Today’s Blog is based on a chain of thought I have been developing over the past week given a few facts I came across whilst researching a job application. Some of the points I have made on the BJA Forum
It is based on Judo in the UK but will resonate in many countries
Interesting that in a recent survey by I think it was Sport England or Sport UK they assessed that there were over 100,000 people did judo in the UK but the BJA as the National Governing Body only represented 20-25% of them. A fact acknowledge by the BJA CEO- Scott McCarthy and the board of directors.
So the NGB represent directly the minority of participant – but are the largest single body. To which several of eth other larger groups, BJC, AJA and army forces associations are affiliated.
Recent funding funding from Sport England has been secured to develop the participation in Judo which should mean the BJA working with ALL Judo providers whether they like it or not. But the only figures they can track effectively are their own membership.
I believe there is nothing stopping other bodies being commissioned by Sport England to do participation development in Judo.
Then add the Government introduction of National Standards in Coaching - the UKCC level 1 and 2. Those in Judo have been developed by the BJA and currently these are only delivered by the BJA.
Many sports use Level 1 as a way to get parents into coaching, and level 2 as eth basic level for a club based coach. The BJA have set high levels of grade as a prerequisite for eth courses and introduced a competency test or assessment for non BJA judoka. The cost of this test – at LEAST £ 200.
The UKCC qualification is universal for ALL judoka to create a national standard regardless of organisation. You could argue the BJA are preventing that by making the competency test too expensive.
I have heard that the BJA have been questioned by the UKCC over the £200 min they charge to asses non BJA Grades re their standard in Judo (competency test). I believe the phrase they used is excessively high. Anyone got any input on this?
If this were to be true isn’t this the sort of thing that just alienates people or feeds their fears.
Bear in mind it is £ 20 for a technical Dan grade and most good coaches/examiners could assess you level of Judo even if you didn't have a BJA grade in 20 - 30 minutes. After all you do that with every visiting Judoka at your dojo.
Imagine what would happen if others started to deliver the UKCC level 1 or 2 in Judo, which in theory they could do with the right assessors and verifiers etc.
So on one hand the BJA is being funded to develop Judo in the UK. On the other they have a coaching system – designed to bring in National Standards that is not going to do so as it is cost prohibitive to non BJA members.
How to engage with other non NGB organisation in a productive manner?
The question is you need to acknowledge them, but how do you engage with those on the middle ground whilst avoiding the extremists and the loopy loonies who will react against anything?
If we are to trying to engage with other groups shouldn't we be consistent across the board?
As a BJA member I do Judo, I do Sport Judo, I do traditional Judo, I do Kata based Judo ( badly) I love Judo as do many others – I am happy to help develop judo and if anyone needs marketing help and advice for a club or group I would be happy to help.
Help Judo grow do you bit.
Mussings for the day.
Saturday 23 May 2009
Wednesday 20 May 2009
Division and Participation
Today I want to look at the divisions in Judo
Interesting that a lot of the conflicts of opinion are in relation to traditional judo. Kano would be the first to admit that judo evolves. Modern 'sport' judo or Olympic judo has come about because of changes in society that Judo has reflected.
Judo is one of the most adaptive of sports responding to cultural and political and economic pressure. Examples - the move to sport was due to the treaties past WW2 when martial arts were not allowed. The affiliation/ return to co-operating with the BJA, of BJC and AJA to the BJA was part in order for there to be British Team at the Olympics in 1964 then 1972.
Judo was radically affected by the break up of the Soviet Union and we are the first International Sporting organisation to change qualification procedure to the Olympics because the global economic situation.
Judo absorbs moves and ideas from the cultures in which it practices, but those who try to re imbued it with traditional Japanese values misunderstand where Kano was going and therein lies the problem.
Judo has progressed due to conflict – a person grows up in a club wants to coach, the coach doesn’t want him to as he’s not ready – he get frustrated leaves sets up his own club....now we have 2 clubs not 1 doing judo. Similar situations have seen the formation f organisations – the BJA was the first in Europe and then leading to the formation of the IJF, we tend to do that a lot in England – codify sports.....But when someone doesn’t like you rules they do their own thing – BJC http://www.britishjudocouncil.org is a classic example – its formation was a reaction to the BJA www.britishjudo.org.uk
This can help the sport grow.
Various forums and blogs have discussed the World Judo Alliance. My personal opinion is it is a bit of a con. THE advertising standards in the UK would be aghast to see that this ‘world’ organisation is not even represented or have clubs in 5% of the countries doing judo at the Olympics
I believe the World Judo Alliance are a bunch of individuals who don’t know where they are going and someone wants to make money out of it. However there are some key points they address that are worthy of not in terms of support to clubs and coaches and these are things the BJA are doing – but what you do with 6 clubs or 18 clubs is a lot easier to talk about than what you do with a National Governing Body.
The key issue in the England over the next 4 years is participation Sport Englands plan to Grow, Sustain and Excell. www.sportengland.org
We a have to ask ourselves do we want people to be doing judo – in whatever from Kata, BJC AJA, or BJJ or a private company doing schools judo or do we want the whole of the UK to do just BJA/EJU/IFJ judo.
My personal opinion is you get them doing judo then you get them to find the best club to suit them, and eventually if they are informed enough to see if BJA is better for them or some other organisation.
TTFN
Marc
Interesting that a lot of the conflicts of opinion are in relation to traditional judo. Kano would be the first to admit that judo evolves. Modern 'sport' judo or Olympic judo has come about because of changes in society that Judo has reflected.
Judo is one of the most adaptive of sports responding to cultural and political and economic pressure. Examples - the move to sport was due to the treaties past WW2 when martial arts were not allowed. The affiliation/ return to co-operating with the BJA, of BJC and AJA to the BJA was part in order for there to be British Team at the Olympics in 1964 then 1972.
Judo was radically affected by the break up of the Soviet Union and we are the first International Sporting organisation to change qualification procedure to the Olympics because the global economic situation.
Judo absorbs moves and ideas from the cultures in which it practices, but those who try to re imbued it with traditional Japanese values misunderstand where Kano was going and therein lies the problem.
Judo has progressed due to conflict – a person grows up in a club wants to coach, the coach doesn’t want him to as he’s not ready – he get frustrated leaves sets up his own club....now we have 2 clubs not 1 doing judo. Similar situations have seen the formation f organisations – the BJA was the first in Europe and then leading to the formation of the IJF, we tend to do that a lot in England – codify sports.....But when someone doesn’t like you rules they do their own thing – BJC http://www.britishjudocouncil.org is a classic example – its formation was a reaction to the BJA www.britishjudo.org.uk
This can help the sport grow.
Various forums and blogs have discussed the World Judo Alliance. My personal opinion is it is a bit of a con. THE advertising standards in the UK would be aghast to see that this ‘world’ organisation is not even represented or have clubs in 5% of the countries doing judo at the Olympics
I believe the World Judo Alliance are a bunch of individuals who don’t know where they are going and someone wants to make money out of it. However there are some key points they address that are worthy of not in terms of support to clubs and coaches and these are things the BJA are doing – but what you do with 6 clubs or 18 clubs is a lot easier to talk about than what you do with a National Governing Body.
The key issue in the England over the next 4 years is participation Sport Englands plan to Grow, Sustain and Excell. www.sportengland.org
We a have to ask ourselves do we want people to be doing judo – in whatever from Kata, BJC AJA, or BJJ or a private company doing schools judo or do we want the whole of the UK to do just BJA/EJU/IFJ judo.
My personal opinion is you get them doing judo then you get them to find the best club to suit them, and eventually if they are informed enough to see if BJA is better for them or some other organisation.
TTFN
Marc
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