Chapter 3
In Dutch society there was a concept called ‘verzuiling’, which roughly should be translated to ‘creating columns’. This categorization was everywhere in society: in politics and religion, in schools, in television, and in sport.
However, as this traditional segmentation disappeared, the need for segregated schools, television and in its wake sport disappeared.
Cateegorized organizations for sport led to there being catholic socces, protestant soccer, liberal soccer, etc. Each of these sports were organized under categorized umbrella organizations NSF, NKS, NCS.
Around 1992 the NCAF joined the NCS. As described, the Aikido-department grew and large numbers of Aikidoka were organized there. However, around 2000 problems arise (*). One of the new organizations is unhappy with its position and leaves the NCS.
Despite this going against the statutes of the FOG and the government advise for the structure of Martial Arts, this organization is allowed as member of the FOG.
Between 2000 and 2005 the Dutch government addresses the categorization of sport and indicates it will no longer accept different organizations for sport. There should be one organization for each sport, and it is left to the umbrella organizations to resolve the solution for this policy. The NCS, NSF and JBN sit down at the table to discuss how this should be resolved for Judo and Aikido. However, the discussions about Judo are so complex that these negotiations never come around to discussing Aikido. In fact this drags on for several years, and around 2004 the NCS informed Aikido that they may well be dismantled altogether. This information tips the balance for a large number of Aikido organizations. They quickly abandon ship and cross over to the FOG, who accepts them as members, despite the policy and statutes that should have prohibited that.
By that time it also becomes apparent that within the FOG discussions with the NSF have started to form a new organization for Aikido in the Netherlands, directly under NSF. Placed before the dilemma – wait for the problems to be sorted out between the NSF, NCS and JBN and participate in a new umbrella organization for Aikido – a pragmatic choice is made for the latter option. As a consequence in 2009 Aikido terminates its membership of the NCS.
This is the milestone that demarks the end of the early history of Aikido in the Netherlands.
In the next blog I will look at the organization of Aikido at the border of national and international organization of sport.
(*) unfortunately the problems at this time already involve the DAF.
