International Budo Federation
Multi Nation Judo Championships
May 14th 2005
Ter-Apel Holland
This year’s competition attracted players from Holland, Italy, Germany, England, Scotland, France, Belgium and Poland. Once again the facilities in Holland were excellent although not a large town it had a large Sports Centre and instead of the normal bear walls, the building was decorated out with timber giving a warm feel to the whole event. While the preliminaries were being done a local band gave us a rendition of Dutch music. The mats were all brand new with centre being yellow, demarcation area red and the safety area blue this was a very colourful view. It was also very clean something English Sports Centre’s could take note of.
IBF UK has been part of the IBF for nearly 4 decades with the first UK President being John (Nobby) Clarke 6th Dan 1927-1990, his son Martin Clarke 8th Dan is now the present President, although there has been many changes the one thing that is the same is the friendliness of the event. In the hey day of Judo which was in the seventies, this was a time when every town a and village had its own Judo club, the International IBF organised three separate events a year at different times of the year they were Junior, Senior and a Team event. I do not think the modern generations would support such a calendar of events especially as this year’s support from the English IBF was dismal.
For as long as this competition has been running the Young Judo Club/Sittingbourne Judo has been sending competitors and officials, disappointingly this year only one competitor competed even though 20 players had been selected, one of our 7 year olds was refused permission to have the Friday of school because he had to take an exam. What a ridiculous educational system we have, where a 7 year old is already being pressurise to take exams just because of government statistics, his education would be far better improved by visiting another country and meet children from many different countries from many different cultures. Trevor Waghorn 3rd Dan and Dave Boulding 6th Dan from Sittingbourne Judo were referees.
JAMIE MARZETTI (Male) 25/06/1993 U50K was the clubs only competitor although a good player he was not expected to win a medal but he was to surprise all of us he had to fight boys from Italy, Poland, Holland and Germany. Although every fight was hard he still only lost one match and that was on a very narrow margin. When the medal presentation came he was awarded a bronze, which angered the British Team manager, they complained and explained that the boy who was awarded Silver had won every fight so should have Gold and the boy awarded Gold had lost two fights so should be awarded Bronze. Quite logical you would have thought, not to some officious person who tried to argue that points were more important then wins what rubbish, eventually IBF UK President Martin Clarke 8th Dan was asked to adjudicated and common sense was brought to the fore and James got his justified silver medal.
Next years competition will be in Poland and Sittingbourne Judo YJC will be organising fund raising events to help competitors go to this event.
Although only one competitor from the club entered the competition the club is experiencing a renewed interest in Judo and this has shown in the extra classes the club now organises at the East Street Sports Centre we now offer classes on a Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, at Nobby’s gym Milton Regis on a Wednesday and at Bredgar Village Hall on a Thursday. The Young Judo Club was established in 1957.
Those interested in Sittingbourne Judo they should go to www.sittingbournejudo.co.uk
Hotline 0906 201 1403
Sittingbourne Judo Chief Instructor Keith Costa 01795 426784