{"id":2693,"date":"2025-06-18T12:13:46","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T10:13:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fist.club\/getting-started-motivation\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T12:05:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T10:05:22","slug":"getting-started-motivation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fist.club\/en\/getting-started-motivation\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Started &amp; Motivation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-spacer stk-block-spacer stk--no-padding stk-block stk-29dca71\" data-block-id=\"29dca71\"><style>.stk-29dca71 {height:50px !important;}<\/style><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-4f0626e\" id=\"warum-ein-fisting-club\" data-block-id=\"4f0626e\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Why a Fisting Club? <\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you fist, you know how it goes: you talk about it \u2013 but usually with the same three or four people. The rest of the world flinches, turns their head away, or makes a bad joke. That is exactly the problem.   <br>A practice that is lived out thousands of times in real life has barely any voice in politics, medicine, or the public sphere. That makes us vulnerable \u2013 in terms of health, the law, and society.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A fisting club is the answer to that. Not as a back-room meet-up, but as a visible, organised structure.  <br>An association that pools knowledge, provides education, creates spaces, and speaks up publicly for the interests of the community. In short: the difference between &#8220;a few guys hanging out&#8221; and &#8220;a serious civil-society voice&#8221;.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-30514e9\" id=\"was-ein-club-konkret-leistet\" data-block-id=\"30514e9\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">What a club actually delivers <\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Education on equal footing: <\/strong>medically grounded, without a moral filter, without clinical jargon. If you want to know how to do it right and safely, you&#8217;ll find answers \u2013 not no-go zones.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Safe space<\/strong>: workshops, regulars&#8217; meet-ups, closed events, peer-to-peer counselling. Where there used to be only porn clips and forum snippets, real community emerges. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Outward visibility:<\/strong> towards media, politics, public authorities, the healthcare system. A registered association is taken seriously \u2013 a loose group of friends is not.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Structural support:<\/strong> grant applications, donations, partnerships with AIDS service organisations, checkpoints, Pride organisations. None of that works without a legal form.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Outreach for newcomers and beginners:<\/strong> someone just starting out shouldn&#8217;t have to rely on Telegram groups or sketchy profiles to learn the basics. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-e077c6f\" id=\"argumente-die-du-wahrscheinlich-horen-wirst-und-unsere-antworten\" data-block-id=\"e077c6f\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Arguments you&#8217;ll probably hear \u2013 and our answers<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8220;That&#8217;s way too niche.&#8221;<\/strong> It isn&#8217;t. Fisting is practised by thousands of people in every single major city \u2013 just invisibly. That very invisibility is the reason there&#8217;s so little decent education about it.   <br>A club changes that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8220;That&#8217;ll just expose us.&#8221;<\/strong> The opposite is true. A registered, charitable organisation has a different standing with authorities, banks, and landlords than a loose collective.  Visibility protects \u2013 silence does not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8220;The topic is too sensitive for an association.&#8221;<\/strong> AIDS service organisations, drug counselling services, sex worker associations, BDSM clubs \u2013 they have all overcome the same reservation. We&#8217;re not the first to represent difficult topics in an organised way.  We&#8217;re just a bit later to the table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t have time for association stuff.&#8221; Understood. An association doesn&#8217;t survive on one person doing everything \u2013 it works because several people each take on a small piece. That&#8217;s exactly what the board, advisory bodies, and working groups are for. And that&#8217;s exactly why we exist: we provide templates, advice, and structures so that you don&#8217;t have to start from zero.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<address class=\"wp-block-stackable-blockquote stk-block-blockquote stk-block stk-b8413bd is-style-default customblockquote\" data-v=\"2\" data-block-id=\"b8413bd\"><style>.stk-b8413bd {border-top-left-radius:var(--stk--preset--border-radius--none, 0px) !important;border-top-right-radius:var(--stk--preset--border-radius--none, 0px) !important;border-bottom-right-radius:var(--stk--preset--border-radius--none, 0px) !important;border-bottom-left-radius:var(--stk--preset--border-radius--none, 0px) !important;overflow:hidden !important;box-shadow:none !important;border-top-width:0px !important;border-right-width:0px !important;border-bottom-width:0px !important;border-left-width:0px !important;align-items:center !important;padding-top:var(--stk--preset--spacing--none, 0px) !important;padding-right:var(--stk--preset--spacing--none, 0px) !important;padding-bottom:var(--stk--preset--spacing--none, 0px) !important;padding-left:var(--stk--preset--spacing--none, 0px) !important;display:flex !important;}<\/style><div class=\"has-text-align-left stk-block-blockquote__content stk-container stk-b8413bd-container stk--no-background stk--no-padding\"><div class=\"stk-block-content stk-inner-blocks\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-1cb2709\" data-block-id=\"1cb2709\"><p class=\"stk-block-text__text\">A fisting club isn&#8217;t about self-promotion. It&#8217;s infrastructure \u2014 for education, protection, and community. Whoever founds one isn&#8217;t building a stage for themselves, but a foundation for others.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/address>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-fe57b21\" id=\"haufig-gestellte-fragen-warum-ein-verein-und-nicht-einfach-ein-loser-kreis\" data-block-id=\"fe57b21\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Frequently asked questions: Why an association and not just a loose circle? <\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>These questions come up in almost every initial conversation with people interested in founding a club. We&#8217;ve answered them here the way we&#8217;d answer them in person \u2013 briefly, directly, and without bureaucratic association jargon.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-7f1a197\" id=\"rechtsform-und-status\" data-block-id=\"7f1a197\"><h4 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Legal form and status<\/h4><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do I even need an association? Can&#8217;t we do without one?  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure, you can \u2013 at first. As soon as you start holding regular events, taking in money (even just for venues), buying materials, or appearing in public, an association structure pays off. Not out of love for bureaucracy, but for self-protection: without a legal entity, every individual involved is liable with their own personal assets.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is the difference between a registered and an unregistered association? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The registered association (in DE: e.V., in AT: ZVR-registered, in NL: formele vereniging, etc.) is a legal entity in its own right. The unregistered association is a group of individuals where the members are jointly and severally liable. For serious educational work, it should always be the registered form.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why does one have to be a charitable nonprofit? Isn&#8217;t association status alone enough?  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s enough \u2013 if you don&#8217;t want to issue donation receipts, apply for funding, or enjoy any tax benefits. Realistically speaking: without charitable status, your club&#8217;s financial room to manoeuvre is significantly smaller. The bar isn&#8217;t high \u2013 but the statutes have to be right.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can we also set up a GmbH or UG? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In theory yes, in practice no. A charitable GmbH is possible, but for a pure education and community organisation it&#8217;s overdimensioned: share capital, notary, commercial register, director&#8217;s liability, mandatory financial statements. The association format fits your purpose much better.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-91d54b5\" id=\"haftung-und-risiko\" data-block-id=\"91d54b5\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Liability and risk<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Am I personally liable as a board member if something goes wrong? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the normal case: no. The association&#8217;s board acts on behalf of the association, not for itself. Personal liability only applies to board members in cases of gross breach of duty \u2013 for instance, when taxes are deliberately not paid or social security contributions are withheld. With normal, careful work there is no elevated risk. A D&amp;O insurance policy provides additional cover.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What happens if someone is injured at an event? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s exactly what association liability insurance is for. It covers personal injury and property damage that occurs in connection with association activities. For workshops involving physical contact, we additionally recommend event organiser liability insurance. The premiums typically run between \u20ac200 and \u20ac500 per year \u2013 money well spent.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can we be audited by the tax office? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes \u2013 like any charitable association. Usually every three years, sometimes at longer intervals.  <br>The audit is routine: statutes, use of funds, activity reports. If you keep your books clean and your activities match the association&#8217;s purpose, it&#8217;s not a drama, but just an appointment in the calendar.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>But we don&#8217;t want to give a member list to the authorities. Is that possible?  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Full anonymity is not possible \u2013 the registry authorities have to know the board, and the tax office sees your membership numbers. But: member lists are not made public and are not passed on.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only board members are subject to registration. Data protection is workable.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-364a773\" id=\"geld-und-finanzen\" data-block-id=\"364a773\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Money and finances<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How much money do you need to set one up? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the country, between \u20ac0 (Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden) and around \u20ac600 (NL with notary, IT with notary). Most EU countries fall between \u20ac50 and \u20ac150. Fist Club Europe e.V. reimburses registration and notary costs 1:1, so effectively nothing comes out of your pocket.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who decides how the association&#8217;s money is used? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The board in day-to-day operations, within the budget approved by the general assembly. Larger or unusual expenses require formal board decisions, which are recorded in the minutes.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the annual assembly, members can either formally approve the board&#8217;s conduct \u2013 or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can we charge membership fees? How much?  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, it&#8217;s actually the norm. The amount is set in a separate fee schedule (not in the statutes \u2013 otherwise the statutes would have to be amended every time you adjust the fee). Typical figures are \u20ac24\u201360 per year for ordinary members, reduced rates for students or low-income members, and higher amounts for supporting members.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can we sell workshops or materials? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, within what is known as a &#8220;Zweckbetrieb&#8221; (DE) or a tax-privileged commercial operation (AT) \u2013 provided the activity directly serves the association&#8217;s purpose. Pure sales activities with no link to the purpose can become taxable, but they do not endanger the charitable status as long as they remain a subordinate activity.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-9602b87\" id=\"praktisches\" data-block-id=\"9602b87\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Practical questions<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can we run the association anonymously? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fully anonymous is not possible. Board members&#8217; names are visible in the public register. This does not apply to ordinary members. Anyone who doesn&#8217;t want to play a public role can become a supporting member, sit on an advisory body, or contribute purely on the operational side \u2013 without holding a board position.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What if no one among us has board experience? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No problem. We provide templates, an onboarding conversation, and sample texts for the first board meetings. Running an association is not rocket science \u2013 in every sports club, every cultural association, volunteers without legal training do it. It works.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do we have to hold events regularly? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have to actively pursue your association&#8217;s purpose, in whatever rhythm suits you. An association that does nothing at all for two years can run into trouble with its charitable status. But &#8220;active&#8221; doesn&#8217;t mean &#8220;weekly events&#8221; \u2013 a well-maintained knowledge area, a regular newsletter, and a few workshops a year are perfectly enough.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can we also be an online-only association, without a fixed location? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The association must have a registered seat (an address), but the activities can take place entirely online. Webinars, online counselling, a wiki with educational content \u2013 all of that is legitimate association work. Some of our sister clubs barely meet in person and are nevertheless extremely active.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What if the board falls out, or members leave? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A standard risk of any volunteer organisation. The statutes provide clear mechanisms: extraordinary general meetings, new elections, mediation bodies. As long as the minimum membership count is maintained, the association can survive any personnel crisis. We help if things get stuck.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-b7383ba\" id=\"verbindung-zu-fist-club-europe-e-v\" data-block-id=\"b7383ba\"><h3 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Connection to Fist Club Europe e.V. <\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do we have to join Fist Club Europe e.V.? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You don&#8217;t have to \u2013 but it&#8217;s worth it. Independent associations remain legally separate, but they benefit from a model set of statutes, funding, templates, training, visibility within the network, and joint advocacy work. You can leave at any time or simply cooperate as a sister organisation.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do we lose our independence if we join? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No. Each local club remains its own legal entity, with its own board, its own statutes, its own bank account, and its own strategy. The link to Fist Club Europe e.V. is organisational and value-based, not hierarchical. There is no top-down authority.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who can actually become a member of Fist Club Europe e.V.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ordinary members with voting rights are, as a rule, organisations, legal entities, and legally recognised initiatives that actively support the association&#8217;s goals and contribute to their realisation. Individuals can also be admitted as ordinary members in justified cases \u2013 namely when they are connected to the association&#8217;s purpose in a particularly substantial or structural way. In addition, there are supporting memberships (for individuals or organisations who want to support the association financially, without voting rights) and honorary memberships for people who have made an exceptional contribution to the association. Every membership application is decided by the board.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We&#8217;re just a few people in one city for now \u2013 can we still take part? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. Even without your own association structure, you can become visible as a local group or contact point under the umbrella of Fist Club Europe e.V. \u2013 on the world map, within the network, with access to materials and advice. Once the group consolidates and ideally organises itself as a legally recognised initiative or association, the step to voting membership also becomes possible. Individuals who want to support us personally are very welcome through a supporting membership.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-spacer stk-block-spacer stk--no-padding stk-block stk-1b46cbd\" data-block-id=\"1b46cbd\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why a Fisting Club? If you fist, you know how it goes: you talk about it \u2013 but usually with the same three or four people. The rest of the world flinches, turns their head away, or makes a bad joke. That is exactly the problem. A practice that is lived out thousands of times [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8376,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2693","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":{"page_structure_type":"type-3","styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fist.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fist.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fist.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fist.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fist.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2693"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/fist.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9607,"href":"https:\/\/fist.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2693\/revisions\/9607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fist.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fist.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}