A National Governing Body With A Social Mission At Its Core
BMABA is a social enterprise first and foremost. Everything we do supports clubs, empowers communities, and tackles real-world challenges through sport.
We’ve invested more than £2 million into martial arts by voluntarily converting to a regulated Community Interest Company (CIC) — locking in our status as a genuine social enterprise, with every penny reinvested into grassroots sport and national impact.
At BMABA CIC, charitable impact isn’t a bolt-on — it’s built into our DNA.
We use martial arts as a tool for real-world change. From trauma-informed coaching and gold-standard safeguarding to digital tools that help clubs grow and thrive, our core operations are designed to raise standards and widen access across every community in the UK. But our mission extends far beyond everyday governance. We actively lead a range of dedicated social programmes that put martial arts at the heart of solving some of the UK’s most pressing challenges.
Through Ditch The Blade, we work to prevent knife crime and serious youth violence by creating safe spaces, providing mentoring, and equipping young people with tools to make safer choices. Our Punch Like A Girl® initiative empowers women and girls with confidence, self-belief, and personal safety through structured martial arts engagement. With Mantra, we support men’s and boys’ mental health through trauma-aware sport, helping them connect, heal, and grow. Our Reboot programme offers veterans affected by trauma a route back to purpose and identity through structured martial arts pathways. The Inclusive Martial Arts campaign ensures disability, identity, or background is never a barrier to participation. And through the Fighting Chance Scholarship, we offer fully-funded access to martial arts training, equipment and support for young people facing poverty or adversity.
This is what it means to be a governing body with purpose. Every initiative is powered not by external fundraising, but by our own infrastructure — because when profit takes a back seat to impact, real change becomes possible.
CHARITABLE IMPACT
Our Systemic Work
Trauma Informed Coaching
We lead the national conversation on using martial arts to support trauma recovery. Through instructor education, policy, and awareness, we help clubs adopt practices that are psychologically safe, compassionate, and empowering — especially for students affected by ACEs, PTSD, or mental health challenges.
Safeguarding Leadership
BMABA CIC champions safeguarding as a core leadership responsibility — not a tick-box exercise. We set clear expectations, deliver CPD-certified training, and embed safeguarding across all levels of coaching, club governance, and national policy engagement.
Raising Standards In Martial Arts
We exist to raise the bar for martial arts instruction in the UK. From ethical governance to technical coaching and inclusive access, our work ensures clubs are safe, credible, and professionally supported — with minimum standards that mean something.
Regulatory Reform Campaigning
We’re at the forefront of calls for fair, intelligent regulation of martial arts. Our Club Colours and Regulation Ready initiatives provide practical, scalable models for accountability, helping protect students and instructors while preserving grassroots autonomy.
Qualification & CPD Development
Our qualifications and CPD pathways are built specifically for martial arts — combining robust educational design with sector expertise. Whether it’s safeguarding, first aid, or inclusive coaching, we provide instructors with the tools to grow confidently and competently.
Research & Evidence-Led Practice
We don’t rely on guesswork. Our work is shaped by ongoing research, data, and lived experience — ensuring that everything we do, from trauma coaching to programme design, is grounded in what works and where it’s needed most.
Our Social Missions.
Join The Movement
We can’t deliver national impact alone — we need great clubs like yours at the heart of it. Join BMABA CIC and become part of a movement built on standards, safeguarding, and social change. In return, we’ll give you everything you need to grow — from powerful digital tools to award-winning support.
Our Mission Doesn’t Stop With People — It Includes The Planet
While our core focus is social impact through martial arts, we’re equally committed to environmental responsibility. That’s why we plant trees, fund clean water projects, and actively work toward full carbon neutrality — ensuring our legacy supports the world we serve.
While BMABA operates nationally, we remain deeply committed to supporting local causes in and around Petworth, West Sussex, where our head office is based. As a genuine not-for-profit social enterprise, we believe in creating meaningful impact in every community we’re part of — not just through national programmes, but also by backing grassroots initiatives on our doorstep.
Fighting Chance Baby Bank
The Fighting Chance Baby Bank is a grassroots project led by our Strategic Manager, Kirsty, who founded the initiative in 2018 to support families facing crisis, poverty, or hardship. When we refurbished our new office, we donated part of the space to provide the Baby Bank with a dedicated, secure base — helping them store and distribute essential items for babies and young children. We continue to support the Baby Bank with funding, logistics, and resources as part of our ongoing commitment to local, life-changing impact.
Other Local Projects
In addition to our core charitable work, we’re proud to support a range of local initiatives near our Petworth base. This includes assisting not-for-profit history groups working to research and digitally map historically lost areas of the surrounding region, as well as providing outreach and practical support to other nearby charities and community organisations. Wherever we’re based, we aim to leave a meaningful footprint.
