Start · Grow · Scale

Nobody hands you a manual the day you decide to open a club.

Most instructors start with a hall booking, a handful of students and a quiet worry that there is paperwork they do not know about. There is. It is far less frightening than it sounds, and getting it right at the start is enormously easier than fixing it at year three.

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01 /

You do not need permission to start a martial arts club. You do need insurance, vetting and a duty of care.

Martial arts is not a regulated profession in the United Kingdom. There is no licence to apply for, no register you must be on, and no organisation whose approval you need before you teach. Anyone telling you otherwise is usually selling something.

What is real is your duty of care. The moment a child walks into your class, the law expects you to have thought about their safety, and to be able to show that you did.

That is the whole difference between a club that is fine and a club that is exposed. Not paperwork for its own sake, but insurance that actually covers what you teach, checks on everyone helping you, a written risk assessment, and a record of what happened when something did.

All of which is entirely achievable on a Tuesday evening in a scout hut with fourteen students. We do this with new clubs constantly.

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What you actually need before your first session

In order. None of it costs anything with us beyond the insurance and the checks themselves, and none of it takes as long as you think.

01
Insurance that covers your discipline
Public liability and professional indemnity, sized to what you actually teach, the ages you teach and the contact level involved. Most hall owners will ask for evidence before they take a booking, and a generic sports policy often will not cover a striking or grappling class properly.
Our insurance
02
A DBS, PVG or AccessNI check
If you teach children or vulnerable adults, you need the right level of check for the nation you teach in, and so does anyone helping you. We arrange it, guide you through the process, and track when it needs renewing so you do not lose it by accident.
Checks and vetting
03
Safeguarding training, and someone who owns it
Even a one-instructor club needs a designated person for safeguarding, and that person needs training rather than good intentions. Our safeguarding award is CPD accredited and written for martial arts, and our own Designated Safeguarding Lead is available if you ever need to talk something through.
Training and qualifications
04
A risk assessment for the space you use
Not a formality. Hard floors, low ceilings, fire exits, the pillar in the middle of the hall, what happens if someone goes down. Our digital risk assessment tool builds one in minutes and keeps it, so you can hand it to a hall owner or an insurer on request.
05
Basic policies, written for your club
Safeguarding, code of conduct, complaints, photography. Our policy generator produces professional documents from more than seventy templates with your club’s details written in, rather than leaving you to edit somebody else’s PDF.
06
First aid provision
Somebody at every session who can deal with the things martial arts actually produces, including head injuries. Our first aid and concussion awards are both sport-specific rather than generic.

03 / Free Affiliate Membership

Cashflow should not be the reason a good club never opens

A new club has no income and a lot of first-year costs. That is exactly the point at which most instructors decide the professional side can wait, and it is the worst possible time to make that call.

So our affiliate membership is free, permanently, with no card taken and nothing to cancel. It carries real qualifications rather than a trial: SEND Level 1, CHIMA concussion management and the BMABA Induction Award, all fully certificated. You can be properly trained before you have taken a single membership fee.

Join Free, No Card What the paid tiers add

Included from day one

Three certificated CPD courses
A listing on the national Club Finder
Club management platform access
Digital risk assessments
Policy and document creator
Guidance from a real team

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The hardest part of a new club is not the teaching. It is being findable.

You can be the best instructor in the county and still have four people in the room, because nobody in your town knows you exist. New clubs almost always underestimate this, and then spend money on the wrong things trying to fix it.

Around 62,000 people a month use our national Club Finder to look for a club. Your pin goes on that map from the day you join, with a full club page behind it, unlimited locations, and enquiries landing in a proper inbox rather than a personal Facebook account. If you have no website, our code-free builder gives you one, hosted, in an evening.

See Club Finder And the website builder

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Six things new clubs get wrong, that cost them later

Not criticism. These are simply the patterns we see, and every one of them is easier to avoid now than to unpick in three years.

Taking cash and keeping no recordsIt feels simpler until you cannot prove income, cannot chase a lapsed payment, and have no idea who was actually in the room last Tuesday.

Letting a helper teach before they are checkedUsually a senior student stepping in informally. It is the single most common safeguarding gap in small clubs, and it is entirely avoidable.

Assuming a generic policy will doA downloaded safeguarding policy with someone else’s club name in it is worse than none, because it looks like you have thought about it and you have not.

Grading students with no recordIf your records live in a notebook, a student who moves away loses everything they earned. A national grade register solves this permanently.

Running the club from a personal phonePersonal number, personal email, personal Facebook. It blurs every boundary and becomes impossible to hand over if anything changes.

Waiting until it feels serious enoughClubs tell us they will sort compliance out when they are bigger. The risk does not scale with size. It arrives with your first child student.

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You will not be left to work it out from a web page

New clubs get things wrong in specific, predictable ways, and they usually only need one conversation to get straight. Ours is a full-time UK team who deal with this daily, and there is no sales script at the end of it.

If our honest answer is that you do not need us yet, or that another organisation suits you better, that is what you will be told. We are a not-for-profit with an asset lock, so nobody here earns a commission on persuading you.

Talk To The Team

Setup guidanceWhat you need, in what order, for your discipline and your nation.

Insurance helpGetting the cover right first time rather than discovering a gap later.

Vetting supportWalked through DBS, PVG or AccessNI rather than left with a form.

Safeguarding adviceA qualified DSL to call if something difficult happens, from day one.

Club Management Award

Nobody hands you a syllabus for running the club

You have spent years becoming good at your martial art. Running a club around it is a separate craft entirely. Good clubs rarely close through bad coaching. They close through pricing that never covered costs, administration that buckled, or simply not knowing what they did not know.

Club Management Award Level 1 certificate

Level 1 · Foundations

Getting the club set up to last

A practical grounding in the mechanics of setting up and running a club, taken from the idea through to a structure and a business plan that actually holds.

Setting up your club Legal structures, registration, insurance, safeguarding and DBS requirements before you teach.
Financial fundamentals Pricing, tracking income and outgoings, and reading a simple profit and loss statement.
Attracting and keeping students Club identity, the marketing that actually works, and turning an enquiry into a member who stays.
Day to day operations Scheduling, venue, equipment, administration, data protection basics and professional habits.

Club Management Award Level 2 certificate

Level 2 · Development

Running it with strategic intent

For instructors with the club off the ground who want to plan rather than record, manage people rather than work alongside them, and decide deliberately where it is going.

Financial development VAT, PAYE, Making Tax Digital and planning beyond the current term.
Legal and governance UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act in depth, contracts, waivers and liability.
Employment and people Employment status, statutory rights, automatic enrolment and health and safety duties.
Marketing and long-term planning Growth strategy, positioning and where the club should be in five years.

Both are CPD awards, not a substitute for professional advice, and they say so throughout. They draw on HMRC, Companies House, the ICO, ACAS, The Pensions Regulator and other primary sources, note the date any figure applied, and tell you plainly when to take qualified advice instead. A community club running to break even is treated as no less legitimate than a full-time commercial academy.

See The Full Qualification Range

Three standards, and they build on each other

Most associations offer a logo. These are assessed positions, and the third of them is national recognition we are authorised to issue directly.

The framework

RegulationReady

The most comprehensive governance framework in UK martial arts, and it does not sit still. It assesses your club continuously against your own live data across safeguarding, vetting, qualifications, insurance, risk and record keeping. Where you fall short it names what is missing. Where you meet the standard, the mark issues automatically.

Explore RegulationReady

The award

Club Colours

Our flagship award, and the closest thing independent martial arts has to a school of excellence licence. Assessed against safeguarding, governance, professional conduct and student welfare, with passmarks and evidence handled through your dashboard rather than a paper submission. Deliberately harder to earn than membership.

Explore Club Colours

National recognition

Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts

Our frameworks are mapped directly against the Safeguarding Code and formally approved by Sport England, which makes us the only independent martial arts body able to issue recognition under the Code directly. Eligible clubs earn it through MyBMABA automatically, with no third-party submission and at no cost.

How recognition works

Sport England lists the Safeguarding Code on its own safeguarding pages. A club displaying recognition under it is making a claim that somebody else has checked, which is precisely what makes it worth displaying.

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Where you go after this

Starting is one stage of three, and the support changes as your club does.

Stage one Starting a club

Getting open safely and legally, with nothing to pay while you have no income.

You are here

Stage two Growing your club

Filling the room, retaining students and building something that sustains itself.

Growing your club Underneath all of it Meeting legal standards

The compliance picture in full, and a six question self audit to see where you stand.

Legal standards

A Voice For Independent Martial Arts

Ministerial Commendation And Parliamentary Recognition

“Organisations such as the British Martial Arts and Boxing Association support unaffiliated martial arts providers to adopt the safeguarding code… Providers with recognition under the code can display a logo on their promotional materials to show participants that their safety measures have been vetted.”

Stephanie Peacock MP, House of Commons Debate on Combat Sport Safety

BMABA CIC has been recognised at the highest levels of Government for our commitment to safeguarding in martial arts. During a House of Commons debate on combat sport safety, the Minister for Sport, Stephanie Peacock MP, highlighted the British Martial Arts & Boxing Association by name for our work in supporting independent and unaffiliated clubs to adopt the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts. This direct mention in Parliament demonstrates that our efforts to raise standards and protect participants are shaping the national conversation on safety in combat sports.

Following that debate, the Minister for Sport wrote formally to commend BMABA’s work, praising our role in raising safeguarding standards across the independent martial arts sector. She described our contribution as “extremely useful” to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s ongoing policy development, and thanked us for our ongoing efforts to make martial arts safer for children. This recognition reflects the trust placed in BMABA to help Government address urgent safeguarding challenges highlighted by recent tragedies within combat sports.

For our members and the wider martial arts community, this recognition underlines BMABA’s credibility as a leading voice for independent martial arts in the UK. It demonstrates that our grassroots-driven mission, to promote safe, inclusive, and properly governed martial arts for all, is influencing national policy and gaining ministerial support. Being referenced in Parliament and commended in writing by the Minister for Sport reinforces that BMABA is not just a governing body, but a sector-shaping organisation working to protect participants and secure the future of martial arts.

“I appreciate your ongoing efforts to make martial arts safer for children.”

Stephanie Peacock MP, Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth

Awards & Recognition

Multi-Award Winning & Nationally Recognised

ISO 9001:2015 certified under UKAS accreditation

ISO 27001:2022 certified under UKAS accreditation

Testimonials

What Do Our Members Say?

Matt J
Can't Rate Them Highly Enough
Having left my previous association in November, and being very daunted by the prospect of being responsible for all my own compliance and everything else I can honestly say BMABA have made the whole thing possible and even pleasant. The training resources are great, it's been fantastic for me to be able to quickly up skill my team, the insurance is really easy to sort out, the team are super friendly and helpful, the perks on Gold membership are also fantastic.
Member review
John Tomsett
Outstanding Club Association and Insurance Provider
I have been a customer of BMABA for two years now, and I am extremely impressed with their services. First and foremost, the customer service provided by BMABA is exceptional. Their team is responsive, professional, and genuinely dedicated to ensuring that our needs are met. Whenever we had a query or require assistance, they responded rapidly and effectively.
Member review
Georgina E
Really impressive, 21st century MA organisation. 10/10
Found these guys in Martial Arts Illustrated doing a piece on professionalism in martial arts and thought, as an instructor, they might be worth looking at further. Really impressed from the moment I hit their website through to now, 3 months on as a member. Great staff, Giovanni is rediculously knowledgable and our club is now growing under the banner of what has got to be the best martial arts org in the UK.
Member review
Michael Willington
Definately recommended. Unbelievable Association.
The BMABA are unlike any other org I've come across in this industry. Their honest, professional, politics free and most importantly, they know what they're doing. Website is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest, insurance is comprehensive and their overall customer service is just unlike anything else I've had in 25 years of martial arts. Amazing through and through. Would definitely recommend.
Member review
Jonathan D
BMABA – the Martial Arts Association you NEED
I joined the BMABA right in its infancy (I believe I was their second member!). Giovanni is the most helpful, respectful and genuine person who has turned the possibility of a non-political, highly respected and supportive Martial Arts Association into a reality. I could bang on for hours about the BMABA but don't take my word for it – go and visit the BMABA website and see for yourself.
Member review
Fabian Burdett
2020 This team deserves a Medal
As we all know 2020 has been the year from hell for martial arts. One thing that has come out of that is BMABA have done everything in their power to keep clubs like mine up to date with what's happening and tried to push the government to notice us. Couldn't wish for a better association to be a part of. Once again big THANK YOU to you guys for all the help. 💙🐺👊
Member review
Matthew Robert Cooling-Stones
These guys are the real deal
As i'm heading into the brave world of starting up my own small self defence club in our village, i can say with complete honesty and satisfaction that BMABA have been the most supportive and upfront association i have come across. i have seen and had first hand experience with the Mcdojo's offering you the greatest adventures of a life time. but these guys are the real deal… i hold my head high, and say with great pride "i am a BMABA member"
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Anna Martensson
Highly IMPRESSED by the BMABA
As someone with 22 years of experience in martial arts, who saw enough big egos and leaders who only look after their own benefits… I am highly IMPRESSED by the BMABA. I wanted to make sure they don't just promise the world but actually deliver. They support us all the way and constantly look for new ways of making our whole industry better for ALL of us. THANK YOU!!
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Adrian Jackson
Always quick to respond and thoughtful
Always quick to respond and thoughtful. Great service delivered at a very reasonable price and very supportive of the community. Been a member for a couple of years now and recommend highly
Member review
Daniel Leaver
Simply the best organisation I have ever worked with
Simply the best organisation I have ever worked with. Everything is so stress free and I am definitely sticking with them for the rest of my career.
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Our Story

From A £20 Start-Up To A Nationally Recognised Powerhouse. Built From Scratch, Driven By Purpose. That’s BMABA CIC.

We’re not here because of government grants, NGB status, or Sport England funding. We’re here because thousands of instructors and clubs believed in a better way. BMABA CIC is entirely independent, self-funded, and not-for-profit. We have never taken shortcuts or silver spoons, but we have earned recognition at the highest levels of UK sport, including Sport England, DCMS, and national media, purely on merit. More than £2.4 million generated to date, reinvested into the UK martial arts community.

No gimmicks. No politics. No hidden shareholders.

We built one of the UK’s most trusted martial arts ecosystems from the ground up. A comprehensive, style-agnostic governance system. Sector-leading safeguarding and compliance. Affordable insurance. Free club management software. Dozens of tools, licences, guidance, and expert support, all included, all in one place.

We didn’t inherit a legacy. We forged one.

Whether you’re stepping out for the first time or have always been proudly independent, this is your home. To high places by narrow roads isn’t just a slogan. It’s how we got here.

25 Reasons We Might Be A Good Fit

Stage One

Open properly. It costs nothing and it changes everything about how the next five years go.

Free affiliate membership, no card, nothing to cancel. Get the training, get listed, get the paperwork straight, and spend your energy on teaching instead.

Start Free Today Ask us anything first