Irish Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association

Clive

It gives me great pleasure to announce the formation of the Irish BJJ Association. The Association is going through the (long) process to be recognised by the Irish Sports Council.

Details, website etc. to follow...

Ug Lee

Thats great and well done to all involved for their work.

Will the Irish Martial Arts Commission (IMAC) be involved at all as I heard they have a problem with BJJ?

Good stuff. Was there some sort of body previously that was affiliated with IBJJF?

BobbyOLeary

Good stuff, who's involved?

EnjoyChoke

Ug Lee wrote: »

Thats great and well done to all involved for their work.

Will the Irish Martial Arts Commission (IMAC) be involved at all as I heard they have a problem with BJJ?

Can't imagine anyone involved with BJJ in Ireland could care less what IMAC thinks.

lawrencesummers

What is the purpose of it?
What is the Association going to try and achieve?
How is it going to be funded?
Why does it need to be recognised by the Irish sports council, what will that bring to the sport?
Who is behind setting it up?

EnjoyChoke

I've heard its going to be a social club for retired kickboxers...
Either that or an association for the promotion of BJJ in Ireland, if only its title gave some sort of clue.

lawrencesummers

EnjoyChoke wrote: »

I've heard its going to be a social club for retired kickboxers...
Either that or an association for the promotion of BJJ in Ireland, if only its title gave some sort of clue.

How is it going to promote bjj in ireland?

EnjoyChoke

Shut up, thats how.

Doug Cartel

lawrencesummers wrote: »

How is it going to promote bjj in ireland?

This is a very important question, and you should all be asking it.

MaeveD

Great news.... but relax everyone

Clive wrote: »

Details, website etc. to follow...

Clive

Just to head off any arguments and address a few of the questions:

1) IMAC are not involved.

2) The aim of the association is to promote and support the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Ireland. How will this be done? It's easy to make big promises and deliver nothing - at the moment we have tournaments, seminars, teams and individuals travelling to competitions, if the IBJJA can make it even a little easier to organise these, it's been a success in my opinion. Anything above and beyond that is an added bonus.

3) Why aim for ISC recognition? WTF TKD, Judo, Karate, boxing and wrestling already have their own NGB's recognised by the Sports Council. IMAC are also recognised and have a number of disciplines under their banner. Of course the IBJJA doesn't have to aim for recognition (indeed it would be much, much easier not to), but the ISC can offer

Core funding is used to support NGBs in the following areas:
* Strategic planning
* Administration
* Information technology
* Core activities including Code of Ethics and Anti-doping Programmes
* Competitions
* Equipment, and the
* National Coaching Development Programme.

Longer term, upcoming athletes could potentially be eligible for the Carding Scheme, which would provide additional funding, access to the NCTC etc.

Further details will follow.

yomchi

I think this was the next progressive step for BJJ in Ireland. A group of people working together for the betterment of their sport.

Just on IMAC, as far as I know, and I might be wrong, the ISC will direct you to IMAC if you seek recognition.
From an earlier post, why would IMAC have a problem with BJJ?

The coaching development courses are very worth while. Good luck to all involved.

Clive

yomchi wrote: »

Just on IMAC, as far as I know, and I might be wrong, the ISC will direct you to IMAC if you seek recognition.

They most possibly will, it's far easier to lump "martial arts" together, especially in the current climate. Whoever is dealing with the ISC will have to fight that battle, and ultimately that may be the way it has to be. Personally I won't be involved thereafter.

yomchi

I think BJJ will need Olympic recognition before it can have it's own separate NGB not affiliated to IMAC, that's how it is for WTF Taekwondo anyway.

Would you see IMAC as the next step towards being a separate NGB?

Ug Lee

I "heard" on this forum that Brendan Dowling wrote in the Irish Fighter that IMAC has no time for BJJ/MMA with their "beat them up better" mentality.

They are just a load of pen pushers who would rather organise committee meetings rather than train properly.

yomchi

Ug Lee wrote: »

I "heard" on this forum that Brendan Dowling wrote in the Irish Fighter that IMAC has no time for BJJ/MMA with their "beat them up better" mentality.

They are just a load of pen pushers who would rather organise committee meetings rather than train properly.

What do you mean BJJ/MMA? Did he couple the two systems as one?

If he did say that, it's a very shortsighted of him.

lawrencesummers

EnjoyChoke wrote: »

Shut up, thats how.

go on.

Tim_Murphy

yomchi wrote: »

What do you mean BJJ/MMA? Did he couple the two systems as one?

If he did say that, it's a very shortsighted of him.

Back in the day BJJ and MMA were very closely linked. They still are of course but probably not quite to the same extent as the sports have grown here.


Best of luck with this Clive (and whoever else is involved), hopefully it'll get support from the various clubs about.

Where do I sign up and where can I get my label badge?!

Dyr

Ug Lee wrote: »

I "heard" on this forum that Brendan Dowling wrote in the Irish Fighter that IMAC has no time for BJJ/MMA with their "beat them up better" mentality.

They are just a load of pen pushers who would rather organise committee meetings rather than train properly.

that statement didn't mention bjj/mma from what i recall, it just made a disparaging reference to "beat em up better" merchants or something. Didn't specify who these people were.

Clive

Not wanting to turn this into a thread about IMAC, but Brendan Dowling made the comment in an article in Irish Fighter that they weren't interested in 'makey-uppy jitsu' or 'beat them up better merchants'. This was at a time when there was a motion at an AGM that those participating in 'cage-fighting' were 'bringing the martial arts into disrepute'. I politely asked clarification on IMAC's forum and my post was deleted. I reposted and the forum was removed.

Each to their own, but I don't believe the prevailing culture of that body meshes well with the attitudes of most BJJ practitioners.

EnjoyChoke

Again, I couldn't care less what IMAC thinks about BJJ, MMA or any thing else for that matter. I could try but I would not be successfull.
Pesonally I think the IBJJA thing is a great idea, yea it would be great to get ISC recognition but not at the expense of being involved with a body like IMAC. I'd be very happy with the IBJJA existing as a loose cooperative body between all the BJJ clubs, big and small, on the Island of Ireland. If through this we were able to facilitate more competitions and maybe national squads to roll abroad It would be a success. Its just about coordinating and expanding whats already going on and devolping here. (That and patches, want a large patch from this :pac:)

Barry.Oglesby

Tell me more Clive, tell me more.

Are you going to form this and then walk off into the distance like Michael out of Highway to Heaven?

dlofnep

Best of luck with it lads.

yomchi

Barry.Oglesby wrote: »

Tell me more Clive, tell me more.

Are you going to form this and then walk off into the distance like Michael out of Highway to Heaven?

Man you are old