A Leading Independent Martial Arts Governing Body     |     MyBMABA Login     |      Applicant Login    |

Free Instructor & Coaching Qualifications

Become the coach
you’d want to learn from.

A complete, nationally structured coaching pathway, Foundation Coach through Qualified Coach to Senior Coach, developed in line with CIMSPA professional standards and included free with Bronze, Silver and Gold membership. Ninety-three lessons of expert-built learning, and not a penny to pay for any of it.

Coaching qualifications shouldn’t be a paywall between good martial artists and great teaching. The full three-level pathway is included free with Bronze, Silver and Gold membership, assistants receive the Foundation Coach qualification with theirs, and under-18s have their own dedicated Cadet Coaching Award. No course fees, no assessment fees, no certificate fees: just a nationally structured route from first-time assistant to senior coach, built for martial arts.

The Pathway

Three Levels. Ninety-Three Lessons. Zero Cost.

Foundation Coach certificate
Level 1

Foundation Coach

The complete grounding every instructor deserves: professional conduct, the full safeguarding framework, session craft, safety and duty of care, ending in the Foundation Coach examination. Included for assistants too.

28 LessonsIntegrated Final ExamInstant CertificationFree With Membership
See every lesson
  • What Coaching Actually Is and What It Isn’t
  • Professional Standards and the CIMSPA Code of Conduct
  • Ethics, Boundaries, and Professional Conduct
  • Reflective Practice and CPD
  • The Safeguarding Framework
  • Recognising Concerns
  • Responding to Concerns
  • Safe Recruitment and Managing Adults in Coaching
  • Digital Safeguarding and Social Media
  • Safe Environments and Emergency Action Plans
  • Principles of Effective Coaching
  • Communication Skills for Coaches
  • Demonstration and Explanation
  • Observation and Feedback
  • Coaching Styles
  • Creating Inclusive Sessions
  • Learning Objectives: What They Are and How to Write Them
  • Session Structure
  • Differentiation for Mixed Abilities
  • Equipment Management and Safety Checks
  • Basic Risk Assessment
  • Adapting Sessions in the Moment
  • Duty of Care: What It Means in Practice
  • Accidents, Incidents, and Reporting
  • Common Injuries in Martial Arts
  • First Aid Awareness and the BMABA Martial Arts First Aid Award
  • Insurance, Legal Considerations, and Environmental Factors
  • Level 1: Foundation Coach Final Examination
Qualified Coach certificate
Level 2

Qualified Coach

The science and depth of real coaching: motor learning, practice design, coaching every population from children to older adults, mental health and trauma-informed practice, mentoring, DSL-level safeguarding and your own coaching philosophy.

34 LessonsIntegrated Final ExamInstant CertificationFree With Membership
See every lesson
  • Introduction
  • How Motor Skills Are Learned
  • Practice Design: Making Learning Stick
  • Feedback and Motor Learning
  • Designing Progressions
  • Coaching for Transfer
  • Child and Youth Development in Sport
  • Coaching Adults: Motivation, Autonomy, and Barriers
  • Coaching Older Adults
  • Coaching in High-Performance and Competition Environments
  • Coaching People with Disabilities and Long-Term Health Conditions
  • Mental Health Awareness for Coaches
  • Recognising Mental Health Concerns in Your Students
  • Trauma-Informed Coaching
  • Supporting Students Through Difficulty
  • Creating a Psychologically Safe Training Environment
  • Supervising and Developing Assistant Instructors
  • Peer Observation and Coaching the Coach
  • Mentoring in a Martial Arts Context
  • Building a Coaching Culture
  • Planning at Programme Level
  • Long-Term Athlete and Practitioner Development
  • Curriculum Design for Graded Pathways
  • Tracking and Evidencing Student Progress
  • Managing Transitions: Beginner to Intermediate, Junior to Senior
  • Designated Safeguarding Lead Responsibilities
  • Managing Complex Safeguarding Concerns
  • Safeguarding Policy Development and Review
  • Safeguarding Culture Beyond Compliance
  • Building a Coaching Philosophy
  • Advanced Reflective Practice
  • Managing Your Own Professional Development
  • Preparing for Level 3
  • Level 2 Coach Final Examination
Senior Coach certificate
Level 3

Senior Coach

Leadership at the top of the pathway: strategy, governance, high-performance programme design, coach education, organisational safeguarding, policy and legacy, the complete practitioner.

31 LessonsIntegrated Final ExamInstant CertificationFree With Membership
See every lesson
  • Introduction to the Level 3 Senior Coach Role
  • Leadership versus Management in a Coaching Organisation
  • Strategic Planning for Clubs and Coaching Organisations
  • Building and Leading High-Performing Coaching Teams
  • Change Management in Sport Organisations
  • Governance, Compliance, and Organisational Responsibility
  • The Research Landscape in Coaching Science
  • Expertise and Expert Performance
  • Tactical and Strategic Development
  • Periodisation and High-Performance Programme Design
  • Advancing Your Discipline Through Gold Standard Coaching
  • Ethics at Senior Coaching Level
  • Welfare in High-Performance Environments
  • Safeguarding at Organisational Level
  • Whistleblowing and Professional Accountability
  • Athlete Voice and Student-Centred Governance
  • Designing Coach Education Programmes
  • Mentoring at Scale
  • The Senior Coach as Role Model
  • Coaching Across Cultures and Contexts
  • Evaluating Coaching Effectiveness at Organisational Level
  • The Sport and Physical Activity Policy Landscape
  • Funding and Business Development for Clubs
  • Working with Schools, Local Authorities, and Community Partners
  • Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at Strategic Level
  • The Future of Martial Arts Coaching
  • The Senior Practitioner Identity
  • Supervision, Support, and Sustainable Practice
  • Contribution and Legacy
  • The Complete Practitioner
  • Coach Level 3 Final Examination
Under 18? There’s A Pathway For You Too.

The Cadet Coaching Award

Young leaders get their own dedicated, age-appropriate qualification covering the role and its boundaries, duty of care, communication and demonstration, helping run sessions, working with different students, and being a role model, feeding naturally into the ITP’s Bronze, Silver and Gold cadet awards and, at 18, the full coaching pathway.

  • Welcome to your Cadet Coaching Award
  • What your role is, and what it is not
  • Duty of care, explained
  • Communicating and demonstrating well
  • Helping to run a session
  • Working with different students
  • Being a role model
An Immersive Experience

Expert Content And Tutors, Interactive At Scale

This isn’t a slideshow with a quiz at the end. Every level is built from the latest expert content, delivered by real tutors and quality assessors, and made interactive at scale with specialist AI: scenario-led lessons, rich media, integrated assessment as you go, and a learning experience that genuinely adapts to how you’re doing rather than marching everyone through identically.

  • Latest expert-built content across all three levels
  • Human tutors and quality assessors throughout
  • Specialist AI making learning interactive at scale
Meet BMABA IVY

Real-Time Feedback That Makes Learning Personal

IVY is our pioneering, proprietary AI-assisted learning system, and the “assisted” matters: human quality assessors and tutors remain at the heart of every qualification, with IVY working alongside them. As you study and answer, IVY provides real-time, personalised feedback on your responses, helping you understand not just whether you were right but why, adapting to your answers and making the learning process personal, adaptive and unique to you, at a scale no human-only tutoring model could reach.

  • Real-time, personalised feedback on your answers
  • AI-assisted, never AI-only: humans assure every award
  • Adaptive learning, unique to every coach
Anywhere You Are

The Whole Pathway, In Your Pocket

Study on the sofa, on the bus, or matside between classes: every lesson, assessment and certificate works beautifully on your phone through the free MyBMABA app, seamlessly synced with tablet and desktop, inside our ISO 27001:2022 certified secure environment under UKAS accreditation.

What’s Included, By Membership

And The Rest Of Membership Comes With You

Your qualification is one part of a much bigger toolkit, all included as you climb the pathway.

1

The Free Club CRM

Student records, registers, safeguarding reporting, incident logging and Return-to-Play tracking, the operational backbone behind everything you learn.

2

Websites & The Flo Builder

A professional club website built with you by our in-house developers, or build it yourself code-free with Flo, hosting, domain and email included.

3

Insurance & Licensing

Specialist martial arts cover arranged through our A-rated insurer relationship, with certification issued instantly and verifiable on the national register.

4

RegulationReady & Policies

Seventeen managed policies and a live governance framework that turns your training into a verifiable club standard.

5

The Event Hub

Run events properly: compliance built in, dedicated concussion officers, safety advocates and free event insurance.

6

Resources & Real Support

Model documents, teaching resources, a professional safeguarding team and one-to-one developer time, all a message away.

  • ISO 9001:2015 Certified

    The world's most recognised quality management standard. Our processes, governance and conduct are independently audited every year under UKAS accreditation, the same benchmark used for hospitals, universities, and major corporations.

  • ISO 27001:2022 Certified

    The international standard for information security, held alongside ISO 9001 as a UK martial arts first. Your club's data, your members' details and our digital infrastructure sit inside an independently audited security management system.

  • Regulated Community Interest Company

    We're overseen by the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies, with a legal asset lock that means our income must serve our community purpose forever. Not-for-profit as a legal structure, not a slogan.

  • Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts

    The Sport England-approved national safeguarding standard. We hold organisational certification and are the only independent martial arts body authorised to issue SCiMA certification to clubs in-house, through our free Club Colours programme.

  • CIMSPA Training Provider Partner

    Recognised by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity. Our CPD and qualifications are developed to CIMSPA's national professional standards, with programmes submitted for formal endorsement, confirmed course by course.

  • Cyber Essentials Certified

    A UK Government-backed scheme confirming we hold essential security controls to protect our systems, data, and users from common cyber threats. A key mark of trust when handling sensitive safeguarding and membership data.

  • Certified Social Enterprise

    Independently certified by Social Enterprise UK as a genuine business for good. Our income is reinvested into grassroots martial arts, youth projects, and instructor support, not shareholders or private interests.

  • UK Register of Learning Providers

    A recognised organisation on the UK Government's official Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP), affirming our legitimacy as an education and training provider able to work credibly with funding bodies, employers, and public agencies.

  • Registered With The ICO

    Legally registered under UK data protection law, meeting our obligations under the Data Protection Act and UK GDPR. Together with ISO 27001, it protects the personal data of every member, club, and partner we work with.

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
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"
    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

From First Class Assisted To Senior Coach. Free, All The Way.

Ninety-three lessons, three nationally structured levels, a dedicated cadet route, human tutors and pioneering AI, all included with membership. Start your Foundation Coach qualification today.

Join Free & Start Level 1

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.

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.