SMAC are in the process of making an on line Newsletter and we have asked various instructors a brief history of their involvement with the Club. First of is Alan Kontozi 4th Dan Judo
Alan Kontozi has been with the club for over 30 years and has been one of the lynch pins every successful club needs. He achieved Black Belts in Judo, Sombo,CombatSombo, Jiu Jitsu plus a Class A Judo referee, FIAS International Sombo Referee and was an IBF Level 2 Coach and BSF Coach. He is a founder member of the British Sombo Federation, refereed at the 1985 World Games plus countless IBF Judo events home and abroad including the European and World Sombo Championships held in Herne Bay 1989 & 1992. He recently formed a Sombo support group The Sambo Union of Great Britain this is an organisation formed to add support for Sombo in GB its main purpose is to train people to become support staff for the many events organised in the UK
I first became interested when my son started doing play judo at the age of 4 with the the first woman Dan Grade in Kent Margaret Clarke I was 36,(at that time the Sittingbourne Young Judo Club was run by Margaret Clarke and some Olympic contender call Martin Clarke ) I went to the big boys session as there where no other ones available what a surprise that was 12 Dan Grades umpteen high Kyu grades .I think there was about 5 minutes break falls with a Brenda Jones then a very hard lesson taken by Martin Clarke thrown in at the deep end was one way of explaining the experience and I came back for more and thoroughly enjoyed it.
My son Stephen(1st Dan Judo) and I became involved more and more with the club side I helped out a lot behind the scene doing bits and pieces around the club. In 1984 it was announced that the World Games was being held in England and Sombo Wrestling would be included after a some members at S.C.C. said they had some wrestling experience a meeting was held I think at Sittingbourne Sport Centre to discuss the possibility of entering a team the BWA committee was formed I was voted to be Treasurer of the newly formed British Sombo Feberation a post I held for some 15 years, during that time the BSF held a large Sombo competition at Herne Bay and was subsequently recognised as the governing boby for British Sombo by the Sport Council. I achieved 1st degree black belt in Sombo and International
referee statues.
I still continued with my Judo travelling all over the country to competitions some as competitor but mostly refereeing, A class was my final qualification I also over the years qualified as a Judo coach I was still training regularly until about 2002 when I had a 2 year break a break which I regret taking as I had lost a lot of my fitness I am still down at the club on a regular basis to keep in touch with the older members and also the younger ones ,I also do a little bit of training but not lot I would also stand in for any of the junior coaches if they could not make it .
