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Smarter Admin.
Stronger Management.

Running a club means wearing a dozen hats: instructor, administrator, bookkeeper, policy writer, strategist. We help you take most of them off.

Less Paperwork. Better Decisions. A Better Club.

The burden of administration alone can drain time, energy and resources better spent on students and growth. We help clubs radically reduce that load: from simplifying safeguarding, risk assessments and record-keeping to automating attendance, invoicing and grading, our tools replace hours of repetitive admin with a few clicks, everything securely logged and accessible online. And when you streamline the admin, you free up space for better decisions, with clear data, strategic planning templates, and smart systems for finances, compliance and leadership. It’s not just about doing less admin; it’s about running a better club.

One System, Not Twelve AppsAttendance, billing, records, safeguarding, syllabus, tasks and finances in one platform, with smart syncing everywhere.
Compliance That Tracks ItselfLive licence and compliance tracking shows what’s verified, what’s missing, and what keeps you RegulationReady.
Guided, Not GuessworkDigital risk assessments, a policy creator, onboarding checklists and the AI lesson planner turn expert admin into guided actions.
All Included, No Extra CostEvery tool on this page comes with membership. No add-ons, no upgrades, no third-party platform fees, ever.

How We Help, Job By Job

Twelve ways we take the admin weight off your shoulders, every one included with membership.

1

Smart Club Budgeting & Finances

Built-in accounting and bookkeeping tools make it easy to manage income, track spending and plan ahead, with clear visual breakdowns, forecasts and budget alerts.

2

Effortless Business Modelling

Use the Club Business Manager to simulate pricing models, map out student growth, and experiment with what-if data to make smarter, future-proof decisions.

3

Centralised Task & Calendar Tools

From event planning to team role delegation, the admin suite makes assigning, tracking and scheduling jobs easier, all from one dashboard.

4

Digital Risk Assessments

Generate detailed, professional-standard risk assessments in minutes using guided digital templates, perfect for venues, classes and events.

5

AI-Powered Lesson Planning

Let the AI planner do the heavy lifting: tailor sessions by age, discipline, ability and outcomes, and generate structured plans ready to deliver.

6

Custom Policy Creator

Generate compliant, branded policies, from safeguarding to data protection, in a few clicks, aligned to your club’s needs and ready to publish.

7

No Paperwork, No Duplication

Smart syncing across tools: one update reflects across your calendar, register, incident logs and more.

8

Student & Parent Records In One Place

Track progress, attendance, medical needs, grading history and safeguarding notes securely, across your whole club.

9

Easy Team Onboarding

Bring volunteers, assistants and instructors up to speed with guided role-based checklists and compliance overviews, all within the platform.

10

Live Licence & Compliance Tracking

The platform automatically shows which instructors are verified, which checks are missing, and what action keeps you RegulationReady.

11

Performance & Strategy Tools

From growth analytics to club health reports, track what’s working and adjust strategy with insight, not guesswork.

12

Everything In One Place, No Extra Cost

All tools are included with membership. No add-ons, no upgrades, no third-party platform fees.

Your Operational Hub

More Than Just Payments. A Smarter Way To Run Your Club.

From managing attendance and class schedules to logging incidents, setting tasks and tracking student progress, the Club Management Platform is built for the real day-to-day of running a martial arts club. Dedicated dashboards for students and instructors let you coordinate calendars, automate reminders, log assessments, track grading, manage appointments and forecast finances, all in one place. Whether you’re a solo instructor or running a large team, it’s your operational hub, not just a payments system.

RegulationReady

Compliance That Checks Itself

This isn’t a policy pack gathering dust. RegulationReady checks your safeguarding, leadership and compliance dynamically against live data, giving instant certification, public recognition and complete transparency.

Illustrative view. Your live dashboard tracks the real thing, and tells you exactly what needs doing before it becomes a problem.

The Standards Behind The Admin

Governance That Parents Can See & Verify

Good administration earns its keep when it becomes visible trust. Three frameworks turn your behind-the-scenes work into public recognition.

RegulationReady

The most comprehensive governance framework in UK martial arts, built in-house and operated under our ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2022 certified processes. Live-data checking, instant certification, complete transparency, free for every member.

Club Colours

Our gold standard licensing programme for safeguarding, quality and professionalism, publicly celebrated, independently checkable, and the bridge from your internal compliance to national recognition.

The Safeguarding Code

The Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts is a Sport England-approved recognition scheme. Club Colours is mapped to the Code, and BMABA is authorised to issue Code recognition directly through MyBMABA, automatically and at no cost, so your club can display the logo parents are told to look for.

The Little Details, Thought About For You

Built around real-life club operations, not theoretical ideas.

Total Financial Visibility, Free

See exactly where money comes from, classes, gradings, merchandise, licences, and where it goes, with every outgoing categorised and logged. Understand your break-even point, forecast growth, and model income scenarios with live dashboards for monthly income, annual turnover and tax position. Financial clarity designed specifically for martial arts clubs, so decisions are strategic rather than reactive.

Explore The Platform »

Professional, Branded Email That Builds Trust

MailByBMABA gives your club a professional, secure webmail service, branded to your domain or ours, so every message builds credibility. No adverts, no cut corners, no hidden upsells: a clean, reliable inbox backed by enterprise-grade security. Most clubs find this alone saves them the cost of membership several times over.

Get Your Inbox »

Share, Message & Structure, All In-Platform

Share access to scheduling, syllabus or bookkeeping tools with colleagues securely. Message students or staff about session changes without switching apps or exposing personal contact details. Build and display your syllabus directly inside the platform, complete with attachments, videos and belt-specific requirements, rather than burying it in documents and printed sheets.

See How It Works »

Multi-Award Winning & Nationally Recognised

ICO Registered CIMSPA Training Provider Partner ISO 9001:2015 certified under UKAS accreditation ISO 27001:2022 certified under UKAS accreditation Armed Forces Covenant signatory CPD Approved UK Register of Learning Providers Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts Cyber Essentials certified Good Governance Recognition Social Enterprise UK Sport England Sport and Physical Activity Sport and Recreation Alliance Martial Arts Safeguarding Group ASPP Disability Confident Committed Ecologi climate positive workforce End Child Poverty coalition charity: water supporter Child Rescue Alliance UKRLP registered MARSC Approved Association Home Office Knife Free campaign Anti-Bullying Alliance As featured on BBC Radio 4 As featured on BBC News As featured in The Guardian As featured in The Sunday Times As featured in Men's Health World Sports Awards
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
Testimonials

What Do Our Members Say?

  • Matthew Johnson
    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"
    Facebook
  • 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!!
    Facebook
  • 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.
    Facebook
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

Take A Few Hats Off. Keep The One That Matters.

Join free, hand the admin to systems built for martial arts, and get back to the mat.

  • Free affiliate membership, no obligation, ever
  • Award-winning Club Management Platform
  • Live compliance & licence tracking
  • Digital risk assessments & policy creator
  • Professional branded email
  • Real, full-time human support
Join Free Today

Multi-Award Winning & Nationally Recognised

Best Sports Governing Body Initiative

Winners

Best Association Serving Sport

Finalists

Best COVID Response for Sports

Finalists

Sports Diversity Award

Finalists

Sports Association of the Year

Bronze

Best Sporting Association in the UK

Winners

Best Sport & Recreation Entrepreneur

Winners

Best Association Website

Winners

Association of the Year

Finalists

Executive Director of the Year Finalists

Finalists

Best Use Of Technology Award

Winners

Best Sport & Recreation Entrepreneur

Winners

UK Business Leader of the Year

Winners

Entrepreneur Of The Year

Finalists

Director Of The Year

Finalists

Young Entrepreneur Of The Year

Finalists

We’re Here When You Need Us.

Choosing the right association, or simply working out what support your club actually needs, isn’t always straightforward. That’s why we’re always happy to talk it through.

Whether you’re curious about membership, need help with something specific, or just want a no-pressure chat to see if we’re the right fit, our team is ready. No bots. No scripts. Just real people, working full-time from our UK office, who know martial arts and genuinely want to help.

THINKING OF JOINING?

Still Thinking It Over?

Choosing an association isn’t a decision to rush, and we’d never ask you to. Our team is here to offer honest, straightforward advice with no pressure and no sales scripts.

Whether you’re comparing support, questioning the value of your current membership, or just want to talk things through, we’re happy to help, even if the answer is that we’re not the right fit for you.

We’re a full-time, professional team with nationally certified standards behind everything we do. You’ll feel the difference the moment you get in touch.

Trusted by more than 6,500 instructors and clubs.

A National, Regulated, Award-Winning Not-For-Profit - Built From The Ground Up

BMABA CIC is a regulated, independently audited, multi-award-winning social enterprise, and one of the UK’s leading professional homes for independent martial arts.

We hold ISO 9001:2015 and 27001:2022 certification under UKAS accreditation, the same gold standard used to assess hospitals, universities and major corporations. We’re overseen by the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies, with a legal asset lock that means our income is reinvested into grassroots martial arts, never distributed as profit. We’re also a CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity) Educational Partner.

We haven’t been propped up by corporate sponsors or legacy funding. We’ve grown organically, one instructor at a time, by doing what we said we’d do. Since 2012 we’ve supported clubs through hardship, driven national reforms, and built a respected, professional home for independent martial arts.

Today we’re trusted by more than 6,500 instructors and clubs, supporting over 100,000 members across 200+ disciplines. Along the way we’ve earned national recognition, from awards in governance and inclusion to features across the BBC, ITV and The Guardian.

We didn’t inherit status. We earned it, by raising the bar and never compromising on our values.

HOW MUCH COULD YOUR CLUB SAVE?

Cut costs. Simplify your club. Invest back into what matters.

Our membership model is simple. By consolidating essential services and tools they already need, many clubs save more than the cost of their membership alone. No hidden upgrades, no shareholder profit, just practical support delivered by a regulated, audited social enterprise.

Empower Your Club With A Platform That Works For You

Run your martial arts club smarter with our full-featured, professionally built Club Management Platform, included free with your membership. Because it’s funded by our not-for-profit mission rather than investors, there are no upsells, no hidden costs, and no per-student fees creeping in later. Just powerful, intuitive tools that stay free.

Built to save you time, money and stress, and trusted by clubs nationwide.

Plus So Much More As Standard Just Some Of The Tools & Resources We Offer

  • Instructor Certification & Licensing
  • Student Insurance & Licensing
  • Free Instructor Qualifications
  • Safeguarding Qualifications
  • Enhanced DBS Checks
  • First Aid Training
  • Free Club Website
  • Club Management Support
  • Instructor Certification & Licensing
  • Logos & Accreditation Marks
  • SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) Platform
  • Local & National Networking
  • Stock Grading Certificates
  • Free Instructor Qualifications
  • Template Documents & Forms
  • Printing & Design
  • Safeguarding Code For Martial Arts
  • Best Practice Guidance
  • Wordpress Hosting
  • a.i For Martial Arts
  • Event Management Checklists
  • Safeguarding Model Policies
  • Analytics & Tracking Tools
  • Budgeting Apps
  • Professional Webmail
  • Clothing & Uniform
  • Cyber Toolkit
  • Cash Grants & Funding
  • Risk Management Awards
  • Concussion & Head Injury
  • National Advertising
  • Entrepreneur's Support
  • Plus So Much More
Why Do Thousands Choose BMABA?

What makes us different becomes clear the moment you look closely, from our award-winning governance to the depth of support we offer clubs of every size.

Whether it’s our industry-leading safeguarding standards, our not-for-profit mission, or powerful club technology funded purely by membership, there’s a reason more than 6,500 instructors and thousands of clubs across the UK put their trust in us.

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

"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.”

A VOICE FOR INDEPENDENT MARTIAL ARTS

Ministerial Commendation and Parliamentary Recognition

BMABA CIC has been formally recognised in the House of Commons as a leading voice on martial arts safety. During a Parliamentary debate on combat sport safeguarding, the Minister for Sport, Stephanie Peacock MP, highlighted the Association by name for our role in supporting independent and unaffiliated martial arts clubs to adopt the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts, helping to set consistent standards across the sector.

Following that debate, BMABA received a direct letter of commendation from the Minister, acknowledging our efforts to improve safeguarding and recognising the importance of our work in protecting children and young people in martial arts. This recognition at the highest levels of Government demonstrates the influence of our grassroots movement, and underlines the trust placed in BMABA to help shape the future of safe martial arts practice in the UK.

Stephanie Peacock MP © UK Parliament (Open Parliament Licence v3.0)

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

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

In her official response to BMABA, the Minister for Sport praised our work in raising safeguarding standards across the independent martial arts sector. She acknowledged our role in supporting unaffiliated clubs, described our input as “extremely useful” for Government policy development, and confirmed that our work will help inform the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s next steps in strengthening child safety in martial arts.

Built For The Sector - Not For Shareholders

BMABA wasn’t inherited or bought. It was built. And in 2025, we made the decision to give it away.

Our founder, who grew up in poverty and built BMABA from scratch with just £20, voluntarily converted the organisation into a regulated not-for-profit Community Interest Company, surrendering nearly £2 million in private value to protect its mission for the long term. That means no shareholders, no dividends and no profiteering, just a legal, permanent commitment to community impact.

We’re a registered social enterprise, governed by the CIC Regulator, certified to ISO 9001:2015 and 27001:2022 under UKAS accreditation, and led by a multi-award winning social entrepreneur who believes martial arts should serve the many, not the few.

This isn’t a badge of convenience or a business dressed up as a cause. It’s a movement, built for clubs, by clubs.

INCLUDED WITH MEMBERSHIP

Build or Transfer Your Club Website - For Free

Whether you already have a website or are starting from scratch, we can take care of it for you. Our team can migrate your existing site or build a clean, professional new one designed around how your club actually operates, fully aligned with BMABA systems and standards.

Your website is built to do more than just look good. It can support online payments, club shops, enquiries and member journeys, while connecting seamlessly with club management, business tools and secure email. You also get direct one to one support from our developers to make sure everything is set up properly and works the way you need it to. All of this is included as part of your membership, with no extra charges.

Nationally Recognised Standards

Our Club Colours and RegulationReady awards go far beyond branding or badges. They represent some of the most robust safeguarding and compliance standards available anywhere in UK martial arts.

Mapped directly against the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts (SCiMA) and formally approved by Sport England, our frameworks allow clubs to earn full SCiMA recognition directly through the MyBMABA platform, automatically and at no cost. We are the only independent martial arts body, and one of just two organisations nationwide alongside Sport England’s own NGBs, granted the authority to issue SCiMA certification in this way.

No waiting. No third-party submissions. No extra cost. Every BMABA member has access to this, included as part of our not-for-profit mission to raise standards from the ground up.

Others talk about safeguarding. We built a national infrastructure to deliver it.

Not Entirely Sure?

We offer a genuine 12 months of free membership, with no catches, no obligations and no hidden clauses.

Why? Because we believe you deserve to see first-hand what it feels like to be supported by an organisation that genuinely has your back. We know plenty of clubs have been let down before by associations that overpromised and underdelivered, so we’d rather show you than sell you.

Whether you’re looking for insurance, safeguarding help, student tools, guidance, structure, or simply a community that understands your club’s challenges, free membership gives you access to the same resources, platform and support we provide to thousands of instructors and clubs across the UK.

Take the full year. Explore everything. Then decide for yourself.

Raising Standards, Protecting Clubs

With RegulationReady and Club Colours, every BMABA club gains free access to the most advanced governance framework in martial arts: a gold-standard system built in-house, operated under our ISO 9001:2015 and 27001:2022 certified processes, and recognised nationally through SCiMA.

This isn’t a policy pack gathering dust. Your safeguarding, leadership and compliance are checked dynamically against live data, giving you instant certification, public recognition and complete transparency. No other martial arts body offers anything this comprehensive, and with BMABA CIC it’s included free for every member, because raising standards and protecting grassroots clubs is what we do.

The UK's Leading and Largest Multi-Style Governing Body For Martial Arts

BMABA CIC T/A British Martial Arts & Boxing Association
Registered Address: The Old Bakery. Golden Square, Petworth. GU28 0AP
Phone: 01798306546  | EMail: info@bmaba.org.uk

BMABA CIC. Reg. 10676965.
ICO Registration Number: ZA241917
Social Enterprise License No: 11677
VAT Registration Number: 373018216

Emergency Services, Armed Forces, RNLI and NHS front line staff are all entitled to 10% discounts across all of our memberships for life. This applies to all ex-serving armed forces and emergency workers too.

We are a proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, with active support for serving and veteran regular and reserve force members.

BMABA CIC is proud to hold the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management certification and 27001:2022 for Information Security Management Systems, issued under UKAS accreditation – the highest level of independent validation for quality management in the UK.

BMABA CIC is an Introducer Approved Representative (IAR) under FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) Registration 308626.

© 2012-2026 BMABA CIC. All Rights Reserved. Use of our site or any of our services signifies agreement to our legal policy and privacy policy, available here.