Why is MMA in Ireland not regulated?

Related to this issue, and may reflect upon it....

In 2009 the Irish Chinese Boxing Association attempted to get recognition from both IMAC and the Irish Sports council.

We did not succeed and the response / reason from IMAC was that we were “too much like MMA”, regarding the rule set of Sanda. (which I guess is a Chinese style of MMA).

The Sports Council, although were very helpful and eager to assist us, (as we were applying for international recognition form the EWUF, the European arm of the International Wushu Federation), and we had athletes ready for European competition. Those athletes first needed us (ICBA) to be members of the EWUF to qualify to enter, and the EWUF required that we be recognised by our own National Sports Council. (you see where this is going...)

Through exhaustive efforts, as the International Liaison Officer and utilising the many contacts I had built up through many years of both competing and coaching internationally, and calling in favours.... I managed to secure us EWUF membership, a special exception was granted, due to the EWUF sending one of their Executive to assess the situation, and the ICBA, the IMAC and another body that was seeking membership.

They felt IMAC was not impartial and had clearly negative intentions towards the development of Wushu in Ireland. This assessment was based upon their (IMAC's) written reasoning in their response to the ICBA behind their decision to refuse us membership, relating to the sport of Sanda, (one of the two pillar sports of Wushu) Ironically this leaves IMAC with a bogus and funded “Kung Fu” section that is recognised by the ISC but dismissed by the IWUF and so the IOC.

Our government was preoccupied with the great recession, and so, although EWUF contacted the then minister relating to the serious matter of Ireland being in breach of an EU-China bi-lateral agreement to “promote” each other's cultures, by refusing to recognise an international sport that was IOC (International Olympic Committy) recognised, that had been specially show-cased at the Beijing Olympics (competing within the 3 month zone of the Games themselves, some will understand the significance of that!), and was 8th in line for inclusion in the games, that the IOC sanctioned body the IWUF, the governing body for Wushu had over 189million members worldwide in 187 countries, despite all this, there was silence.
An informal meeting occurred in France, where our minister met an Executive of the EWUF and assurances were given and I guess like many assurances given by the previous government in many areas, they were simply empty verbalage!

Now, I also have a letter addressed to me alone, and so legally confidential, save where a Judge demands it brought forward.... (otherwise I would link it)

It is a letter form the ISC, in 2009, in the letter I am informed that a new process of ISC membership is to be enacted, this process required some foundation work first, namely the “definition” of sport! Anyway, this new process would allow sports to present their applications and not have to be part of an umbrella group. They (the ISC) recognised the ludicrous situation of the ICBA having athletes successfully compete in the EWUF Europeans an IWUF and so IOC recognised martial arts, combat sport event, and yet still being denied access to funding, simply because a body (IMAC) charged with “representing” ALL Martial Arts to the “SPORTS” council refused, for their own, biased reasoning to reject Sanda as a relevant sport relating to martial arts, as it was too close (apparently) to MMA!

These are the donkeys we are dealing with, and the bureaucracy we faced and I'm sure Irish MMA also faces today? We even thought we had an ace up our sleeve with the IOC – IWUF , China – EU BI-Lateral situations. But in truth we have an absentee Minister when it comes to Combat Sports.

I know through conversation that the ISC are itching to kick IMAC to the kerb, principally because they create so much unnecessary conflict and work for them, there are a long list of combat sports who have suffered from IMAC's policy, which let's be logical for a second, is not about researched fears over injury and deaths, but about rent-seeking and preventing competition for the funding they enjoy and the events their Sports-Karate members host.
Is there any other logical reason? Can there be??? I'd love to hear it!

Perhaps the tragedy of that young man's death will rattle the minister's doors? The situation certainly needs his intervention, if just to bless the new process of ISC membership application. If done, it would mean funding for at least amateur events, and qualifying standards could be enshrined in codes of conduct. That's important!!!

Sure it wouldn't have had a direct effect on the tragedy that occurred in an independent professional promotion. But other dangers to young athlete's exist that can be cured with some funding of the cash-strapped amateur community-funded organisations.

And then there's the “cultural” aspect...After all... you don't start out “professional”, neither as an athlete nor an official, if we want to have athletes ready to go to war on a lei-tai or in a cage or a ring and not be so inexperienced as to be unsafe to themselves, likewise for their coaches, (where have they all come from, every village in Ireland has an MMA gym???) and if we want competent home-grown officials with oceans of experience keeping a watchful eye on our athlete's safety they need to have “grown-up” in a “culture” of Athlete focused safety, not only trained, but experienced in good practice etc...

Tragedy is an unfortunate reality in combat sports, some utterly unavoidable. I have seen its scar on victims' families, officials and on the other fighters who must carry killing a human being always, sometimes a rival they have come to befriend, a competitor without whom their own skill would be a shadow of what it is, and the mature martial artist recognises this fact. Like we don't fear being hurt, or even that it could happen to us, those issues are not forefront to most fighter's minds, but we do appreciate our opponents, even if one adopts the pantomime of playing the gallery, it is just to to boost a purse, our opponents offer us the way to improve our art, they are some of our greatest teachers, and command our greatest respect. Tragedy is far from common, but once it does occur, things are never the same again for anyone.

For the record, I've handed over the reigns, and have literally “travelled west”. I have no agenda here, outside of Athlete Safety. I simply relate my direct experiences, all of which I can evidence.

This story is not unique and no longer being involved in the politics of the Irish Wulin, ( I will never have to work again with some of these excuses for...) I feel disclosing the truth and lies and especially the unprofessional, utterly inept, masonic element inherent in that world of hierarchial dystopia, where many more martial artists and organisers of good-intention still suffer today, may have a positive effect? Truth usually does.... It has needed to be said for a long, long time, PUBLICALLY. From what I hear the story has repeated in different chapters of being given the run-around since at least the 80's. Today it is MMA...

I read previous posts calling on organisations to sit down and talk.... we already have friend... I'm sure its true for your governing bodies too. The rise of MMA has been spectacular, even as a traditional martial artist I see that it has almost killed off TMA save the glorified kid crèches, and let it continue to do so, good riddance... Toppling of the redundant and close-minded IMAC's of the world will follow! In a few years how will they justify their funding? They should seek it from the Department of Education for running crèches not the department of sport, arts and culture!

As for TMA... if its relevant it will adapt, already Sanda schools in China have introduced the ground game, and promotions like Art of War (MMA with kicks to downed opponent) seems the way forward. Sanda offers a good base and will survive, Shuai Jiao is ever popular, relevant CMA and its “flavour” will not be lost. Its all good, in the end... just a shame, even a danger, for those athletes who must await the enlightenment of the bureaucracy of state.

yea, it would be interesting to see the list of shunned combat sports.

I though I'd just share the above for a few reasons:

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the general public might understand that we have a "tax-payer funded" "representative" umbrella group for martial arts who deal with the Irish SPORTS Council, who refuse to deal with International Olympic Committee recognised combat sport, in our case Sanda, and other combat sports are similarly discriminated against.

Yet this publicly funded body has a "kung fu" section, and so one must assume receives funding and grants for such. This body and assumingly their "kung fu" section rejects Sanda as is evidenced by their reply to the ICBA. Sanda is one of the two pillar sports of Wushu, the other being the gymnastic forms competitions.

Wushu however, as aforementioned is an International Olympic Commitee recognized sport and the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) is the only recognized international body by both the IOC and China itself.
As such we have a tax-payer funded body claiming public funds and rejecting the very sport it claims to represent. Except of course, technically, it doesn't claim to represent "Wushu" but "Kung Fu" a term with no real meaning outside of Shaw Brother Movies.

To add insult the international body's representative here the ICBA is barred by IMAC from national representation.

So a small group of insular "Irish" martial artists get to over-rule the opinion of the IOC, as clearly such amadains would know better, and also over-rule the International bodies for a combat sport that was part of the 2008 Olympic event, bodies involved in a sport, developed from Chinese Martial Culture, a national sport of China, bodies sanctioned by China itself, the ONLY such bodies.... yet still IMAC's opinion blocks Irish Sports Council / ICBA interaction.

This also from a legal position means that Ireland is failing to honor the bi-lateral agreements between China and the EU promising to promote each others cultures.

Imagine if a umbrella sports body in China responsible for field sports refused to "acknowledge" rugby as a "sport" because the ball wasn't round or some other made-up internally decided nonsense allowed them to do so? Would that body be awarded any credibility?

This defies all logic.

From this we can establish the character of IMAC. And also reveal the inadequacies with in the structure of Irish Sport to deal with such amadains.

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The other reason is to share such with perhaps those involved with the development of MMA in Ireland, so as they can understand the terrain they face in this regard. It may save some fruitless chasing of shadows.

The only solution is for IMAC to get a kick in the arse from the Minister and hauled unwillingly into the 21st century or to be scrapped entirely. Why should they enjoy public monies and discriminate arbitrarily in the use of such? Why aren't they accountable to public scrutiny?

They fail ultimately on the duty they are charged and paid to perform, that is to represent an umbrella organization for all Irish Martial Arts to the Sports Council and as we are talking Sports, it is ludicrous that internationally established, IOC recognized sports are subject to IMAC "opinion" on whether they meet some internal arbitrary criteria. Likewise for MMA, the sport has precedence in legal recognition in the USA and other countries. My advice is to forget playing politics. Use the legal and government avenues, their friends propping the charade up wont be too fond of having a light shone upon the issue.


IMAC's only strength is its long-standing and funded education programmes on first aid relating to combat sports etc., its demands on coach certification relating to having undertaken such education and other such relevant and necessary health and safety and protection of vulnerable measures. Sure we can all outsourse these services and are currently forced to, but the beauty for a lazy government is that IMAC takes care of that issue for them, i.e. they are a bowl to wash their hands of responsibility. The problem is of course all this relevant training and the associated funding is being provided to a semi-contact, combat-sport-lite audience. Its like if you publicly fund boxercise classes and not boxing. Its a sick joke! a box-ticking excercise, and who will ultimately pay the cost?