We haven’t been built through grants, industry contacts, or big sponsorships. Our journey has been slow, deliberate and honest — one club at a time, built on word of mouth and trust. Since 2012, we’ve worked tirelessly across grassroots martial arts, showing up when others didn’t, doing what we said we’d do, and then going further. Our reputation has been earned by standing with clubs, especially when it wasn’t the easy option.

Founded with just £20 and a vision by someone who grew up in poverty, BMABA has become a national platform for innovation, professional standards, and genuine community support in martial arts. We’re now the choice of more than 6,500 instructors and clubs representing over 100,000 participants a year — not because we shouted the loudest, but because we delivered real value, support and leadership where it mattered.

Today, we’re one of the most highly decorated independent governing bodies in UK sport. We’ve been recognised within and beyond the martial arts sector — from awards in governance and diversity to media features with BBC, ITV and national press. We’re also the only association of our kind to hold ISO9001:2015 certification from the British Assessment Bureau, under UKAS accreditation. That means our standards, governance, and processes meet the same independent benchmarks used for hospitals, universities and major corporations — not by our own claim, but by official audit.