Better insured together in martial arts

Work is under way on a new federation for martial arts. One of the advantages of a single strong federation is that collective insurance policies can be arranged more easily.

Until now there has been a great deal of uncertainty about what is and is not insured, with all the consequences this may have. Every athlete and everyone who contributes to martial arts should be properly insured. This is part of the professionalisation of our sport and can only be arranged collectively through a single federation. At present, each individual within the sport is responsible for his or her own insurance. Once there is one strong federation, insurance can be arranged jointly.

Officials and ring doctors
At the moment little to nothing has been arranged regarding the liability of officials and ring doctors. It is only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs in the ring in which an official or ring doctor is held liable for allegedly failing to intervene properly. If liability is poorly arranged, this can have lifelong consequences. Preventing this is the highest priority for the new federation.

Athletes
In principle, athletes cannot hold one another liable for damage that arises during a bout. That falls under the voluntarily accepted risk you take when you decide to take part in a contact sport. In short: you accept that someone may injure you within the rules of the game. But if you are injured and have to incur medical costs, you are currently highly dependent on the coverage of your own policy. The new federation can offer secondary coverage for medical costs. If an athlete's own insurance does not cover enough treatments during rehabilitation, this coverage can then be called upon.

Collective insurance
The current martial arts organisations have so far barely addressed questions of this kind. That is also very difficult when it is unclear which federations represent exactly whom. The new martial arts federation will represent, among others, all competitive fighters, hundreds of thousands of recreational participants, hundreds of gyms and dozens of promoters and officials. That makes it possible to make collective arrangements. The aim is to provide sound coverage for every member and everyone who is active on behalf of the federation.

More advantages
Being able to insure people in martial arts collectively is one of the advantages of a single federation. You can read more about what this new organisation will mean here: One federation: what does that mean for me?