We Help Martial Arts Clubs Grow
Whether you’re just starting out or scaling an established academy, we give you the tools, support and strategy to grow with confidence.
Running A Club Can Feel Isolating. You’re Not Alone.
Whether your idea of growth is a few new students each month or a full-time academy bursting at the seams, we’re here to help you build a sustainable, well-supported foundation for success. No gimmicks, just real, practical solutions built by people who understand your world.
We understand the pressure that comes with running a martial arts club: the responsibility, the admin, the expectations. That’s why BMABA CIC offers more than just membership. We provide the infrastructure, expertise, recognition and resources to help your club grow long-term, at your pace, in your style.
From marketing and retention to compliance, tech and funding support, we’ve helped thousands of instructors build thriving communities, and we’re ready to help you do the same.
Start Free Today
- 01 / Website & TechA professional online presence without the price tag. Every membership includes dedicated time with our expert development team: a new website, a rebuild, or a transfer from any provider, handled for you, worth thousands and included.
- 02 / Management & BillingComplete club infrastructure, completely free. Our award-winning Club Management Platform handles student records, safeguarding logs, medical and SEND information, billing, attendance, grading, scheduling, accounting and more. Unlimited and included.
- 03 / Proper GovernanceConfidence, compliance and credibility. We help you get DBS checks, safeguarding, insurance, qualifications and first aid in place, then show you how to present it professionally, with certified awards like Club Colours and RegulationReady.
- 04 / Tools & ResourcesEverything you need to save time and scale up: instant digital risk assessments, downloadable certificates, the AI-powered lesson planner, design tools, and 70+ policy templates. Your launchpad, whatever your size.
Growth Is Three Jobs. We Equip You For All Of Them.
Every thriving club does three things well: attracts new students, keeps the ones it has, and turns a class register into a community. Everything we provide maps to one of those jobs.
Attract
Be found, look professional, and make trying your club effortless.
- Professional website, built and hosted free
- SEO toolkit & website analytics
- National club directory listings
- Free taster session booking tools
- Marketing toolkit & design software
- Accreditation marks parents can verify
Retain
Give students visible progress, recognition, and reasons to stay.
- Grade & belt progression tracking
- Lifetime Student Grade Register recognition
- Professional certificates & licence slips
- Student & parent portals
- Annual club membership fee model, made legitimate
- Optional Personal Accident protection
Build Community
Turn a register of names into a club people belong to.
- Events, gradings & tournament management
- Broadcast email & communications tools
- Parent engagement & digital waivers
- Club Colours, celebrated publicly
- A national community of 6,500+ instructors
- Free event licensing for club competitions
Free Affiliate Membership. Not A Trial. No Clock.
We believe you deserve to see first-hand what it feels like to be supported by an organisation that genuinely has your back. Plenty of clubs have been let down by associations that overpromised and underdelivered, so we’d rather show you than sell you. Affiliate membership is completely free, with no obligation, ever. Explore everything for as long as you like, and upgrade only if and when our paid tiers have earned it.
Join Free TodayMulti-Award Winning & Nationally Recognised
See Where & How We Add The Greatest Value
Every club is at a different point on the journey. Find yours.
Start-Up Clubs
Launching a martial arts club is one of the most exciting, and overwhelming, things you can do. In the early days it can feel like everything needs doing at once: website, social media, insurance, safeguarding policies, registering students, and planning your first few classes. We know how hard that is, which is why BMABA offers the most comprehensive start-up support in UK martial arts.
- AI-powered lesson planning to build your first class plans with confidence
- Digital risk assessments plus pre-approved safeguarding policies, registration forms and waivers, ready out of the box
- A completely free, all-in-one Club Management Platform for billing, attendance, finance and communications
- Full guidance for enhanced DBS checks, plus safeguarding, first aid, insurance and club finance qualifications for your founding team
- A professional website designed and set up by our in-house team, integrated and ready to take bookings from day one
During pre-launch you’ll have specific, niche questions, legal, tech, marketing or admin. Reach us by live chat, email, WhatsApp, Messenger or phone. You focus on delivering great martial arts; we’ll take care of the rest.
Small & Medium Clubs
As your club grows, the opportunities increase, but so do the demands. It’s the phase where your reach, reputation and student experience can solidify your place in the community for years. That’s where we help you unlock your next level.
- Broadcast marketing and lead management tools to fill your timetable
- The Club Management Platform gives you the digital infrastructure to manage members and scale without the stress
- Verified safeguarding and compliance support, plus syllabus accreditation by our in-house experts
- Achieve Club Colours and automatically earn Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts certification, showing parents your club is safe, ethical and future-proof
Everything you need to take your club to the next level is included in your membership. No bolt-ons, no extras, just real support.
Larger Clubs & Franchises
Running a large club, multi-site organisation or national franchise? You’re in safe hands. We provide robust, scalable support tailored to high-capacity clubs, from heavily discounted instructor, student, club and association insurances through to white-label solutions that let you offer BMABA qualifications and CPD under your own banner.
- Volume pricing across instructor, student, club and association insurance
- White-label qualification and CPD delivery under your own brand
- WordPressByBMABA hosting to eliminate web infrastructure costs
- Centralised billing, attendance, compliance and staff oversight across multiple locations
Partnering with BMABA means a competent, forward-thinking governing body that understands scale, and actively helps you grow it.
Explore The Toolkit By What You’re Trying To Do
Resources, tools, platforms, guidance and frameworks, all included with membership. Filter by the job at hand.
Every item above is included with membership. Nothing here is a paid add-on.
The Smarter Way To Run Your Club
Club membership should be the backbone of your growth, the standard-bearer for your governance, and the engine behind your success. Four reasons ours is different.
Affordable, Scalable & All-Inclusive
One clear price with no hidden extra charges for multiple venues, styles or disciplines. Whether you’re just starting or managing 300 students, membership grows with your club, not against it.
Membership + Infrastructure, One Package
From the full Club Management Platform and template libraries to safeguarding resources, learning tools and qualification pathways, it’s all included. We don’t gatekeep the essentials.
Purpose-Built, Not Generic
Built by martial artists for martial artists. Every tool, policy, qualification and framework is crafted specifically for combat sports and traditional martial arts, not borrowed from another sector.
Regulated, Respected & Instructor-Led
Certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2022 under UKAS accreditation, regulated by the CIC Regulator, and trusted by more than 6,500 instructors nationwide. Self-funded, community-focused, and serving martial artists, not shareholders.
The Recognition Ladder That Converts Parents
Growth isn’t just marketing; it’s trust. Our framework turns your governance into public, verifiable recognition that makes choosing your club the easy decision.
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Step 1
Join & Get Compliant
Insurance, DBS, safeguarding and first aid in place, with templates, guidance and a team walking you through it.
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Step 2
RegulationReady
Your safeguarding, leadership and compliance checked dynamically against live data, with instant certification and complete transparency.
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Step 3
Club Colours
The gold standard for safeguarding and professionalism in martial arts, publicly celebrated and independently checkable.
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Step 4
National Recognition
Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts certification, approved by Sport England and issued directly through MyBMABA, automatically and free. Display the logo parents are told to look for.
Every rung is included with membership, and every claim on it is verifiable by any parent, school or venue.
Growth Attendance Payments Leads Gradings Marketing Sorted.
Included in every membership at no extra cost, our platform replaces dozens of paid tools: billing, attendance, grading, safeguarding, certificates, scheduling, prospect and lead management, broadcast marketing and more, saving clubs hundreds every month while boosting professionalism. No per-student fees. Not now, not ever.
- Leads & Waitlists
- GoCardless Direct Debits
- Stripe Payments
- Broadcast & Marketing
- Safeguarding Tools
- Parent Portals
Your Digital Shopfront, Built For You
Build Or Transfer Your Club Website, Free
Whether you already have a website or are starting from scratch, we take care of it: our team migrates your existing site or builds a clean, professional new one around how your club actually operates. Online payments, club shops, enquiries and member journeys, connected seamlessly with club management and secure email, with direct one-to-one developer support. All included with membership, no extra charges.
Get Started »Built To Serve Martial Arts, Not Profit From It
You get to decide where your membership fees go. Should they line the pockets of another self-appointed 8th Dan, or help strengthen the sector that supports your club’s future?
We’re not-for-profit by design. We don’t answer to shareholders, ego or money; we answer to you, the instructors and clubs who make this community what it is. Every penny we generate is reinvested into grassroots martial arts, safeguarding, governance, support and innovation. We’re regulated by the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies, certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2022 under UKAS accreditation, and we hold active lines of communication with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England, and wider national bodies. We work for your club, and clubs like yours, every single day.
Explore MembershipMinisterial 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.”
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.”
What Do Our Members Say?
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Matthew Johnson Can't Rate Them Highly EnoughHaving 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.
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John Tomsett Outstanding Club Association and Insurance ProviderI 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.
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Georgina E Really impressive, 21st century MA organisation. 10/10Found 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.
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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.
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Jonathan D BMABA – the Martial Arts Association you NEEDI 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.
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Fabian Burdett 2020 This team deserves a MedalAs 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. 💙🐺👊
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Matthew Robert Cooling-Stones These guys are the real dealAs 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 BMABAAs 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 thoughtfulAlways 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
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Daniel Leaver Simply the best organisation I have ever worked withSimply 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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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.
Grow With A Governing Body That’s Actually On Your Side
Join free, explore everything, and stay free for as long as you like. Then decide for yourself.
- Free affiliate membership, no obligation, ever
- Free website, built or transferred for you
- Award-winning Club Management Platform
- Cost savings that can cover your membership
- Club Colours & RegulationReady standards
- Real, full-time human support
