My organisations safety record is second to none. We and other non-BJA groups work to the highest standards, with the proper, and required by law, safeguards and polices in place to ensure the well being of our memberships.

Many non-BJA groups may have safety measures in place beyond requirements within the BJA. For example each club in my organisation is subject to a risk assessment, regularly reviewed and updated, carried out by a qualified and certified member of the National Examination Board of Safety and Health (NEBOSH). In addition, every piece of electrical equipment in my training hall, heaters, fans, vacuum cleaner, sound equipment etc, undergoes Portable Appliance Testing (PAT).

Secondly, your comments on rugby, football and cricket begs the question as to why these sports don’t require candidates, wishing to attend a UKCC course, to demonstrate a certain level of skill as a prerequisite on “health and safety grounds?”

Thirdly, I understood the idea of the UKCC was to set standards between sports. The Coaching Task Force Report 2002 says the UKCC, “Will provide a good incentive to ensure that NGBs standardise coach levels and standards”.

Sports coach UK,  “are responsible for developing and implementing the UKCC.” Why does sports coach UK go along with whatever the BJA say or do? 

Sports coach UK may have been “made aware of our various concerns”, but it has not dealt with them and the effrontery with which human rights are brushed aside becomes clear at a moments thought. Your sports coach UK Chief Executive Officer Pat Duffy proclaims, October 11 2007;  “It is impossible to undo what has already happened.”

Of course it’s not impossible to amend mistakes; in fact it is highly desirable that those who now admit the mistakes get to work on correcting them or get out and let someone else tackle the job.

In your last email you say: “I quoted you the relevant passages from the Qualification Specification in my previous email, re BJA Awards or their 'equivalent'. That is clear. If there is any doubt about this please contact the BJA for clarification.

Clarification as to how non-BJA people, wishing to attend a UKCC course, are to be “competence tested” came from BJA Coaching Officer Dave Duffy April 14 2008. He said, “This procedure lies with the NSG for approval at their next meeting and I regret I cannot share it with you at this stage.”

The only thing that is clear Martin, as ever, is that we are passed back to the BJA. A BJA who’s chief executive says that they won’t miss non-BJA people if they pack up judo rather than join the BJA to gain a UKCC qualification. And when one asks for information as to  “competence testing”, of which Mr McCarthy said more than a year earlier, February 13 2007, would be available “in the coming weeks”, we are told such a scheme hasn’t yet been approved.

And the BJA talk of “competence testing” !

However, what we do know is that there is no standardisation and there is a two-tier system as to accessing the judo UKCC. One set of criteria for those in the BJA (or those the BJA chose to include such as those who belong to an NGB in another country or perhaps the BJC which is affiliated to BJA) and those who are non-members of the BJA.

So what of non-BJA fully qualified coaches who want to map their qualifications over to the UKCC?

Sports coach UK Executive Director of UKCC Helen Davey in a SCUK press release  May 2006, promised, “Coaches with existing coach education qualifications will be given every opportunity and support via their National Governing Bodies of sport, to map their qualifications over to the national UKCC standards.”

Was this promise restricted to BJA coaches (or friends) or will non-BJA people be given “every opportunity to map their qualifications over to national UKCC standards” too?

We have been told how mapping over will work for existing BJA coaches:

The BJA Technical Administrator posts on the BJA website August 2 2007; “Existing coaches (BJA) do not have to undertake the new UKCC coaching qualifications.”

 “Firstly it is important to recognise that the UKCC is designed for 'NEW' Coaches - existing coaches will be brought across over time via an assimilation process.”

But what about non-BJA qualified judo coaches/instructors/teachers?

Apart from many objecting to “competence testing”, the idea that the BJA should individually “competence test “non-BJA applicants simply isn’t a practical approach Martin. The authorities should be talking to the judo organisations outside the BJA, not hauling in individuals to perform. When first mooted it was said, “It is vital the process is consultative and inclusive.” Unless the NSG approves a “mapping over” that is fair and equal for all, it is unlikely to meet the approval of non-BJA members

Judo practitioners in the groups outside of the BJA are as competent and fully qualified as those in the BJA.

Let me put myself and my organisation Universal Budo Association, UBA, forward as an example. Our safety record is second to none.

1. The UBA has its own Teacher Training Award Programme, Syllabus, Code of Conduct and First Aid, Child Protection and Health and Safety policies

• Our teaching qualifications are aligned to National Occupational Standards. 

• Our Level 3 Tutor award (BJA Level 2 Club Coach or UKCC Level 2) is mapped to the criteria of the National Vocational Qualification award (NVQ), Coaching, Teaching and Instruction level 2.

• In addition to the mandatory units of the NVQ level 2, the UBA Tutor qualification includes the following units:

C 36  Support the children from abuse

A 51 Administration and finance

 Prerequisites to qualification are that tutors:

• Must be the minimum rank of Black Belt 1^st Dan (Universal Budo Association)
• Are age 21 or above
• Hold valid instructor insurance cover
• Are CRB checked
• Bi-annually sign a UBA declaration (similar to CRB)
• Hold valid Red Cross First Aid certification (renewable every three years)
• Hold sports coach UK ‘Safeguarding and Protection Children” certification
• Must attend on-going annual workshops; Technical, Refereeing, Health and Safety, Child Protection and First Aid
• Attend annual appraisal

Prior to attaining the UBA level 3 Tutor award, candidates will have progressed through the UBA Teacher Training Award Programme;

·         Level 1 Classroom Helper

·         Level 2 Assistant Tutor.

Working to the time frame criteria set out within the UBA Teacher Training Award Programme, it will take candidates a minimum of four years to qualify as a level 3 Tutor (BJA Level 2 Club Coach or UKCC Level 2)

And on a personal note:

• I am head and co-founder (1982) of the Universal Budo Association (UBA) a membership organisation for judo and related arts.

• All those teaching and practising within our UBA clubs hold appropriate insurance.

• Each member club undergoes regular risk assessment updates carried out by a fully-qualified member National Examination Board of Safety and Health, (NEBOSH)

• I have been practising Judo as an adult, for 44 years, teaching for more than 30 years. I hold the rank of 7^th Dan. My 4^th Dan was awarded to me, in Japan, by the late legendary judo master Kenshiro Abbe.

• I have written six books on judo and the martial arts, all with worldwide sales. The merchandising arms of sports coach UK, Coachwise, featured my judo book as a recommended read.

·         I am fully insured,

·         I am CRB checked

·         I am first aid certificated by the Red Cross.

·         I hold a sports coach UK “Safeguarding and protecting children” certification.

·         I am a NVQ assessor accredited and certified by Royal Society of Arts.

• I oversee twenty clubs in the West Country, teaching in schools and leisure centres.

• I have ‘produced’ black belts up to 5^th Dan.

• I am recognised both here and abroad by various judo organisations and have taught to groups (NGB and non-NGB) in Canada, America, Australia,  Croatia and Spain.

• Here in the UK I organise training seminars and national courses attracting people from various organisations including members of the BJA and other NGBs.

• I am recognised as an expert in personal protection training, receiving referrals from the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary.

• Oh, and by the way - I’m in my sixties, the second of my hips to be replaced this June so unable to throw myself around on the judo mat anymore. (Will that go against me !)

So Martin four questions of which I would appreciate your answers :

1. Since sports coach UK,  “are responsible for developing and implementing the UKCC”, can you, based on the information above regarding my personal status, expertise and competence, and that of my organisation and tutors within, all of which can be backed with hard evidence, tell me if our qualifications meet the required criteria in order to be mapped over to a UKCC? 

2. What is the procedure for mapping over?
   

3. If our qualifications do not meet the criteria, why not, what’s missing? (We are always keen to improve and maintain our high standards) 
   

4. As sports coach UK, “are responsible for developing and implementing the UKCC”, and since the BJA are still, after fourteen months, unable to answer the question as how they propose to “competence test” non-BJA people, can you tell me what procedures sports coach UK have agreed upon.

sports coach UK Chief Executive Officer Pat Duffy’s stand that,  “It is impossible to undo what has already happened” is not helpful.

 
Mr Duffy has said it is too late for judo. What is too late? Fairness? Equality? Justice?

sports coach UK, “are responsible for developing and implementing the UKCC.” It is time they stopped referring those asking questions, those with genuine concerns or complaint of the UKCC, to the BJA and took responsibility themselves.

Sports coach UK need to put right the wrongs and address the real concerns of those in independent groups outside of NGB for judo. But, as you know, concerns are not confined solely to  those in judo. The ‘world’ of martial arts is looking in intently as to what is happening.

Yours sincerely,

John Goldman

Copies to:

RT Hon Gerry Sutcliffe MP

Paul Clifton, publisher

Tom Hibbert MBE

Andy Davies

Jim Lawson

Angela Browning MP

Roger Knapman MEP

Others