Which kind of association is NMAA?

Our goal is to promote culture of peace, which is why we organise – amongst other activities - the practice of nonviolent (“internal”) martial arts. Our association strives to be a meeting place for those that are interested in both non-violence and the world of (Eastern) martial arts.

Our association is a cultural association which was founded on the 10th of December 1998 – a date that was chosen as a reference to the 50-year anniversary of the “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. On the 4th of July 2008, our association became a non-profit organisation, and is since called “Nonviolent Martial Art Association – npo”.

The operation follows a number of principles:

nonviolence and respect are values we aspire to;
we would like the group culture to be one of peace;
our practice is a form of self-care and self-development, with respect for one’s family life;
safety comes first while practising;
we do not pursuit profit;
we prefer to practise martial arts without the use of a formal grading system – this means that groups desiring to use formal grading will have to assume all responsibility for the grading aspect.

Why join?

You may want to join us for different reasons:

out of support or sympathy: NMAA offers the opportunity to practice martial arts within the framework of peace culture;
he who supports, supports both the propagation of internal martial arts and nonviolence (the membership fee is a participation in working costs such as website, phone and fax, paper, print ink, etc);
because you would like to actively help expand and realise the goals of our association;
as a member, you are entitled to our certificates (if you meet the conditions of these certificates);
you can get insurance against accidents and liability;
you get to use our documentation and library;
… and we can think of many more reasons to share with you, so feel free to get in touch.

We have regular members, supporting members, active members, and board members. The active members and board members take care of organisational work, the others are participants. For this reason, members are not bound to get insurance or to participate in events. Members that do not participate are supporting members.

It is possible for non-members to participate in our activities, but this is not an acquired right. In other words, non-members can be refused by the person in charge without further justification.

Groups

Existing groups which practice martial arts and wish to operate within the framework of our association’s project can contact the board to discuss this. We do however require for every member of such group to endorse the principles of our association. Such groups take and accept responsibility for the internal organisation of their discipline, and can join our association for the purposes of promotion or to benefit from our umbrella facilities such as encounter, training, or insurance.

What do we offer?

We concentrate on two kinds of activities: the promotion of external happenings and the organisation of our own; internal activities.

Our association presently promotes courses in tai chi chuan (Chinese “shadow boxing”) and aikido (originally a Japanese martial art, which aims to increase the practitioner’s quality of living). We are open to expansion into other martial arts. Apart from all this, we organise a supportive framework that includes a library and upcoming workshops.

For more information, see the “agenda”-page on the Dutch-version of this website.

In service of our practitioners

Our association organises activities in service of the self-care and self-development of the practitioners. As long as the above-mentioned principles are followed, every practitioner is free to participate in any of our activities, and vice versa: every practitioner is free to practise the same disciplines at other associations – such initiatives are part of the practitioners own responsibility.

What do we offer to third parties?

If you are interested in organising a workshop, course or training session in association with us, please contact us for further information.

The Crane, a powerful symbol

The Crane is a symbol of health, loyalty, supple martial arts and peace, and is as such a very fitting symbol for our association. You’ll find more Crane-related information here.

Coordinates

NMAA-npo,
registered office: Dageraadstraat 9, 2800 Mechelen,
legal register: 0899.094.285 - RP