Warriors Grappling Academy Sittingbourne will be closing its
MMA section on a Wednesday.
The reason is with the International Wrestling Association
dropping MMA from its program of disciplines, the Warriors felt that they could
do any Combat Discipline that did not have some form of legitimise.
Sadly at present MMA can mean all things to all men, a club
can do two styles of Karate and call it MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) , one guy
mixed Karate and Tai Chi and called Non Contact MMA just to sell its product. To
most of us MMA is either a Grappling Sport or a Strike and Grapple Sport.
Because there is no overall governing or any universal rules
club are appearing everywhere with uninsured Coaches or club premises, some are
being done in garages, in a corner of a Gym I have even heard of one in
Scotland being done in a Cow Shed, it seems the farmer moves his cattle then
puts down a few mats. I expect they
learn a few MOOOOOVES, plus learn who your UDDER opponents are, maybe after
training they all bath in the drinking trough. I may be a bit flippant here but
my point is there seems to be no standards.
Yet when the British Judo Association an old , established and
respected organisation gets one of the more refutable MMA organisations
involved with sponsorship of the forthcoming European Judo Championships in
Scotland, their International Body the International Judo Federation, threaten
to withdraw the event from Scotland. The current IJF regime has becoming
fixated about its Judoka practicing and participating in other Grappling
sports, they seem to think by doing other grappling sports it will diminish
Judo. On the contrary it enhances the Sport. The Warriors have done Judo,
Kurash, Sambo and Free Style Wresting for years and our members practise all
styles. What has disillusioned Judoka is not other Grappling sports but the
latest rules changes so much so organisations like the IBF have reproduced
their own rules based on IJF rules of the past and this is proving very
popular. This weekend Young judo Club Sittingbourne is running a competition in
their Dojo, even those it is not a large venue it has attracted over 70
entries. Why? The rules are not
restrictive and encourage young players.
The BJA are doing the right thing by getting involved in
other grappling sports. Obviously it will help financially but ultimately there
great experience will help other Grappling Sports become more efficient and
regulated, with their help MMA we will become UKSport recognised sport and the
Warriors can bring back MMA to its programme
