British Judo Open 2009
This year’s British open was held at the K2 Leisure Centre Crawley, it has been 26 years since I last attended this event the last time I attended as a competitor. I decided to attend because two of Club members from the Young Judo Club/Sittingbourne Judo Society had entered they were brothers Danny and Lee Carrott, Danny had to withdraw because of an injury his brother Lee had two fights which he lost but he found the experience worth while plus you have not been a top Judo competitor unless you have entered at least one British Open. Another reason I attended was to see the new rules and new fighting area in action plus meet old friends and some cases old enemies. The first thing I noticed was that I hardly knew anyone where were the fighters of my generation? I expect I knew about 5 people all about my age all high profile Judo Players but that was all and where were all the top Executives this was disappointment number 1. Next I was told that GB no 1 players were not participating because they were at a training camp in Brazil disappointment no 2 was I pleased that I wore my blazer with my International Badge this at least gave me free entry.
K2 is a beautiful place and big and the sports hall for the Judo was clean well lit with comfortable seats yet it was a venue like so many others which have Judo events, it did not have the Gravitas of the old Crystal Palace, the palace had its many faults and does look a bit shabby but when you walked into the CP hall with the British Open, you felt the importance of the event an occasion of elite Judo. I am sorry to say I never got this feeling at the K2 it felt that the event had been down graded to just another Judo Association event.
What of the Judo and the rule changes:
The mat area with no danger zone was a good concept as it stopped players being caught in the Keikoku trap, this was when you forced your opponent to step out of the area to receive Keikoku which was equal to a Waza-ari (3 shido’s). Once you received this it was a good chance you would lose. This gamesmanship was very prevalent in the 1970’s and 1980’s, in my bid for the 1980 Olympics my main rival was Arthur Mapp (he won an Olympic Bronze) I fought him 5 times he beat me 4 times once with Ippon with Sasea Tsurikomi Ashi, the other 3 times I lost on Keikoku for stepping out each time I was ahead on scores, I beat him once with Ippon Uchi Mata in the All England where I met Errol Carnegie in the Final where I caught him with a Keikoku step out. Letting you to continue play slightly outside the area should encourage more positive Judo, this is OK when there is a full size international mat area but in a small competition I still think we should use the red danger zone.
NO Koka eliminating the Koka I think was a bad mistake as what has happened what was a Koka has now become a Yuko, Yuko become a Waza-ari, and Waza-ari becomes Ippon. In fact an Ippon is when a person lands on his back no matter how. Sumi Geashi is not a throw to try a couple of times I saw attempts at this throw only to see the practitioner being awarded Ippon against him. Still think they should have accumulative scoring as in Sambo.
All penalties being called shido made good sense and were easy to follow
Attacking from the knees is now allowed and you can score Ippon, as a Sambo Wrestler I was used to this but not sure it suits Judo
In general I was not impressed I saw very little big throws very few strangles and Armlocks, the Referees continue look over officious with their big blazer badges, there were no superstars like in the 70’s and 80’s where were the now a days Brian Jacks, Neil Adams, Paul Radburn, Dave Starbrook etc plus the many foreign Superstars in the old days if one of these names were called the whole audience would move to watch them. The BJA organising was impeccable and maybe I am looking through rose tinted glasses on the past but Judo in my mind has changed in some cases beyond recognition not to my liking but maybe the newer generation get the buzz from this New Judo which I got from the old. I still think that rather then tinker with the rules they should look at the Gi bring in multi coloured suits and Judo Boots make the whole thing colourful .
Martin Clarke 8th Dan Sittingbourne
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Is Competitive Judo Dying
Over the last 12 months the amount of Competitive Judoka has dropped dramatically, the snow ball effect is this there are less and less Judo competitions, those that are run have a poor turnout or cancelled at the last moment due to lack of support. It was hoped that when the Governing body for Judo the British Judo Association opened its doors to all Judo organisations, the competitions standards would increase as would competition numbers would rise. I am sorry to say this has not happened quite the opposite has occurred, with some Judo Associations abandoning organising competition all together. Our own Young Judo Club has decided to give its own Annual “Garden of England Competition “ a rest because last year saw a large drop in entries and the club made a substantial loss something the committee would not tolerate.
WHY THE LACK OF INTEREST:
Her some of the ideas being banded about
1) Recession: people not having money and most of the public being depressed because the way the country is run
2) Kids only interested in computer games and TV
3) Parents reluctant to give up a weekend for their kids
4) Non Competitive attitude in Schools
5) Kids to soft and undisciplined
6) Introduction of the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate, which has led to lots of old time coaches retiring rather then go through rather expensive hoops to carry on teaching something they have don for 30 years
7) Introduction of the Club Mark scheme with all its unnecessary bureaucracy
8) Non competitive Grading system for all ages.
I am not sure whether any the above applies, what I do know is the Young judo Club memberships remains static, which in this day and age is good, but our youngster do not want to compete.
BJA KENT OPEN DARTFORD
This competition is a prime example of what I been saying , the BJA has the most Judo Clubs in Kent yet only 40 boys , 20 men, 15 girls and 5 women entered some weights had no entries some had only two. It was reported you could see a marked decline in the standard of Judo, of course you will the youngsters who want to compete are not getting the competitions or quality matches for them to be able to improve.
The Young Judo Club / Sittingbourne Judo Society had three entries and the reason for the small turnout nobody new about the competition until the Tuesday before the event approx another 10 players Senior and Junior could not make the event due to prior arrangements especially as was the start of the School Holiday’s. The three juniors who did enter all won Medals:
Silver Ashley Jordan had 5 in his weight and fought extremely well only just missing out on the Gold. Ashley at 15 years of age is very light for his age so it was pleasing to see him move up to the u34k class at 16 years of age the minimum weight in Judo for an adult is 60k. Hopefully he puts on weight before then even if his Judo career is curtailed for a few years he is lucky enough to belong to a club that participates and practises other Grappling forms, Sombo and Kurash both jacket wrestling sports lowest weight is 48k. Ashley has already proved himself in both of these events by winning National Gold medals hopefully he will keep up the Judo no matter what the difficulty.
Ben Franks won Gold u46k by a count back of points he had 3 fights and two wins as did another lad but Ben had more points. Ben can be a good fighter but he has a bad habit of throwing tantrums when he loses this has got to stop. There is nothing wrong with being unhappy about losing NO real champions likes losing, but you have to take defeat gracefully and learn from the defeat so make defeat a positive rather then a negative.
Jamie Marzetti o73k had 4 in his weight and steam rolled his way through to a convincing Gold with no losses, at 15 years of age he is a big strong boy and his training in the Adult class since he was 14 years has made him Tough Hard Fit and technically sound
Next big event is the British Sombo Open Swallows Leisure Centre Sittingbourne April 19th
More information on BJA/IBF judo go to www.sittingbourne.org sombogb@blueyonder.co.uk 01795 437124
WHY THE LACK OF INTEREST:
Her some of the ideas being banded about
1) Recession: people not having money and most of the public being depressed because the way the country is run
2) Kids only interested in computer games and TV
3) Parents reluctant to give up a weekend for their kids
4) Non Competitive attitude in Schools
5) Kids to soft and undisciplined
6) Introduction of the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate, which has led to lots of old time coaches retiring rather then go through rather expensive hoops to carry on teaching something they have don for 30 years
7) Introduction of the Club Mark scheme with all its unnecessary bureaucracy
8) Non competitive Grading system for all ages.
I am not sure whether any the above applies, what I do know is the Young judo Club memberships remains static, which in this day and age is good, but our youngster do not want to compete.
BJA KENT OPEN DARTFORD
This competition is a prime example of what I been saying , the BJA has the most Judo Clubs in Kent yet only 40 boys , 20 men, 15 girls and 5 women entered some weights had no entries some had only two. It was reported you could see a marked decline in the standard of Judo, of course you will the youngsters who want to compete are not getting the competitions or quality matches for them to be able to improve.
The Young Judo Club / Sittingbourne Judo Society had three entries and the reason for the small turnout nobody new about the competition until the Tuesday before the event approx another 10 players Senior and Junior could not make the event due to prior arrangements especially as was the start of the School Holiday’s. The three juniors who did enter all won Medals:
Silver Ashley Jordan had 5 in his weight and fought extremely well only just missing out on the Gold. Ashley at 15 years of age is very light for his age so it was pleasing to see him move up to the u34k class at 16 years of age the minimum weight in Judo for an adult is 60k. Hopefully he puts on weight before then even if his Judo career is curtailed for a few years he is lucky enough to belong to a club that participates and practises other Grappling forms, Sombo and Kurash both jacket wrestling sports lowest weight is 48k. Ashley has already proved himself in both of these events by winning National Gold medals hopefully he will keep up the Judo no matter what the difficulty.
Ben Franks won Gold u46k by a count back of points he had 3 fights and two wins as did another lad but Ben had more points. Ben can be a good fighter but he has a bad habit of throwing tantrums when he loses this has got to stop. There is nothing wrong with being unhappy about losing NO real champions likes losing, but you have to take defeat gracefully and learn from the defeat so make defeat a positive rather then a negative.
Jamie Marzetti o73k had 4 in his weight and steam rolled his way through to a convincing Gold with no losses, at 15 years of age he is a big strong boy and his training in the Adult class since he was 14 years has made him Tough Hard Fit and technically sound
Next big event is the British Sombo Open Swallows Leisure Centre Sittingbourne April 19th
More information on BJA/IBF judo go to www.sittingbourne.org sombogb@blueyonder.co.uk 01795 437124
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
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
Saturday, February 21, 2009
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
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
Monday, February 16, 2009
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
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
Thursday, February 12, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
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
http://www.canoescotland.com/default.aspx?tabid=489&frmView=ShowPost&PostID=506
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
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
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
Friday, January 09, 2009
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 StClub 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
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
Sunday, December 28, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
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
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
Thursday, November 20, 2008
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
Monday, November 10, 2008
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
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
Monday, November 03, 2008
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
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
Friday, October 17, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, October 10, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
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
"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
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)