IBMA Membership Regulations (Draft)

These Regulations are currently in draft form. Their formal implementation requires the procedures and approval prescribed in the Articles of Incorporation of IBMA.

Article 1: Purpose

These Regulations prescribe the membership system, admission procedures, rights and obligations of members, membership dues, membership status, and other fundamental matters of IBMA—the International Budo Human Development Association—hereinafter referred to as “IBMA.”

Article 2: Relationship with the Articles of Incorporation

1. These Regulations shall be administered in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation of IBMA.
2. If any provision of these Regulations conflicts with the Articles of Incorporation, the Articles of Incorporation shall prevail.
3. The legal and organizational status of Regular Members, their participation and voting rights at the General Assembly, withdrawal, expulsion, and related matters shall be governed by the Articles of Incorporation.

Article 3: Membership Categories

IBMA shall have the following membership categories:

1. Associate Member
   An individual who is interested in the principles or activities of IBMA and has registered free of charge
2. General Member
   An individual who supports the principles and activities of IBMA and uses its educational materials, videos, members-only services, seminars, exchange activities, or related opportunities
3. Regular Member
   An individual who supports the principles and purposes of IBMA and participates actively and continuously in its governance and activities in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation
4. Supporting Member
   An organization or corporation that supports IBMA’s activities in Budo education, research, human development, international exchange, social contribution, or related fields

IBMA Regular Membership is available only to individuals. Organizations and corporations cannot become IBMA Regular Members.

Article 4: Distinction from Cooperation and Affiliation Systems for Organizations and Dojos

1. These Regulations govern the IBMA membership system, which is separate from recognition as an IBMA Cooperating Organization or Cooperating Dojo and from the affiliation and certification systems of IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI.
2. A general Budo organization or dojo seeking a cooperative relationship with IBMA must separately apply for recognition as an IBMA Cooperating Organization or Cooperating Dojo.
3. A Kyokushin-related organization or dojo seeking to participate in IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI must separately apply for affiliation with IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI.
4. An organization or dojo approved for affiliation with IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI shall, in principle, also be treated as an organization or dojo cooperating with IBMA.
5. Registration as an IBMA Supporting Member is not a requirement for recognition as an IBMA Cooperating Organization or Cooperating Dojo, affiliation with IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI, certification, or renewal.

Article 5: Admission and Registration

1. A person or entity seeking admission or registration shall review the principles of IBMA, the Articles of Incorporation, these Regulations, the Privacy Policy, and the applicable terms of use, and shall apply using the prescribed procedure.
2. Associate Membership shall take effect when IBMA has reviewed and approved the registration.
3. General Membership and Supporting Membership shall take effect when IBMA has reviewed the application and payment of the prescribed membership dues has been completed.
4. Admission as a Regular Member requires the procedures and approval prescribed in the Articles of Incorporation.
5. IBMA may decline an application if it contains false or materially incomplete information, is seriously contrary to the purposes of IBMA, involves a relationship with antisocial or criminal organizations or activities, or if other reasonable grounds exist for determining that registration would be inappropriate.
6. Except where disclosure is required by law, IBMA may decline to provide detailed reasons for refusing an application.

Article 6: Rights and Services Available to Members

1. Associate Members may use information, educational materials, and selected content designated by IBMA for Associate Members.
2. General Members may use the Digital Karate Budo Textbook, Video Library, educational materials, and other members-only services within the scope prescribed by IBMA.
3. In addition to services available to General Members, Regular Members may participate in voting at the General Assembly, committees, research, education, international exchange, projects, and other activities in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation and applicable regulations.
4. Supporting Members may receive activity reports and other information designated by IBMA.
5. Membership status alone does not automatically authorize participation in seminars, events, exchange activities, or other programs. Participation shall remain subject to the conditions established by the organizer, venue, capacity, safety requirements, and other relevant circumstances.
6. The content of services, educational materials, benefits, and participation opportunities may be changed, added, restricted, or discontinued according to IBMA’s activity plans, development status, and operational circumstances.

Article 7: Obligations of Members

Members shall comply with the following obligations:

1. Respect the principles of IBMA, the Articles of Incorporation, these Regulations, and related regulations
2. Where membership dues apply, pay the prescribed dues by the applicable deadline
3. Keep registration information accurate and current and promptly report any changes
4. Respect the dignity, position, reputation, and rights of other members, organizations, and related persons
5. Refrain from conduct that violates applicable laws, public order and morals, or accepted social ethics
6. Refrain from conduct that seriously damages the name, credibility, or public reputation of IBMA
7. Refrain from using the IBMA name, logos, trademarks, certification statements, or other marks without approval
8. Refrain from reproducing, republishing, distributing, publicly transmitting, or providing members-only educational materials, videos, images, text, or other copyrighted works to third parties without authorization from IBMA or the applicable rights holder
9. Refrain from lending, transferring, or sharing membership status, usernames, passwords, or other account information with third parties
10. Refrain from interfering with the operation of the IBMA website, membership systems, communications systems, or related services
11. Have no relationship with antisocial or criminal organizations or activities

Article 8: Membership Dues

Membership dues shall be as provided in Schedule 1 below. Dues for Special Regions shall be determined individually by IBMA after reviewing the relevant circumstances.

Schedule 1: Membership Dues

1. The annual dues for Overseas General Members shall be the equivalent of JPY 1,000 regardless of regional category.
2. Overseas members and Overseas Supporting Members shall pay dues in Japanese yen or another currency and by a method designated by IBMA.
3. IBMA shall separately prescribe the currency-conversion method and responsibility for payment-processing and remittance charges.
4. Payment methods, membership periods, renewal procedures, and payment conditions shall be governed by the information provided at registration or by conditions separately prescribed by IBMA.
5. Membership dues and regional categories may be revised according to economic circumstances, payment conditions, and IBMA’s operational circumstances.

Article 9: Regional Categories

1. Region A shall consist of countries and regions with economic conditions and payment capacity broadly comparable to those of Japan.
2. Region B shall consist of countries and regions whose economic conditions and payment capacity are between those of Regions A and C.
3. Region C shall consist of countries and regions where additional consideration should be given to the financial burden of membership dues.
4. Regions affected by conflict, disaster, remittance restrictions, or other exceptional circumstances may be treated individually as Special Regions.
5. IBMA shall determine the applicable regional category after considering the member’s place of residence, income levels, prices, remittance conditions, and other relevant circumstances.

Article 10: Membership Period and Renewal

1. The membership period for each membership category shall be separately prescribed by IBMA.
2. General Members and Supporting Members may renew their membership by completing the prescribed renewal procedure and paying the applicable dues.
3. Where automatic renewal is used, the renewal date, payment method, cancellation procedure, and other conditions shall be governed by the conditions displayed at registration.
4. The membership period and continuation of Regular Membership shall be governed by the Articles of Incorporation and applicable regulations.
5. If a member fails to complete the renewal procedure or pay the applicable dues, IBMA may suspend or terminate the membership and access to members-only services.

Article 11: Treatment of Dues Already Paid

1. Membership dues already paid shall not, in principle, be refunded except where a refund is required by law or specifically approved by IBMA.
2. In the event of duplicate payment, an administrative error by IBMA, or another legitimate reason, IBMA shall review the circumstances and respond individually.
3. If a member withdraws during a membership period, no daily or monthly prorated refund shall be made for the remaining period, except where otherwise required by law or stated in separately disclosed conditions.

Article 12: Changes to Registration Information

Members shall promptly notify IBMA, using the prescribed procedure, of any change to their name, address, contact details, email address, organization name, representative, or other registered information.

If a member fails to report a change and consequently does not receive a notice or service from IBMA, IBMA shall not be responsible beyond a reasonable extent.

Article 13: Withdrawal

1. A member may apply to withdraw using the prescribed procedure.
2. A member using automatic renewal may be required to complete a separate procedure to stop automatic renewal or recurring payments.
3. Withdrawal of a Regular Member shall be governed by the Articles of Incorporation.
4. After withdrawal, the former member may no longer use members-only services or exercise rights based on membership status.
5. Retention and deletion of registration information after withdrawal shall be governed by applicable laws and the IBMA Privacy Policy.

Article 14: Suspension, Cancellation, or Expulsion

If a member falls within any of the following categories, IBMA may, in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation and prescribed procedures, suspend membership or access to services, cancel registration, or take other necessary measures:

1. A serious violation of the Articles of Incorporation, these Regulations, or related regulations
2. Failure to pay membership dues by the applicable deadline
3. A material falsehood in an application or registered information
4. Serious harm to the credibility, reputation, privacy, or rights of IBMA, another member, or a related person
5. Serious conduct contrary to applicable laws, public order and morals, or accepted social ethics
6. Lending, transferring, or sharing membership status or account information with a third party
7. Unauthorized use of the IBMA name, logos, trademarks, educational materials, qualifications, or certification statements
8. A relationship with antisocial or criminal organizations or activities
9. Serious interference with IBMA operations, membership systems, or use by other members

Except where immediate suspension is necessary, IBMA shall, in principle, notify the person concerned of the reason and provide an opportunity to give an explanation or submit an opinion before cancellation or another serious disciplinary measure is imposed.

The requirements and procedures prescribed in the Articles of Incorporation shall prevail with respect to the expulsion or other disciplinary treatment of a Regular Member.

Article 15: Intellectual Property

1. Text, images, videos, audio, educational materials, trademarks, and other intellectual property provided by IBMA belong to IBMA or the lawful rights holder.
2. Without prior authorization from IBMA or the rights holder, a member may not use such intellectual property beyond the scope permitted for private or members-only use.
3. The obligations set forth in this Article shall survive termination of membership.

Article 16: Personal Information

1. IBMA shall process members’ personal information only to the extent necessary for membership administration, identity verification, communications, management of dues, provision of services, activity information, and operation of IBMA programs.
2. Personal information shall be handled in accordance with the IBMA Privacy Policy and applicable laws.
3. IBMA shall not use personal information beyond the stated purposes except where permitted by law or with the consent of the individual concerned.

Article 17: Disclaimer and Changes to Services

1. IBMA may temporarily suspend all or part of its members-only services due to system maintenance, communications failures, disasters, or other unavoidable circumstances.
2. IBMA may modify the content of members-only services according to its activity plans, operational circumstances, or educational requirements.
3. Except in cases of intentional misconduct or gross negligence by IBMA, and to the extent permitted by law, IBMA shall not be liable for indirect or special damages arising from the use or inability to use its services.

Article 18: Amendments

1. These Regulations may be amended by resolution of the appropriate body in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation.
2. Material amendments shall be announced by notice to members or publication on the official IBMA website.
3. Amended Regulations shall take effect on the separately designated effective date.

Supplementary Provision

These Regulations shall take effect on ____________________.