The Hague Martial Arts Day strengthens the entire sector

Last weekend, The Hague hosted a special Haagse Vechtsportdag (The Hague Martial Arts Day). A substantive programme was combined with demonstrations of kickboxing, Thai boxing and MMA, among other disciplines. A good opportunity for everyone involved in martial arts in The Hague to gain knowledge and present themselves.

The programme consisted of various presentations and workshops on subjects such as nutrition and how to reach your weight in a healthy way, the Traject Open Vechtsportclubs (Open Martial Arts Clubs programme) and the support offered by the municipality of The Hague, how to deal with match-fixing in martial arts, and there was an information session on doping use and doping controls. Representatives of the VA (Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit, the Dutch martial arts regulator) provided information on safeguarding quality at events and at gyms, with the help of the Audit Team and the Keurmerk Vechtsportautoriteit (VA quality mark).

Afterwards, everyone was welcome in the Topsporthal, where martial arts organisations from The Hague showed how broad the range of sports on offer in the city is. They gave demonstrations of kickboxing, Thai boxing, MMA, boxing, judo, taekwondo, sambo, jiu jitsu, aikido, pencak silat and kung fu, among others.

Dozens of people who are involved in the sport and in making the sport possible on a daily basis met one another. They exchanged knowledge and experiences. Nearly all of them went home with a stronger network within the martial arts world and with more contacts at the municipality of The Hague. In this way, an engaging and interesting weekend will continue to have a positive effect in the martial arts sector in the longer term.