TWO martial arts organisations have hit back at claims that the public should take care when selecting a club.

Both the United Kingdom Jujitsu Association International and United Kingdom and European Martial Arts Forum have responded to Martin Dixon's claims in last week's Sport Extra.

Mr Dixon, chairman of the British Ju-Jitsu Association and also a member of the Accrington based Go Shin Kemp Ju-Jitsu Association, says there are currently no laws preventing clubs from forming and following guidelines set up by their governing body.

Mr Dixon also said that clubs have to be a member of the BJJA to obtain funding from the Millennium Awards for All.

But Allan Tattersall - president of the UKJJAI who also have a club in Rishton - has hit back at the BJJA and Sport England who awarded the association governing body status.

He said: "The arrogance of Mr Dixon seems to hold no bounds in his condemnation of the other clubs and associations outside his own governing body.

"They were given the position of governing body group but they were never elected by the other main groups in existence."

Mr Tattersall also hit out at Sport England for not providing funding for a fuller range of clubs.

He said: "The Millennium Award for All is, despite the title, only for those people on the Sport England list. "And as Sport England have appointed the BJJA as the governing body for ju-jitsu all clubs outside the association are losing out which is wrong."

He added: "I believe there should be an overall council established that would include all martial art organisations and these problems would not arise."

Blackburn-based Tony Smith, chairman of United Kingdom and European Martial Arts Forum believes that Mr Dixon is making misleading statements and said that the BJJA's governing body status from Sport England is for grant aid and funding only.

In a letter he said: "Mr Dixon is making misleading statements that will be seen as true by the general public with his out of date and out of touch assumptions on martial arts clubs and organisations."

He added: "The Sport Council is for grant aid and funding only.

"In the Sport Council's own words they are not qualified to comment on other Martial Arts bodies' competence.

"The BJJA is not the official governing body for ju jitsu in the UK it is one governing body among many.

"It is recognised for grant aid and funding only by the Sport Council." Mr Smith also hit back at claims that anybody could produce a certificate, obtain insurance and walk into a sports centre claiming to be a black belt.

He added: "Does he not know that all details like that are checked thoroughly by local authorities and sports centre managers and that insurance companies are working with national bodies to prevent just a thing from happening.

"Governing bodies and associations like my own advise and work very closely with local authorities in order to police good practice and quality coaching in their facilities."

Mr Dixon said he refused to get drawn into a war of words.

He said: "As far as we are concerned we are the governing body for ju-jitsu and have been recognised as such by Sport England."

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