Enterprise WordPress hosting, on a club’s budget of nothing.
Fully managed, ISO 27001 certified, hourly backups, automatic updates, a global CDN and more than 190 premium plugins bundled. It is the kind of hosting agencies put on a retainer, and it is included with your membership.
Most club websites are not slow or hacked because of WordPress. They are slow or hacked because of where they are hosted.
The typical club site sits on a shared plan bought for a few pounds a month, sharing a server with hundreds of unrelated sites. Updates go unapplied because nobody owns them. Backups exist in theory. Security is a plugin somebody installed once. It works fine right up until it does not, and the recovery falls on whoever built it, who is usually a student who has since moved away.
We took a different route. Rather than reselling budget hosting, we run a single high-specification managed environment and put member clubs on it. You get infrastructure sized for large, complex, high-traffic sites, maintained by specialists, under an information security regime that is externally audited. For nothing.
Built for large and complex sites, not for a brochure page.
We host on a specialist WordPress platform, on a tier intended for sites with substantial traffic and heavy functionality. Most clubs will never come close to using it, which is precisely the point: your site is never the thing straining the server.
Enough headroom that a busy timetable page, a shop and a members area coexist without slowing each other down.
Dedicated processing rather than a share of somebody else’s. This is where cheap hosting quietly falls over.
Room for years of photographs, video, gradings archives and event galleries without a single upgrade prompt.
No traffic caps and no overage charges. A post that unexpectedly does well is good news rather than a bill.
Hosting of this specification, bought commercially with the plugin licences and management that come with it, would cost a club in the region of £3,000 a year. Our members pay nothing for it, because we buy the environment once and our not-for-profit status means there is no margin to add.
What “fully managed” actually means
Managed is a word every host uses. Here is precisely what we take off your hands, so you can compare it against whatever you are paying for now.
More than 190 premium and expertly selected plugins, licensed and ready.
Plugin licences are where WordPress quietly gets expensive. A decent forms plugin, a booking system, an SEO suite, a backup tool and a page builder can run to several hundred pounds a year before you have built anything.
Our environment bundles a curated library of more than 190 premium and free plugins, already licensed, already vetted, and available to every club we host. Including full WooCommerce e-commerce, so a club shop, seminar tickets or online course sales are a configuration exercise rather than a purchase.
A club shop, a members area and card payments, without a separate platform.
WooCommerce is included and licensed, which means your website can take money properly rather than sending people to a bank transfer and hoping. Gi and kit sales, seminar and grading tickets, online courses, gift vouchers, subscription plans and gated content for paying members.
It is the same commerce engine behind a very large share of the online shops in Britain, so it is not a compromise. Card payments, stock control, discount codes, VAT handling and order emails all work out of the box, and our developers will set it up with you rather than pointing you at documentation.
Enterprise ready, for the clubs and organisations who need it.
Most club sites are modest, and that is fine. But if yours is not, nothing here will get in your way. This is full, unrestricted WordPress on infrastructure sized for large and complex sites, with our own developers behind it.
And if none of that sounds like your club, do not take it.
Everything above is genuinely powerful, and for a good number of clubs it is more than they will ever need. A shop, custom code and API integrations are not a benefit if what you actually want is a smart site with the right class times on it that you can update yourself on a Sunday evening.
That is exactly what Flo by BMABA is for. Code-free, eleven designed themes, pages already built for classes, timetables, instructors and contact, and live the same evening you join. Also free, also hosted by us, also fully supported.
You do not have to guess between them. Our developers will mock your site up in both, so you can see the front end as a student would and try each back end before deciding.
Your students’ data sits under an audited information security regime
A club website is rarely just a brochure. It holds enquiry forms with children’s names, medical declarations, next of kin details and sometimes payment records. That is personal data, and under UK GDPR it is your responsibility wherever it is hosted.
BMABA CIC is certified to ISO 27001:2022 for information security management under UKAS accreditation, assessed by the British Assessment Bureau, alongside ISO 9001:2015 and Cyber Essentials. We are also registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office as a data controller. Hosting your club site with us places it inside that regime rather than beside it.
Our Certifications
A code-free website builder, built for martial arts clubs
Flo by BMABA is our own site builder, written in-house and given to every member club at no cost. A live on-screen visual composer, designed themes, deep customisation, one-click publishing, and a real developer on hand if you would rather someone else did it. The result is a professional club website you own and manage yourself, for nothing.
- No code, at any point Add a section, type into it, drag it where you want it. If you can write an email, you can build the page.
- A live visual composer You build on a live view of the real site rather than filling in a form and hoping. What you are looking at is what publishes.
- Designed themes, deep customisation Eleven designed themes, over sixty colour palettes, more than fifty fonts, and blocks for schedules, galleries, instructors, pricing and forms.
- Published in a click Launch instantly on a free address on our own infrastructure, or point your own domain at it. We will connect the domain for you if you would rather not.
- One to one developer support, free Our own in-house developers will migrate your old site, build a new one from scratch, or stay with you until the styling is right. No hourly rate and no quote.
- Yours to run, at no cost Free with every membership and funded by our not-for-profit mission rather than a subscription. Self-managed, and genuinely yours.
These are not templates. They are live club websites.
Danelaw HEMA
danelaw-hema.co.uk
Martial Arts East
martialartseast.co.uk
Coastline Martial Arts
coastlinemartialarts.co.uk
JKA Medway Karate-Do
jka-medway-karate-do.bmaba.app
NAMA Martial Arts
nama-martial-arts.bmaba.app
Bristol Women’s Karate
bristolwomenskarate.co.uk
LGNDS Academy
lgndsacademy.com
Endurance Kickboxing
endurancekickboxing.co.uk
Already have a website? We will move it for you, free.
Our own in-house developers will transfer your existing club website from any platform, at no cost, as part of membership. Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Weebly, another WordPress host, or something a member of your club built years ago and no longer maintains.
And we will build it twice if you want us to. Our developers can produce a mock-up in both systems, WordPress and Flo, so you can look at the front end exactly as a prospective student would, then log into each back end and decide which one you actually prefer working in. No commitment either way, and nothing to pay whichever you choose.
Clubs coming to us are typically paying a website builder subscription, a separate hosting bill, a domain renewal, plugin licences and a designer’s hourly rate whenever something needs changing. All of that can be cancelled. For a great many clubs, the saving on those alone covers the entire cost of membership, and then some, before a single other benefit is counted.
Not sure WordPress is what you need?
It is not the right answer for every club, and we would rather say so than host something you cannot maintain.
- You already have a WordPress site you want kept and looked after
- You want a shop, memberships or custom functionality
- You want no ceiling on what the site can eventually do
- You are comfortable with us building and maintaining it for you
- You want a professional site live this evening
- You would rather never touch a plugin or an update
- You want to change a class time yourself in thirty seconds
- A club site is all you need, done properly
Multi-Award Winning & Nationally Recognised
What Do Our Members Say?
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D Hurt 10 Out Of 10Well I was with another organisation for 4 years and came across these guys. They have great vetting, were really helpful at every stage of my application, the actual app is amazing with training opportunities for members, also student membership. All round 10 out of 10.
Facebook recommendation -
Peter R They Go Above And BeyondBeen a member for a number of years and they go above and beyond to support their members. Everything from safeguarding and legalities to certified courses, websites, club manager software, just to name a few of the benefits.
Google review -
Giles H Exemplary OrganisationA huge resource of helpful information and support for those setting up or running a martial arts club. Well put together coaching courses and great safeguarding advice and policies. Really pleased to have access to this exemplary organisation to help me with my new kickboxing club.
Google review -
VORTEX Martial Arts & Fitness More Than Just A Governing BodySimply amazing. BMABA are more than just a governing body for martial arts, they are a team of incredible people, always willing to go the extra mile to make sure you feel supported. Incredible customer service, amazing response time, and an honour to be governed by.
Google review -
Lena S Professional And High QualityPreviously searched for similar organisations but after speaking to Giovanni over the phone I knew that BMABA was the right one for me. He was very informative, patient and had a lot of time to answer any questions. Extremely reassuring and helpful. Their website and documentation are also very professional and high quality.
Google review -
Luke T Far More Helpful Than Any Other AssociationHaving been a part of BMABA for a short while, I can say that already they have been far more helpful than any other association I have been involved in. After 10 years of martial arts, I hope to continue instructing under BMABA for many years.
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Chris J Great People To Work WithGreat people to work with.
Facebook recommendation -
Matt J 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.
Member review -
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.
Member review -
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.
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 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.
Member review -
Fabian Burdett 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. 💙🐺👊
Member review -
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
Member review -
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.
Facebook
Hosting worth thousands. Priced, like everything else here, at nothing.
Join free, tell us about your site, and our developers will take it from there. If you have not got a site yet, we will build you one.
