1st
Dan 1976 awarded Belt & Certificate 2003
27 years to wait for Black Belt recognition
Drew Cullen started Judo at the tender age of 8 years this was in 1969; he was to become one of the best juniors in the history of the Young Judo Club. This was no mean achievement the club was founded in 1957 and has trained literally thousands of Judoka as well as a thousand people to Black Belt as well as producing National, International standard players, there members have been Olympic Judo squad members and World Champions.
By the time Drew had reached 15 years he had won most titles that a junior could win. Martin Clarke who was Drew’s trainer took him to a Judo Grading in Essex under the auspices of the British Judo Council (MAC) the senior examiner was one of Britain’s leading judo experts Bill Wood 7th Dan. Although the YJC was a very competitive club they still expected all their members to know their theory and apply the traditions of Judo, so it came as no surprise that Drew sailed through theory section of the Judo grading but was a shock how easy easier he made fighting the other juniors so easy - so much so that the examiners put him on with the senior brown belts who were fighting for their Black Belts (Remember that he was just 15 years and only weighed 9 stone 7 pounds).
He successfully disposed of all his adult competitors in record time he then went on to beat those going for 2nd Dan Black Belt. The examiners decided to award him his Black belt 1st Dan but Martin objected, saying that at 15 years Drew was too young and at that time no one had been awarded a Black belt under the age of 16 years. Martin was to regret making this complaint for the examiners agreed that once Drew was 16 years he was to present himself before them and be officially awarded his Black Belt. Sadly to say before this could happen Drew was involved in a car accident and his Judo days seemed to be at end.
Although Martin informed the examiners they stuck to their protocol and never awarded Drew his 1st Dan. Martin felt guilty about this and at the time he was not of sufficient standard to grade people to Black Belt.
Martin and Drew lost contact and the incident just became a blur but fate was to play a helping hand, Drew had become a successful computer journalist, had started a Web Magazine and decided to move back into the country he spotted a house in Bredgar (village outside Sittingbourne) where he moved to. A visit to the local sports centre he happened across a Judo competition, this brought memories flooding back and of course the event was organised by the YJC, which was now headed by Martin Clarke 8th Dan. The two got talking and Drew came back to Judo a lot older, considerable heavier and out of condition but the flair was still there. After several months he entered the British Sombo wrestling Championships (A Jacket Wrestling Sport similar to Judo) where he won a Gold in the veterans class.
Twenty-seven years had gone by: Martin was no longer just another Judo competitor he had become a World Champion but most importantly he had taken on the position of International Budo Federation UK President and had become a Senior examiner. He could now repay the debt he owed Drew and award him his 1st Dan Black Belt Judo 27 year’s late but as they say: “Better late then Never.”