Camcorder certification - sambo

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 5/13/2010 10:38am

So what is really sad is that Clarke has given Fuller, someone who is not qualified at asses anything sambo related, the power to vet new USA members of Clarke's group.

**theotherserge** · Posted On: 5/13/2010 10:51am

Originally Posted by sambosteve

So what is really sad is that Clarke has given Fuller, someone who is not qualified at asses anything sambo related, the power to vet new USA members of Clarke's group.

Knowing what a self-inflated blowhard Clarke is, he may as well pick whomever he wants...they all deserve each other, IMO

**sambowrestler** · Posted On: 5/13/2010 11:09am

Originally Posted by theotherserge

Knowing what a self-inflated blowhard Clarke is, he may as well pick whomever he wants...they all deserve each other, IMO

:laughing7 lol

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 5/13/2010 12:13pm

More from Bebee

Malik Bebee's reply:
May 13 at 12:36pm I have a brown belt in combat sambo under mr cranston not sambo. Completely different Someone posted that in addition to being a blackbelt under mr. clarke he claims brown belt in sambo under rick cranston. Someone is misinformed I checked the site and it doesn't say anything about sport sambo for me??? My website doesn't have anything with regards to rank in sport sambo!

my reply:
May 13 at 1:11pm
We are discussing semantics. Sambo is a general term, which includes many subsets. So, yes, I see your point, but in the larger sense "combat sambo" is "sambo". That was the point. I also believe that at one point Clarke's site simply said sambo. It was later changed to "combat sambo".

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 5/13/2010 12:23pm

This discussion is a great example of the confusion that can arise (or be maliciously used), particularly when Clarke is ranking people in his own style "CombatSombo" which borrows the name of an established art. Sambo, Sport sambo, Combat Sambo, Freestyle Sambo, CombatSombo....

Let's clear up that "Sambo" is a general term...like "karate". Under "sambo" there are lots of subsets. Just like under Karate, there is shotokan, kyokushin, goju, etc. This does not mean they are not "Karate". A kyukoshin black belt would never say he is not a "karate" black belt. Similarly, a "combat sambo" guy is still a "sambo" guy. If one had a rank in "Combat Sambo", he is still a ranked "sambo" person. Problem is that people use these divisions for credible deniability..."I never said I was a 'sambo' guy, I said I was a 'Combat Sambo' guy", or a 'sport sambo' guy, or a 'CombatSombo' guy.

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 5/13/2010 1:59pm

Continued discussion with Bebee. I have again informed him that I was sharing this and that he should come comment for himself:

Bebee:
May 13 at 2:44pm Hmmm they just copied and paste from my organization's website so there shouldn't have been any mistakes. Well I can't speak for fuller and his testing process with clarke personally. I assumed that he fulfilled the requirement as mandated by the curriculum. My dealings with him have been nothing but professional. Initially I went through Mr. clarke via Rick and john lehmann another black belt of mr. anderson. They were thinking about joining his organization. So that is how clarke knew me was through them. This was summer of last year. The process was slow as he verified there lineage and certs as mr. anderson is deaceased. And then when Fuller and Eddings were announced as the Sr. instructors, I sought them out. Just so happened that Fuller is attending a university not to far from me. And with Mr. clarke's permission Fuller was authorized to test and rank me for 1st degree. My test fee was a third of the cost. So I don't know about the others? I didn't buy my rank as people suggest.

Me:
May 13 at 2:57pm Eddings has disappeared from Clarke's website BTW. Not sure why. Maybe he realized that it is not a good group to be assocciated with?

I am not suggesting the "bought" your rank outright. But, I don't know how long you have trained with fuller personally, Which is generall a standard for ranking. What people are suggesting that Fuller is not qualified to rank you in any kind of sambo. He did just ammend his bio due to his false judo ranking...buyer beware. Ask Fuller how many times he actually trained with Clarke personally. Ask him if he even knows how to grapple. Ask about his judo, and all the other stuff he is ranked in that he did not create himself. Ask him how many times he has competed in any kind of related event and when, or when he has coached people in sambo?

I think you will find that his actual mat time and experience is next to nil. You do undertsand why the issue of ranks is a big deal in sambo? Like I said, you are free to do what you like. But, just be aware that who you get into bed with may come back to bite you later. Like this whole discussion. It was not about you, it was about Clarke and his rank mill. Then it became about Fuller and his lack of expertise, and your name got dragged into it. BTW, you may be a very skilled martial artist, but that is not the topic of the thread.

I do suggest you log onto bullshido and post for yourself. I have informed the folks there of your comments, but it is better you comment yourself.

**Ken Pfrenger** · Posted On: 5/14/2010 6:12am

Great thread guys. I had a chance to test in this fashion and just could not bring myself to do so...I pat my self on the back almost every time I put my kurtka on.

**sambowrestler** · Posted On: 5/14/2010 6:35am

there are some great sambist in the world, i dont know of any others selling grades.

sambo along with judo is one of the last respected sport martial arts where you fight in the hope one day you make master of sport. if you never make it you dont just enjoy it for what it is.

sportsmen in other sports do not feel the need to award themselves BS titles? why do people involed in fighting styles i wonder?

:bowdown: waiting on your every word master lol

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 6/03/2010 5:52pm

So, our friend fuller is at it again...LOL.

I was just forwarded this e-mail from the RAF headquarters in Russia (Russian All-Around Fighting Federation)

From: Frank Fuller
Subject: sombo, other programs
To: "Raf Russian All-Round Fighting"
Date: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 6:06 AM

Dear Mr. Ogarenko, This is Frank Fuller and James Eddings. Please send us Combat Sambo Instructor certificates (or 3rd degree certificates) plus the other RAF Preparatory level certificates to us very soon. I will be sending the money by Western Union to you, 150 pounds if necessary for the Combat Sambo plus other certifications and DVDs that are you also offering. I tried to pay for the DVDs online, but there is no link to buy the training materials. Attached are mine and James Eddings' 3rd degrees in Combat Sambo. Please let me know when to proceed with sending the funds. Thank you.

Yes, we both have many years of experience in sport competitions as well as combat training. We can do an RAF club with training in various systems, plus add RAF techniques to our curricula, and have about 30-50 students. We would like to do the RAF distance learning rank system as well in the things you have suggested. We would also do some competition training and help promote the arts in the USA, where we live, and possibly in the UK if we network with martial artists there. If possible, please send certificates that just say the words Instructor in Combat Sambo or Sambo for now or 3rd degree black belt instructor in Combat Sambo or Sambo. Also, we would like separate certificates that say Instructors in RAF Preparatory Level in the systems you suggested below, and we look forward to also advancing in the sport rank systems that you use in your martial arts. Please let us know the fees involved, thank you, and we will send the funds.

After explaining that they would look at their credentials and offer assistance for distance learning and consider RAF membership, they clarified that they could not buy a rank and that the RAF offers rank in accordance to the MoS system. Fuller and Eddings would need to train/compete and win RAF events. They also stated that Fuller and Eddings could not selectively rank themselves (only in combat sambo for example), but had to train all aspects of the RAF curriculum (fencing, fist fighting, folk wrestling, H2H, etc). Later after examining their credentials from Martin Clarke (submitted to RAF by Fuller/Eddings) and deciding they are not credible sambo ranks, the RAF denied Fuller and Eddings acceptance into the RAF, and expressed that they could not offer the combat sambo ranks the guys were looking to buy.

The RAF later wrote in an e-mail to Darrin, who is the UK RAF representative (sambowrestler here on BS):

I can imagine what shame it would be if we had started with them... they were behaving really strange, too much pressing to get the sambo papers that we obviously have no right to issue... thank you very much for the info!

The RAF guys in Russia thought Fuller and Eddings' request was strange, and contacted Darrin, who pointed them to this thread. The thread confirmed their initial misgivings about Fuller's request.