On behalf of all the cubs at SMAC can I wish you all a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
2011 was not a good year for us or the Country, the recession has hit us all and this has shown in our membership and in the clubs participation in competitions home and abroad. The worst moment of 2011 was when young Miles Loscombe was hit in the head by a car. For one moment it was touch and go whether he would come through but he has steadily improved, thanks partly by the prayers offered by our members. Club Instructor George, his father, has spent every day at Great Ormond street since the accident, thankfully Miles has been moved to the rehab centre at Tadworth. Miles recovery will be a long process but we all hope that day by day he gets stronger and let’s hope that Christmas Day brings him a little miracle. George when you read this tell Miles one day in the not to distant future we want to see him down the club.
In the last 3 months numbers have improved slightly our participation in competition was not up to its usual number, the Young Judo Club organised a Ne Waza Championship and a Judo event at Bredgar number were not great but the events were well received. John Clarke and Colin Carrott organised various course at SMAC, Judo, Sambo and MMA. I (Martin Clarke) organised a SportCombatSombo event at the beginning of the year and in October we had a CombatSombo Wrestling event at the New House Youth Club a very nice venue, this was Jacket and No Jacket event and was very successful in fact the most successful event of the year. Yet in December I tried to organise a 25th Anniversary Sambo Championship and points scoring Junior Judo event at the same event but had to postpone the Sambo event till February and move it to Bedford as for the Judo we had only entries from Sittingbourne and Folkestone. Today’s Judo and Sambo players are different breed they just want to train once a week maybe do a grading at that is that, Sport participation in GB has dropped by 25% and we now have a nation of armchair critics.
Not everything was doom and gloom We won Medals in the International Kurash Tournament, a large contingent went to the British Sambo Open in Scotland partially financed by Keith Costa’s Waste Paper round, youngsters came back with medals from various Judo organisations tournaments. Several members qualified as Sambo and Judo Instructors and we gained Black Belts at the Annual Summer Camp.
The most successful section of the year has to be when John started his MMA club on a Wednesday 7 pm followed by a Combat Grappling Class this has attracted over 50 people and climaxed in a club tournament in November attend by 25 members, well done John.
So what of the future well we have a major project if we get the finance fro Sport England, that is putting in another Floor above half of the DOJO, this will accommodate a larger Male and Female changing rooms with bigger and more showers. This will give a lot more room in the Dojo so we can run more tournaments as our future lies in running lots of small local tournaments for our members and local clubs, Their also will be a small kitchen so we can run many more social events. The application goes in February so fingers crossed. At the beginning of the year we started to gather information on becoming a KCC Club Mark with our Warriors Grappling Academy this may be finished by the end of 2011.
On the competition front John intends running at least 4 more MMA competitions, Sambo players will be attending the English in Bedford February, British Open Dumfries May, International event featuring a Top Russian Team September Glasgow. I will be running a small event after the YJC Junior Judo Championship on January 21st, spitfire Club has event planned for the end of March and Bedford have an event planned for July
There will be a Judo event in Bredgar and Keith hopes to run a couple of events at the Dojo plus their will be courses in Judo, Sambo, Kurash and MMA through out the years I have also asked the British Wrestling Association to arrange a course at the Club, Sadly we can not get into ACF Camp Dibgate for our annual Camp, it has been booked for the Olympics so we will be running a week at the Dojo.
On the international Scene we will be attending the Dutch Open in March this real premier event a real Festival of Combat. Judo, Sambo, Hand to hand Fighting, Karate and Combat Sambo an event not to be missed. I have asked Keith to sponsor just two events this year Dutch Open and the British open plus we hope to competitors entering the European Sambo, World and World masters Sambo
So lets hope 2012 is a better year it should be remember to keep up to date always check out the web and http://www.grapplinguk.co.uk/forthcoming_events.htm
A Word from John Clarke
I would like to thank everyone that have given me blood sweat and tears over the
year on a Tuesday and weds and I big thanks to Colin for helping me run the club
and Vicky for her help in running My first MMA comp. May next year bring even
more adults to my classes and for me next year is going to very special as I
have my son Lewis coming up to my mat along with young Richard the new crop
coming through. Without Keith doing a great job with kids and getting them ready
for my class then we would not have kids coming through.
John Clarke
5th Dan/ head senior coach.
John and Vicky will be running a Warriors Face Book anyone want to run a Young Judo Club Face Book?
EAST KENT GAZETTE CLOSES sorry to see it go one of the ways we kept the public aware of what we are doing it’s a pity we did not get a mention in the final edition. So I need some one to start a Warriors Grappling Academy Facebook any Takers
Some Special Offers for Christmas
Green Sambo Jackets can be used instead of Blue in Home Competitions £25 reduced from £40
Sambo Boots £25 reduced from £30
Second Kurash Jackets £7.50p
Second Hand Bag Gloves £1.50
Designer Combat T Shirts large £5 reduced from £20
Sambo reversible Blue/Red Jackets Large and 165 £25 reduced from £40
Young Judo Club Jack suit Tops £15
Great Britain Tracksuit Tops £15
CONGRATULATIONS to DAVE BOULDING it is his 40th year with the Young Judo Club
Dates for early 2012
Sunday January 15th. 2012
IBF Instructors Promotional Exams
Swale Martial Arts Club
Saturday January 21st
Young Judo Club Junior Club Championship
Swale Martial Arts Club
Contact Keith Costa 07894145187
Followed BY
Kent Open Sambo Championships
Open to all BSF Members
Entries to Martin Clarke 118 East Street Sittingbourne
Entry Fee £5 Certificates 1st, 2nd and 3rd
SATURDAY JANUARY 28th
SWALE MARTIAL ARTS CLUB
PRESENTATION NIGHT
Contact John Clarke 07825224940
Sunday February 5th
Warriors Grappling Academy
Swale Martial Arts Club Sittingbourne
Arm Locks, Leg Locks and Strangles (Jacket and Non Jacket)
10 am to 4pm £30 each (Min of 6 persons)
Entries by January 29th money to Warriors Grappling Academy
SMAC 127 East Street Sittingbourne Kent ME10 4BL
Tel: John Clarke 07825224940 email IBFBCSA@Gmail.com
Course instructors John Clarke 5th Dan Judo and Master of Sambo
Colin Carrott 4th Dan Judo and Master of Sambo
ENGLISH SAMBO FEDERATION
OPEN SAMBO & COMBAT SAMBO CHAMPIONSHIPS
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26th
Biddenham International School Bedford