Irish Martial Arts Commission

dabhal

Are these guys doing anything lately?
The last updates to the website seem to be 2002 www.martialarts.ie

I had high hopes for them, I hoped that they may get something done about the cowboy operators in irish martial arts but them seem to have set themselves up and then disappeared....or are they just not updating the website?

Things I'd like to see happen:

An offical register of instructors.
To get on it you would need to be
1) Cleared by the garda before being let anywhere near kids.
2) Be fully trained in first aid.
3) Provide proof of adequate insurance.
4) Agree to a standard regarding costs for classes and gradings.
5) Demonstrate a competence in teaching.

A standard for training areas, cleanliness, hygiene, heat, safety for martial arts practice.
A practice of including at least one parent/guardian in every training session.(not from each family) where under 18's are in the class.
A set of approved physical training methods.

Dabhal

Colm_OReilly

Cleared by the garda before being let anywhere near kids.

That's on its way in a larger context in the new year. Anyone wishing to working with kids will be background checked. Unfortunately, it's only going to check if you have commited a crime, not your likelihood of child abuse. I'd like to see "surprise" inspections of the club by a representative of the ISPCC where they could watch you instruct, talk to parents, and then talk to children.

A practice of including at least one parent/guardian in every training session.(not from each family) where under 18's are in the class.

I've been quite lucky in that I nearly always have 4 or 5 parents watching every class. There's seating all around the mats so they can see me and the children from every angle. I never let myself be left alone with a child.

Colm

Dyr

you dont need a martial arts governing body to have any of those things in place.

I've no interest in having a group consisting of vested interests decide who i can or can't train with. Id be just as happy to see IMAC disappear over the same horizon that the MAC did in england.

dudara

you dont need a martial arts governing body to have any of those things in place.

No you don't, but it does offer a safeguard. Parents these days are extremely concerned for their kids and want them to be safe. Kids are a strong source of income for many martial arts clubs, so if being associated with something like IMAC offers parents assurance, then that's no harm.

It goes beyond child-safety as well. There are some coyboy instructors out there as well, and if word gets out that IMAC registers good instructors, then it might provide some impetus for these guys to clean up their act or get out.

Dyr

dudara wrote:

No you don't, but it does offer a safeguard.

As Colm said there should be child safety laws for all activities involving children. that would offer a far better safegaurd than a a martial arts comittee.

dudara wrote:

There are some coyboy instructors out there as well, and if word gets out that IMAC registers good instructors, then it might provide some impetus for these guys to clean up their act or get out.

What makes you think there arent cowboy instructors in the IMAC?? I dont look on membership/non membership of IMAC being an indicator of quality instruction. Bottom line: i dont trust the integrity of IMAC to give them the right to decide who can or cant teach martial arts. I'd much prefer free choice and the law of caveat emptor over handing a bunch of vested interest groups the right to run any competition that scares/offends them out of business

dudara

I'd much prefer free choice and the law of caveat emptor

the problem with caveat emptor is that the guy who runs the flashiest school with the coolest black dobuks will attract the custom. It doesn't neccessarily make him a good or reputable instructor.

Musashi

When I did have a school,I tried to insist that at least some kids parent stayed for each class. I also had adults in the class or waiting for the senior class.
No way am I leaving myself open to that kind of accusation for a start!
Kills me how many parents wanted to drop their kids and feck off, like I was running a creche ffs!
No one ever asked to see my licence,my Garda clearance, or even if I was an instructor.

Clive

Well, firstly there are plenty of martial arts that have their own NGBs (judo, karate, WTF TKD etc). So IMAC doesn't even represent the majority of martial artists.

Secondly IMAC is a complete joke. Have a read of their constitution sometime - it has a section about people starting rumours - that's the kind of folks they are.

Thirdly, IMAC has only two major sections with power, kickboxing (Roy Baker) and Aikido (Bridget Ruane and Brendan Dowling). Kickboxing is a fine sport and Roy Baker is a very well respected champion. Brendan Dowling however likes to shoot his mouth off - he preaches the usual hippy peace and love, then talks about "makey-uppy jitsu" and "beat them up better merchants". A posted a very civil question on IMAC's message board (when they had one) questioning these comments and asking for clarification - it was deleted. I posted it again and a week later the message board was gone.

IMACs position is that anyone who competes in MMA is "bringing martial arts in disrepute" - if I remember correctly there was a motion to discipline people at one meeting.

I have been a member of IMAC for probably about 8 years (not my choice, I've just been in organistions that are affiliated) and I can honestly say that they have never once done anything for me, or the martial arts in general.

pma-ire

What the MA community needs is a Martial Arts Fellowship. Made up of open and honest MA'ers who are willing to interact with each other and organize cross training camps and visit each others schools to show there art to students of other styles.

It was a dream of mine to do this back when I got my black belt. As, at the time I had a Martial art shop in Cork City, and had a large list of mixed contacts in the MA scene of Munster. I was gonna call it the MMAF (Munster Martial Arts Fellowship), this was well before the MMA'ers had hit the scene. But open to everyone and every style.

As posted already most styles and systems have GB's already. They don't need any more