NATIONAL INDEPENDENT MARTIAL ARTS (NIMA)
C/O 8 HEYTHROP DRIVE
MIDDLESBROUGH
CLEVELAND
TS5 8QA
0642 828851 AGREED MARCH 1990 BY THE PANEL OF NIMA
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1. THE TITLE SHALL BE NIMA
2. PURPOSES
TO REMAIN AUTONOMOUS.
TO ADOPT CODES OF SAFETY IN THE SPORT AND PRACTICE OF MARTIAL ARTS.
TO PROMOTE THE WELL BEING AND MENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND SOCIAL WELL BEING OF ALL MEMBERS.
TO FURTHER THE AIMS OF MARTIAL ARTS FOR ALL CONCERNED.
TO PROMOTE ANY AMATEUR CODES AS FOLLOWS.
1 ALL CLUBS WITHIN SHALL BE AMATEUR.
2 ALL ASSOCIATION EVENTS SHALL BE AMATEUR.
3 ASSOCIATION MEMBERS SHALL BE AMATEUR AND AS SUCH WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY MONIES OTHER THAN THOSE DEEMED AS GRADING FEES AND REGISTRATION FEES.
MEMBERSHIP
ALL CLUBS JOIN OF THEIR OWN FREE WILL AND NO CHARGE WILL BE MADE OR ATTEMPTED TO BE MADE BY NIMA FOR JOINING THE ASSOCIATION.
MEMBERSHIP WILL BE OPEN TO ALL PERSONS WHO SUBSCRIBE TO THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES AS DEFINED, AS LONG AS A QUALIFIED DAN GRADE OF THE APPLICABLE STYLE IS LICENSED WITHIN THE SAID CLUB.
INSTRUCTORS MUST BE 18YRS OR OLDER.
MEMBERSHIP SHALL BE WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION APPROVED BY THE NIMA MEMBERS.
ANY MEMBER OR GROUPS OF MEMBERS MAY BE ASKED TO RESIGN, OR REFUSED RENEWAL IF THEY ACT IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO CAUSE UNREST, OR IS HARMFUL TO NIMA AIMS AND OBJECTIVES, OR MAY BRING NIMA INTO UNWANTED POLITICS OR DISREPUTE.
TAKING ALL OF THE ABOVE INTO ACCOUNT ALL NIMA MEMBERS CAN ACT WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE NIMA CONSTITUTION.
1. LICENSES
LICENSES WILL BE OBTAINED FROM THE APPROVED BODY OR BODIES AS IS DEEMED APPROPRIATE AT THE TIME.
GRADINGS WILL ONLY BE ENTERED ON LICENCE BOOKS THAT ARE CURRENT AND UP TO DATE AS AGREED BY THE NIMA REPRESENTATIVE CHAIRING THE GRADING.
2. GRADINGS
ALL GRADINGS ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL CLUB TO ADMINISTER
STUDENT GRADINGS WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN KEEPING WITH NIMA ACCEPTED GUIDELINES.
CADET DAN GRADES MUST BE RATIFIED AT THE AGE OF 16YRS.
ALL EXPENSES REQUESTED WILL BE A TRUE REFLECTION OF THE ACTUAL EXPENSES INCURRED, AND ANY REGISTRATION AND OR ADMINISTRATION OF THE SAME.
3. ** GRADING GUIDELINES
CLUB INSTRUCTORS WITH NO INTERFERENCE WILL CARRY OUT KYU GRADES.
DAN GRADES WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY A PANEL OF DAN GRADES AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH MUST PREFERABLY BE ONE GRADE HIGHER THAN THE GRADE BEING SAT,
THE CLUB IN QUESTION 2 WEEKS PRIOR MUST PROVIDE GRADING SYLLABUSES FOR THE GRADE BEING REQUESTED ALL PANELISTS MUST RECEIVE THE SAME.
DAN GRADING PANELS MUST BE A PANEL OF FOUR-DAN GRADES MINIMUM.
Junior Dan Grades are done on the understanding that at the age of 16 an unbroken period of training of at least 12 months HAS elapseD IMMEDIATELY prior to the 16th birthday,
if what is considered to be a lengThy break in training has occurred the student reverts to 1st kyu and the club instructor does a Senior Dan grade and the club instructor makes a recommendation of award again.
A GRADE OF 3RD DAN MUST NOT BE SAT UNTIL THE MINIMUM AGE OF 21 YEARS.
EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE WITH CONSENT BY NIMA
1)
TWO MEMBERS EQUIVALENT TO THE GRADE BEING SAT, ONE OF WHICH MUST BE OF THE SAME
STYLE. AN ADDITIONAL MEMBER MUST ALSO BE SOUGHT FROM THE SAME CLUB
2)
**HONORARY GRADES WILL BE SOUGHT FROM THE APPLICABLE GOVERNING BODY FOR RATIFICATION ONLY, HONORARY NIMA GRADES CAN BE SOUGHT FROM THE NIMA SENIOR EXECUTIVES.
OUTSIDE GRADING OFFICERS ARE WELCOME TO ADMINISTER GRADINGS ON BEHALF OF ANY CLUB IN REQUESTING THE SAME WITH PERMISSION FROM NIMA.
ANY GRADE OR GRADES AWARDED CANNOT BE REVOKED WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION FROM THE NIMA COMMITTEE OR EXECUTIVE.
6. MEETINGS
ANY MEETINGS REQUESTED OR CALLED FOR MUST BE IN WRITING AND GIVE AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT TIME AND INFORMATION AS TO ITS AIMS.
7. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
THE OVERALL CHIEF INSTRUCTOR WILL BE AN HONORARY POST AND BE AWARDED TO THE HIGHEST GRADE APPLICABLE, UNLESS DECIDED BY A MAJORITY DECISION OF MEMBER CLUBS.
ALL CLUBS HAVE THE SAME VOICE IN ANY DECISION MADE RELATING TO NIMA AND ITS OPERATIONS AND OBJECTIVES.
ALL CLUBS WILL HAVE AT LEAST ONE VOICE IN ANY DECISION ATTEMPTED TO BE MADE.
ALL CLUBS WILL HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENSURING LICENSING IS DONE AND IS KEPT UP TO DATE.
AN ACTING CHIEF INSTRUCTOR MAY BE APPOINTED TO OPERATE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF OUTSIDE ENGAGEMENTS AND MEETINGS.
KUMITE AND KATA COACHES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL CLUBS TO ACCESS.
REFEREEING PANELS MAY BE FORMED TO ADMINISTER COURSES AND AWARDS.
INSTRUCTOR & REFEREE COURSES WILL BE SOUGHT BY THE EKGB OR ITS REPRESENTATIVES.
8. LIABILITY
NEITHER THE ASSOCIATION OR ITS MEMBERS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF OR DAMAGE TO ANY PROPERTY BELONGING TO ITS MEMBERS, OR ANY EVENT NOT COVERED BY THE APPLICABLE MEMBERS INSURANCE IN FORCE AT THAT TIME.
9. AFFILIATES
AFFILIATE CLUBS ARE WELCOME SO LONG AS THEY ACCEPT THE CONSTITUTION OF NIMA, OR PROVIDE THEIR OWN FOR ACCEPTANCE.
ALL DISAGREEMENTS AND COMPLAINTS REGARDING ANY, MEMBER OR CLUB WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF NIMA AS SOON AS IS POSSIBLE.
NO CLUB OR MEMBER WILL ENTER INTO DISCUSSION WITH AN OUTSIDE PARTY WITHOUT FIRST ADVISING NIMA OF THE SAME, AND WILL NOT BRING THE ASSOCIATION KNOWN AS NIMA INTO DISREPUTE, OR MAKE AGREEMENTS WITH OUTSIDE BODIES CONCERNING THE SAME.
ANY BODY RAISING A COMPLAINT OR ISSUE FOR DISCUSSION WILL ALSO ADHERE TO THE SAME .
11. DISSOLUTION.
A MEETING TO DISSOLVE NIMA MAY ONLY BE CALLED WHEN TWO THIRDS OF THE MEMBERSHIP HAVE ASKED FOR THE SAME
THESE RULES OF THE CONSTITUTION AND ORDER OF REFERENCE MAY NOT BE ALTERED IN EFFECT EXCEPT BY A VOTE OF SUCH CHANGES AND A QUORUM OF THOSE LISTED BELOW EXISTS
THIS CONSTITUTION IS MADE WITHOUT PREJUDICE AND ANY MATTER NOT COVERED WILL BE CLARIFIED BY ALL CLUBS CONCERNED IN THE RUNNING OF THE NATIONAL INDEPENDENT MARTIAL ARTS OR OTHERWISE KNOWN AS NIMA.
THE ABOVE STATEMENTS ARE SEEN TO BE ACCEPTED BY ALL MEMBER CLUBS WHEN JOINING NIMA
ANY ARTICLE WRITTEN OR PRINTED IS DONE SO WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO ANY
PERSON OR PERSONS, THIS DAY THE 3RD OF MARCH 1990.
AMENDMENTS **DATED JANUARY 2000
ACCEPTED***
H STEPHENSON SENIOR (NON VOTING)
H STEPHENSON JNR ***
J COCKHILL
S BURKE
C BELL ***
G WIILIAMS ***
P COX ***
S WIDDRINGTON ***
S EDWARDS ***
B STEWART ***
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS 2001
S DRIVER
O SADLER
THE ABOVE CONSTITUTION WAS ACCEPTED FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE AMATEUR MARTIAL ASSOCIATION.