 22 years ago was to Fast Track people from other styles, my logic was get them to 1st Degree Black Belt and they would form clubs, once this happened we could improve on standards. Sadly very few done this all they wanted to do is go home and brag they had a CombatSombo Black Belt, so back to the drawing board and this is when I came up with the idea of Camcorder Gradings in both CombatSombo and Jiu Jitsu. This has proved successful in as much I have had people from all over the World grading in this rather unique method, interestingly when I first started this some 15 years ago I came under a lot of criticism from the Martial Arts fraternity suggesting that the standard would be low. If any of you have tried creating a Video of yourself performing Martial Arts to a standard where you could sell it as an instructional DVD, you will know how difficult that is. To produce a 1hour tape can take as long as 20 hours to produce and that is just the practical. Many have tried the system but most have not achieved what they thought they were worth, some thought it was just a way to buy grade oh how wrong they were. As I said the Martial Arts Fraternity condemned me but look around now to see how many have copied me.
So I returned to my original way of teaching and raised the standards up to the level of my Judoka and Somboist, out of this I did create a result in as much Alan Cain from London started CombatSombo Club with The London Scottish a Territorial Army Regiment, they loved the style and they were just the type of people I wanted tough, hard and dedicated but this would not last long as International events would get in the way I refer to Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes even our Territorial army had to do there stints fighting for Queen and Country, after their last stint the lads never had the enthusiasm to get back to CombatSombo and who could blame them.
Again another restart and with myself still awaiting a replacement Knee and Hip I was becoming as useful as Chocolate Teapot so I invested the help of two top Grapplers my son John and Colin Carrott both very experienced in Sombo Wrestling, Judo, Kurash and Belt Wrestling, they could teach the throws, ground pins, arm locks, leg locks, strangles etc. I would continue teaching the more aggressive self defence techniques I would be helped by Miles Brown a Judo Black Belt who has had 15 years experience on the door but I also needed someone who could teach a bit of finesse. For this I went Greg Garside 4th Judo, Greg over the last few years has specialised in Judo Kata becoming a real expert. Several of the Judo Kata’s like Goshin Jutsu, Kime no Kata are really Jiu Jitsu Kata’s teaching defence against unarmed and armed attack, even the Ju No Kata if speeded up and taken to its logical conclusion can add to the repertoire of CombatSombo Players list of techniques. Has this worked well we will see but at a recent grading at Summer Camp two CombatSombo Players both passed their 6th Grade Brown Belt they were Russell Dodds and Leon Stewart, after they had graded many senior figures in the IBF commented how impressed they were.
So I return to high standard and hard work I will not worry about getting thousands of members all I want is quality and the big advantage I have over many other styles is that the name “COMBATSOMBO” is registered in my name and I am prepared to sue anyone who misuses it, so if you are CombatSombo member who wants to renew his or her vows why not contacted me at EastLeigh House, 118 East Street, Sittingbourne, Kent ME10 4RX or email: Sombogb @ Blueyonder.co.uk



YET ANOTHER NEW STYLE or HOW I RE INVENTED THE WHEEL

For years now we have Martial Arts players telling us that they have invented the Ultimate Style of Martial Art? I have always been very dubious of these claims especially when the exponent goes from 1st Dan in a traditional style to an 8th Dan in there new style especially as some of their claims are rather spurious can I give you two examples:

1) Sombo Wrestling in GB has been continual active for 24 years now in that period we have had our ups and downs in the last 10 years we have had a very high standard at the British Open but this was not always the case pre 1998 some of the British Championships were very poorly attended. This led to somewhat inferior Champions who may have had just one fight to claim a title. Some years ago a Young Man in his very early twenties had an article printed in a magazine as tolling his art, the editor finished by saying how could body argue with him as he was a British Sombo Champion. What he forgot to mention that the gentleman only entered this one event and has never done Sombo since, he won the title by beating another novice and had WO against an experienced Sombo Wrestler who broke his toe and had to retire.

2) With so many styles being invented the whole fiasco caused some hilarity in our Judo/Sombo club, so after a training session we decided to invent our own which we called VORTIGAN. This was after a Saxon chief who lived in Kent claiming it was a true Martial Art from Kent where exponents would use sharpened trowels as throwing weapons and that the commando’s used it during WW11. I wrote an article on this fictionist Martial Art and sent it to various Martial Arts Magazines who printed the article (sorry to say I have lost the original) some months later I did tell them it was a spoof. Yet a few years later up pops another guy who has created his own style and would you believe it he trained in VORTIGAN for several years!!!

So the thing to do is always check out an Instructors History, before you get swallowed into becoming a money trap

Martin Clarke Sittingbourne

Judo Olympics

JUDO
Four Year budget: £6.947m
Medal Target: 2
Medals: 0
An other disastrous Games. Needs to find players who can throw or coaches who can teach them

Mark: 4/10

Daily Mail August 25th
So what has happened to Judo? I was lucky enough to be competing in the late 60’s 70’s and early 80’s when there were British stars like Brian Jacks, Dave Starbrook, Keith Remfry, Arthur Mapp, Neil Adams, Chris Bowles, Billy Ward, Paul Radburn I could go on, this was the hey day of British Judo so what has happened since then to make the Daily Mail make such terrible comment. The first question come to mind these guys received little or no money in their quest for Olympic fame most like myself had to work and feed a family, some had very generous parents but they could win Olympic medals. All the regulation that surrounds Judo today seems to be suffocating the art, some regulations make sense but the things like Club Mark and UKCC may be good on paper but in practise they restrict the introduction of new clubs, how many people are on the payroll of the BJA? Some I know are doing a good job especially those working with schools but what about the rest?
Yet after saying that is it really the BJA who are to blame for our failure I am not so sure I believe it is the rules of Judo and the referees who interpreted those rules for instance:
1) With hardly any groundwork would Neil Adams have time to apply his famous Sanku Techniques?
2) With grip changing become like a fair ground Kangaroo Boxing match would Dave Starbrook be able to do his legendary Tia Otoshi
3) With competitors scrabbling about on their knees would Paul Radburn get that big O Goshi which he was a famed for
Judo Competition has changed beyond recognition from my day and I would suggest that the IJF look closely at what was happening 20 years ago:
1) Upright Judo should return, as the restrictions where you can hold makes bent over Judo very negative. A lot of people complained that the Judo in the Olympics was like Sombo. All I can say these people have never seen World Class Sombo Wrestling it has devasting throw and is much more audience friendly.
2) More groundwork should be allowed this will stop players stalling by just dropping to their knees
3) Stop players attacking from their knees
4) Allow a minimum grip fighting and then penalise for passivity
By all means bring some modern things in, allow coloured Gi’s, change the antiquated Japanese Scoring and Hand signals, bring in signals which the audience can understand, take referees out of blazers, which make them look to officious and put them in Track bottoms and Polo shirts with different coloured sleeves like they do in Olympic Wrestling.
The Olympics should have been a show case for World Judo, this it certainly was not especially with its appalling referee’s decisions; maybe the time has come to add Kata to the Judo Olympics to allow the World wide audience to see the artistic side of the Sport, lots of other sports allow this type of competition. Some how Judo has to be rescued from the Bureaucrats in the IJF who are ruining the Art
Martin Clarke

What is Ippon

20. Ippon
I have taken an extract from the IJF rules please read. I have watched several competitions over the last year and Ippon’s are either given away far to easily or extremely hard, please read or am I the only one who still remembers what a correct Ippon is?
The Referee shall announce Ippon when in his opinion the applied technique corresponds to the following criteria:

a)
When a contestant with control throws the other contestant largely on his back with considerable force and speed.
My Comment: therefore throws such as O Uchi Gari can score Ippon as does Sumi Geashi, someone who attempts a sacrificial throw and fails does not necessarily have Ippon scored against them.

b)
When a contestant holds with Osaekomi-waza the other contestant, who is unable to get away for 25 seconds after the announcement of Osaekomi.

c)
When a contestant gives up by tapping twice or more with his hand or foot or says Maitta (I give up!) generally as a result of Osaekomi-waza, Shime-waza or Kansetsu-waza.

d)
When a contestant is incapacitated by the effect of a Shime-waza or Kansetsu-waza.
Equivalence: Should one contestant be penalised with Hansoku-make, the other contestant shall immediately be declared the winner
Simultaneous Ippons - See Article 19 (f) (4).
Simultaneous techniques: when both contestants fall to the Tatami after what appears to be simultaneous attacks, and the Referee and Judges cannot decide which technique dominated there should be no score awarded.
Should the Referee announce Ippon during Newaza in error and the contestants therefore separate, the Referee and Judges shall, if possible, and in accordance with the "majority of three" rule, replace the contestants into as close to their original positions as possible and restart the contest, if so doing will rectify an injustice to one of the contestants.
If one of the contestants deliberately makes a "bridge" (head and one foot or both feet in contact with the Tatami) after having been thrown - although he may have avoided the necessary criteria for Ippon, the Referee shall nonetheless award Ippon or any other score he considers the technique warrants, in order to discourage this action.
Using Kansetsu-waza in order to throw the opponent will not be considered for point scoring purposes

Ippon a New Book

A very good friend of mine Lurch (Ian Durie) from Scotland, is a prolific reader of Martial Arts Books and is extremely knowledgeable, he regular sends me down books to read. Most Martial Books are about : How to do i.e. explaining how to do techniques etc after 53 years training in Judo etc these become very tiresome, most authors are trying to convince the readers they have reinvented the wheel, next are auto biographies or biographies on how great they author is or how great the authors subject is. So when Lurch sent me the book entitled IPPON! “The fight for Judo’s soul” by David Hammond, I thought GOD have I really got to read this? Am I glad I did for this book is a little gem it relates the History of Judo from when Kano started and ends up explaining the history of British Judo, the author relates some of his own opinions which I found extremely interesting , although I thought he was bit hard on one of my mentors Geoff Gleeson. I have not me the author but he obviously understands what Judo is and you get a feeling reading the book that it was written by some who is passionate for the WAY of Judo to continue rather then slip into obis.
Ippon “The Fight for Judo” by Dave Hammond London League Publications Ltd PO Box 10441 London E14 8WR and all of you must read “The Pyjama Game”

One Final point although I have great respect for Jigaro Kano especially his Philosophies on Judo and its relationship with producing better Human Beings, I find it very hard to get my head round the fact that he did not start Jiu Jitsu until he was 17 years old and was a Master of 2 styles by the time he was 20 years old, some one who accordingly to legend was a “Physically weak boy”. I have taught Judo etc since I was 20 years old I am now 58 in 38 years I have never met or seen a Master at such a young age (I use the term Master in a Martial Arts context meaning ultimate practitioner) in fact I have met many Budoka from all over the World and would only suggest that a very few of them I would consider worthy of the title Master. By his early twenties he had invented Judo a completely new concept? Many years ago I wrote an article suggesting that Kano could have seen Cornishman practising Cornish Wrestling and suggested that this young man would have seen a concept unknown in Japan Fighting (Wrestling) without the intention of injuring your opponent and remaining friends after the bout, plus remember Jacket Wrestling is not unique to Japan. The Judo purist will pour scorn on me as some sort of anti Christ but it is not my intention to ridicule Kano you only have to read his life story to realise he was a remarkable man. What I am interested in is separating fact from fiction by questioning the myth, I would be very interested in a proper historian looking into greater depth into the early years of Jigaro Kano but he will need a n open mind.


Martin Clarke

Crawling Judo

Take a look at this video from the World Games Judo, this is an event that should be a showcase for Judo. Once you have watched it you can understand why TV does not want to broadcast Judo, you will see diving at the legs hanging on to the trousers, crawling across the mat on hands and knees, total Jigotai stance. All these things you tell a junior beginner not to do and all of this could be corrected by the referee giving out penalties for passive Judo. If the International Judo Federation call this Top Grade refereeing they should hang their heads in shame.

3 Bronzes at Kent International

3 Bronzes in BJA Kent International

Members of the Young Judo Club participated in the British Judo Associations Kent International Judo Championships which was held at Corydon Leisure Centre over two weekends. This was only the 2nd year that members of the YJC have entered this prestigious event, last year John Clarke won a Bronze medal. This year it was the turn of the Carrott Brothers Lee and Danny to come back with a very hard fought Bronze, the following weekend Jamie Marzetti made it a further Bronze in the under 16 year class. The club entered the 2 seniors and 3 Juniors Ben Franks and Ashley Jordan both had two fights and lost both of them in what was a very hard competition. The YJC has now got its own Video site www.dailymotion.com/youngjudoclub at present it has matches from the recent International in Enschede Holland, 1991 Nobby Clarke Memorial Championships and the BJA Kent International apart from a general interest for members and the public others can make a detailed examination. All contributors to newspapers and magazines are inclined guild the Lilly slightly when reporting on club members these videos help to relay exactly what happened. Martin Clarke was not at the competition but because of this latest technology could analyse the matches, the one thing that he commented on that he thought that both the Carrott Brothers should have won Gold Lee fitness was a little suspect and this put his timing out and considering this was his first International with BJA (he entered as a Novice as he is yet to be graded with this organisation) he could have great future with the Governing Body but he must train regular instead of relying on natural ability. Brother Danny goes from strength to strength he performed some spectacular Ippon throws and only lost on a rather dubious Ippon by a throw which was initiated by him; Danny and his girlfriend Debbie Jackson have been selected for the World Sombo Championships in St Petersburg Russia in November. Martin commented that the Ippon throw (the equivalent to a knockout in Boxing) has changed radically in the last 15 years if you look at the 1991 championships and the 2008 you can see, to make a boxing analogy in 1991 the 10 count would be 20 seconds and in 2008 it takes 5 seconds both are wrong because it should take 10 seconds. Members of the public can also see different videos clips of the Club, some going back as far as the early 70’s on You Tube sadly the quality is not that high as some have been transferred from standard 8 films, log on to YouTube then type in either IBFUK or IBFBCSA or Britishsombo .
Any one interested in learning all forms of Judo should log on www.youngjudoclub.co.uk email youngjudoclub@yahooo.co.uk telephone 01795 437124

Judo Rules need to change So do Referees

JUDO RULES NEED TO CHANGE SO DO REFEREES

Over the last 20 years my interest in Judo has been through the International Budo Federation but I have been very active on World Wide Basis with Sombo/Sambo the latter being very important to what about to say.

The last couple of years IBF members have been allowed to become members of the UK Governing body for Judo the British Judo Association, I have encouraged IBF members to join the BJA as long as they still join the IBF. Many of those who opposed allowing the IBF members to hold membership would ague that what is the point of holding two licenses the simple answer is in the name the IBF is a multi style Martial Arts and Combat Discipline association. For one license you can do all the Martial Arts plus many grappling styles including plus through the IBF you become members of the UK Governing Body for Sombo/Sambo the British Sombo Federation. Even our IBF members suggested that we could lose out by affiliating to the BJA my response was that if the IBF was any good it would survive if not it would collapse two years on we are still here and stronger.

Before we joined the BJA we would continually be accused of being out of touch with modern day competition Judo until IBF members started to use the BJA I saw no need to change what has been a reasonably good system. With members also holding BJA membership and with our own IBF INTERNATIONAL body moving to pure IJF rules time had come for me to move with the times, so I have read through the IJF rules (that was something of an achievement) watched BJA/IJF tournaments, listened to BJA officials and competitors, I am sorry to say I barely recognised the Sport I was involved with in as a potential Olympian in the mid 1970’s to the early 1980’s.

I watched several video from World, European, World Cup Championships and all I could see was 6 minutes of Judoka fighting for grips and never committing themselves 100% to a throw, heaven help us if one of the competitors scored a minor score to create a lead because then it would become an endurance test for both competitor and spectator. Yet you could not blame the competitors they fight according to the rules and it is the rules or shall I say the interpretation of the rules that are bad for Judo. The refereeing I have seen has been quite frank appalling back in the 70’s and 80’s there was a lot of rivalry between the different Judo Associations but the one thing most agreed the BJA had the best referees, this can not be said of today. Some will say here goes Clarkee insulting the BJA on the contrary, I would not have suggested that my members join the BJA if I was not impressed with their innovative approach to Judo but if I and others must be allowed to make some constructive criticism. BJA referees have the same problem we have in the IBF NO ONE wants to be a referee so inexperienced referees are getting to centre referee before they are ready.

Here are a few suggestions that may help:
In the IBF we always try and put our most experience referees on first this normally sets the standard for the whole competition, if during the day the refereeing standard start dropping the Senior Refereeing then reinstates the more experience referee to centre stage. Lets all of us stop insulting referees all that does is alienate them and entrenches them into bad habits, when they are finished congratulate them and thank them for giving up their day, when they feel appreciated they may listen to constructive criticism and why not give a Referee of the day award.

Years ago I wrote an article and suggested to be a referee you need not be a Judoka! For if the rules simple and straight forward any one should be able to understand them and referee. My point was if you want spectators to watch Judo to make it more popular, you have to make it is more visual and its scoring must be apparent in 10 minutes. Have a look at Sombo Wrestling another Jacket Wrestling sport, Total Victory Throw on back remain standing submission by arm lock or leg lock, you can also throw for 4pts, 2pts, 1pt, hold on the ground 2pts and 4pts. To win Total Victory, 12pt margin or end of time highest score. One player in Red one in Blue, referee wear Red and Blue sleeves, any score for the relevant colour indicated with relevant arm all scores given with fingers, start and stop on a whistle. Obviously there is more to it that what I have written but to someone who never seen Sombo it is a very easy start. Try and explain Judo in 5 lines? Because Judo rules are far more complicated all referees must have reasonable standard of Judo knowledge especially in what constitutes a throw. The one glaring example is sacrificial throws it seems that referees over the past few years have been told to be more generous with Ippon’s, I expect the idea was to encourage bigger throws. Yet what has happened as soon as someone back touches the ground they give Ippon even if you have made a failed attempt at a sacrifice throw i.e. Tome Nage.

Radical changes need to be made if Judo is to survive as Olympic Sport a complete overall of the scoring, eliminating boxing for grips, there is a need to watch and learn from other Jacket Wrestling forms i.e. Sombo, Kurash, Mongolian Style, Georgian even our own Cornish but then again if Judo was taken out of the Olympics for a while it may refresh it?

The only organisation who can do this is the International Judo Federation and the group who have influence with them is the BJA, so if we want Judo to survive we all need to get behind them and support them. They realised they need the smaller associations and we must realise we need them.


Martin Clarke IBF 8th Dan

John retires

My Son John Clarke 4th Dan Judo has decided to retire from Senior Judo, Sombo, and Kurash Tournaments at 34 years of age it is about the right time and something I recommended especially as he has trouble with a Knee injury which he got from Football. I unfortunately continued competing ignoring injuries now I have to have a new knee and new hip due to not listening to others and my body, this I do not want to happen to John. His last event was on Sunday where he was selected for the BJA Southern Area Team to compete in the National Team Championships in Kendal Cumbria, his team won a Bronze. John new the event would be hard one with all the competitors being a lot younger then him and in the peak of fitness especially as it was Olympic year but what he was not prepared for was the interpretation of the rules used by the referees, John uses a lot of techniques which rely on him sacrificing his own body weight to throw his opponent this is called Ma Sutemi Waza, this can be high risk as you have to rely on the referees understanding something about Judo. The referees at this event thought if you placed your back on the floor to throw your opponent your opponent should be given a score, this happened once before when John was 18 years old in the World Youths Sombo Champions where he was fighting an American he threw the American for a perfect sacrificial throw only to have the score put against him losing him a place in the finals. John telephoned and was quite philosophical about the event, he said “ I should have done my homework checking on these new rule changes plus I have been enough tournaments to realise you should check out the referees on the day and how they are performing” after all that he enjoyed the weekend felt proud to be a member of the Southern Area Team plus there was some good Judo in spite of the refereeing

I have been lucky in being a successful competitor and also being a successful coach and over the years have got a great deal of pleasure in watching my students succeeding in all aspects of Judo, Sombo, Free Style Wrestling, Kurash and Belt Wrestling yet the ultimate joy is to see you own Son/Pupil excel. John has given many people a lot of pleasure over his competition career and he has given me the most, well done Son you have been a great competitor and I am very proud of you.

Some of John’s successes
Judo:
4th Dan Black Belt
Many Times IBF National Judo Champion Junior and Senior
IBF Great Britain Team member
Medal winner BJA International Event
Sombo:
World u16 years Silver
World u21 years 5th
World Senior 7th
Many Times British Champion

Kurash:
2 x International Tournament Champion

Free Style Wrestling
Silver u18 years British Championship

Belt Wrestling:
British Champion x 2

John may have finished competing in Senior events but he still will be coaching the Senior Club and will be taking a competitive Junior Section and entering a few Masters events, these are competitions for the older players and divided into age groups as well as weight groups. The Masters Events are much more laid back with not quite so much testosterone flying about, more a meeting of like minded individual.

Martin Clarke 8th Dan GrandMaster Sombo

More info www.sittingbourne.org ibfbcsa@yahoo.co.uk 01795 437124

You Tube

I always thought You Tube was for nerds and happy slappers, how wrong I have been. Since the British Open Sombo in April I have been hooked not for the stupid stuff but the Combat. I have created several sites for the IBF/BCSA they are "BritishSombo" "IBFBCSA" "IBFUK" so have a look and if you have your own site let me know and I will pass it on. For those into Judo I have just found the perfect Kata for young competitve Judoka have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNRXC-K6vgM&feature=related

email me and let me know what you think

BJA GRADING SYLABUS I HAVE DOUBTS

Since the BJA have opened their doors to other associations, members of the Young Judo Club (Sittingbourne Judo School) have taken out BJA membership taking gradings, coaching awards and entering competitions with some success. Although I am not involved personally with the BJA administration, I do hold a BJA license and as my students are part of the organisation I do take an interest in what the BJA are doing, this brings me to the BJA Syllabus for Grade Promotion.
The first thing I noticed they have returned to the 6 Kyu grades rather then having upper and lower grades, I preferred the latter and some years ago the IBF accepted this system something we will not change. I also noticed that they have copied the system we have used for 20 years where they can examine at Club level up to 1st Kyu, this better for the students and puts revenue into the club.
What I do not agree with is that there is not a competitive element i.e. contest to the grading syllabus to 1st Kyu, I strongly believe to understand Judo technically and philosophically you need a contest section. Contest helps to develop your mind and body plus you get a better grasp of the techniques you are learning. If Judoka do not enter Competitions where will our future Olympians come from, with the restrictive of how you can grade you can only go up one grade at a time and have to wait 3 months between successful gradings the earliest you can obtain 1st is 14 months, there seem to be no allowance for exceptional athletes or players crossing over from similar sports i.e. Sombo or Kurash. A couple of well known names of the 1970’s were Dave Starbrook Olympic Silver I believe he gained his 1st in less the a year and Vass Morrison was the same ( I hope I got that right). The B JA seems to go from one extreme to another one moment there is no theory for gradings only contest now it has changed completely the other way. I understand why they are doing it because society has become soft and weak and with Judo in decline they have rightly so tried another direction they may be right and we have to water down Judo and I am most probably wrong as I see no deed to drop to the lowest common denominator, maybe it time that we all tried to climb up the pit rather then slide further in?

On the Syllabus itself it seems quite reasonable with the exception of the throws in the 6th Kyu syllabus, the one thing you learn when teaching beginners is that they are afraid to be thrown, so teaching Tia Otoshi in my opinion should be first throw taught, This throw teaches the student to turn their body, it is an easily controlled throw which can be done slowly and is what Geoff Gleeson called a Roller throw your opponent rolls around the leg and does not fall heavy. I have never taught De Ashi Baria to beginners but can see that it can teach the basics of Judo if you must teach a Hip throw surely it must be O Goshi but I would prefer O Soto Gari an easily controlled throw with out heavy landing or should I say can be. The three Tia Otoshi, O Soto Gari and De Ashi Baria can easily linked to form combinations and even counters.

I will admit syllabuses like these are common but learning by ROTE which this is ,does not encourage spontaneity. Improvisation and individual talent all the credential that make a champion.,my grid system (Discovery Method)I developed years ago where every Judoka was treated as an individual was better but it was highly complex for the low coach to master and sadly my on IBF Membership rejected it.

My article is not meant to offend but just a method of throwing a couple ideas about hopefully some one will come back with constructive criticism

Martin Clarke 8th Dan

CRB Checks more expense for the Volunteer Coach

CRB Checks more expense for the Volunteer Coach.

When the Criminal Record Bureau was first formed my organisation the International Budo Federation applied to become a Registered Body at a fee of a few Hundred pounds. Recently our registration has been withdrawn because we have insufficient numbers last year we registered just under 100 people. I have complained stating the following , “I do not see what numbers have to do with matters it is no more expensive dealing with a small organisation like ourselves then it is dealing with a larger one or is just about putting money into larger organisation pockets so they can create more bureaucratic places for their staff”

My main complaint is that when the IBF organised CRB registration there was no charge for Volunteers this is the reply I received “ With regards to your coaches having to pay for a CRB check through an Umbrella Body, I can advise you that as long as the position applied for meets our definition of a ‘volunteer’, then the resultant Disclosure will be processed free of charge. However, I am aware that there would more than likely be an administrative charge levied by an Umbrella Body. Therefore, it would be advisable to contact a number of Umbrella Bodies to find the one that is more suitable for your requirements.” That admin charge can vary from £15 up to treble figures per Volunteer.

Being a Volunteer Coach in NU Labour Britain is becoming a very expensive hobby, gone are the days when you can be a well meaning person who wants to help out coaching a few kids to give them something to do. Before you can you can coach today you have to do the following:

1) Attend a Coaching Course in your sport cost vary from a few pounds to hundred of pounds. The recently formed United Kingdom Coaching Certificate want everyone by 2012 to have a UKCC award. To obtain an Assistant Coach award, where you literally assist a coach, is expected to cost in the region of £250 a Level 1 Coach could cost a £1000 . At the moment this will not be a legal requirement but with Gordon Brown signing up to the EU Constitution there is nothing stopping the EU making it a legal requirement.
2) Once qualifying you have to attend Annual refresher courses
3) You will need a CRB check cost is mentioned above
4) You will need to attend a Child Protection Course annually
5) You will need a First Aid certificate
6) You will need to up to date on the rules of the sport
7) You will need Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance

All of this because a person wants to help young people, everything listed above are good ideas my main problem is the cost, under Nu Labour we have seen a steady erosion of discipline and respect from young people, drugs and alcohol abuse is running out of control, our young people are being brought up with no ethic or morals. Sport has ben proven to help combat all these problems, so the government should be paying all those Coaches and helpers or at least pay for these various courses, anyone who gives up their time to help young people should be helped and encouraged. Before some politician say it is not cost effective I would disagree producing better young people with high morals and ethics will pay us back many fold.


My organisation the IBF/BCSA has now decide because of the extra cost and complaints from our Volunteers ( who have threatened to resign on mass because of the CRB’s decision) that a CRB check is recommended not compulsory. It took a lot of persuasion in the first place to get our Volunteers to apply for a CRB check as most considered insulting that you are considered a threat to children until you receive a CRB check GUILTY till proven INNOCENT.

To finalise our friends at the CRB tell us that it not a legal requirement to have a CRB check but:

Quote from a letter from the CRB

“Turning to your comments that you will now not insist on your coaches to undertake a CRB check unless the funds are available, I should explain that neither Part V of the Police Act 1997 nor the Exceptions Order 1975 to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 makes checks compulsory. However, there are other pieces of legislation which make checks mandatory, for example it is compulsory for childcare organisations (as defined in the Act) to undertake checks of the Protection of Children’s Act (P0CA) list and List 99 for those working in regulated positions. Furthermore, there is a statutory requirement on care providers who are planning to employ a care worker in a care home or through a domiciliary care agency to check whether that person is included in the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (P0VA) list.”

Does the Children’s Act affect Sports Organisations?


Martin Clarke
President IBF/BCSA UK

HELL CATS DO WELL AT BRITISH SCHOOLS CHAMPIOSHIP

Ten girls from the Bedford High Hellcats attended the British Schools Individual Championships in Cardiff on April 29th. This was a very well attended competition with about 350 entries further ionfo can be found on http://www.budo-ibf.co.uk/bedford_hell_cats_do_the_ibf_pro.htm

The BSJA is a very strange organisation it offers really good Tournaments but keeps them a secret or can this just be the Kent section. I have yet to be sent information on any Kent Schools event even though I have asked on many occasions, one would have thought they would have welcomed more competitors. When I taught in Schools and was Chairman of the Kent Schools Judo Association and founder of the Swale Schools Judo Association I had several British Champions and I also remember Craig Scott and Marcella O'Hare being Internationals with them both of these are now in their 40's. If any of you young Judoka get a chance to compete in these Schools Event I am sure you will enjoy the experience.
Martin Clarke 8th Dan IBF UK President