A beginner’s guide to the centre line hypothesis
Roy Dean, in his DVD ‘Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Purple belt requirements’, spoke of depth of knowledge versus breadth of knowledge and encouraged that rather than attempting to assimilate and amass numerous skill sets, to look deeper and understand the concepts and principles that underpin each skill. In the same vein BJJ Black belt Roy Harris has warned not to become a “collector of techniques” or someone more infatuated with developing flair than actually being able to use basic fundamental skills in ‘live’ randori.
If …

The rationale for writing this brief post was met over a Grande soy almond latte in Starbucks. You read Val Worthington’s nemesis [the sauce] is diet coke well, soy almond latte is mine and at £3.00 a pop it’s a little more expensive too, anyway, I was perusing an edition of the Sunday Times sports section when I came across an article concerning age and competitive sportsmen and women. The raison d’être for the piece seemed to be the imminent return of Michael Schumacher, the seven times Formula One motor …

 
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an art/sport characterised by ground fighting. More so than just being the most effective and efficient sport for groundwork, BJJ has it very own peculiar and largely unique positions to launch techniques from.
One of these is the ‘Guard’ (“do-osae” in Judo or the “body-scissors” in catch-wrestling). According to wikipedia: whilst “in the Guard, the practitioner is on their back controlling an opponent with their legs. The practitioner pushes and pulls with the thighs or feet to upset the balance and limit the movements of their opponent. …

For some time now we have seen a number of posts, threads and groups on online forums and social networking sites written and set up specifically to address the distinct lack of support, direction, appreciation and retention for all women within the grappling fraternity here in the United Kingdom. It has been established time and time again that the opportunities open to women in our sport of ‘grappling’ are far behind those of their male counterparts; an issue that is indicative in the wider context of the sporting environment. Nevertheless, great …

By David Webb, 20th November 2009
All images © David Finch/judophotos.com
Interview:
KombatClinic.com: Sarah thank you for taking time out from being professional Judoka to give us this interview. Can we start with a little background to you and your Judo? Why you started, who was your first coach and what has inspired you to get as far as you have today?
Sarah Clark: I first began judo when I was nine years old at my local club, Kodokwai Judo Club, in South Shields. Some of the boys in my class at school did …

By David Webb, 20th November 2009
Interview:
KombatClinic.com: World Champion in 1993, Olympic Silver in 1992, European Champion on three separate occasions, honoured with an MBE from her Majesty the Queen, 1993 European Judoka of the year award. That is a pretty impressive Curriculum Vitae by anyone’s standards. Which of those awards means the most to you and why? And from all of the Judoka you must have encountered in competition over the years, which proved to be your biggest test, and could you name one individual that gave you the most …

If you ever get the chance to sit and watch an ‘expert’ in Judo or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu apply their trade you will be simply blown away by how devastating both are as simple stand alone entities. As we have mentioned before, time and time again champions in both are beginning to see the benefits of crosstraining Judo and BJJ and blending the tachi-waza of Olympic Judo with the ne-waza of BJJ into a formidable force on the mat.
However, if you were to ask any top level Judoka or respected …

The mission statement that accompanies any project undertaken through KombatClinic.com is simple: “committed to developing excellence in performance”. If we are committed to developing this excellence it must mean getting out there and training under [and alongside] the best, individuals that are deemed THE best in their respective fields. Over the years both through KombatClinic.com and indeed at my own academy I have sought out individuals, athletes, performers and coaches that are just that. The best.
From submission wrestling with Jeff Monson, MMA with Leigh Remedios and Michael Bisping, Brazilian Jiu …

Interview: David Webb, 02 August 2009 (all photographs with kind permission and courtesy of Fighting Films Ltd. and Bob Willingham).
Interview:
KombatClinic.com: Hi Neil, many thanks for doing this interview for KombatClinic.com I’m sure all of the readers know exactly who you are and have a great deal of respect for you and your Judo but for those who don’t would you be so kind as to give us a brief background to your Judo, where it all began, why it began and who did you grow up admiring?
Neil Adams: I started Judo at 7 years of age …

Interview:
KombatClinic.com: Hi James, many thanks for doing this interview for KombatClinic.com. Many of the readers may know who you are by following your progress over the last few years within the British Judo Association and its publication ‘Matside’ but for those that do not shall we start with a little background on you and your Judo?
James Millar: I’m originally from a small town in the highlands called Invergordon, where i started judo at the age of 6. I Moved to Edinburgh 10 years ago, to train full-time at the Edinburgh …