- 5
- 6,500
Knife Crime & Serious Youth Violence (SYV)
The Knife Crime & Serious Youth Violence (SYV) For Martial Arts course equips instructors with the knowledge and practical tools to understand the root causes of youth violence in the UK and to use martial arts as a safe, structured, and empowering intervention. Covering poverty, trauma, ACEs, gangs, county lines, and safeguarding responsibilities, it helps clubs create environments that mentor, protect, and inspire vulnerable young people.
What's This Course About?
Knife crime and serious youth violence are two of the most urgent challenges facing young people and communities in the UK today. For martial arts instructors, clubs already act as safe havens where discipline, respect, and belonging are fostered — but this course will help you take that role even further.
This BMABA-accredited CPD programme explores the deep socio-economic and psychological drivers of youth violence, including poverty, exclusion, trauma, ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and exploitation through gangs and county lines. It also examines the devastating impact violence has on individuals, families, and communities, alongside the role the criminal justice system plays.
The course then focuses on the unique power of martial arts to intervene: providing structure, safe spaces, role models, and mentoring that can disrupt the cycle of violence. You’ll gain practical safeguarding skills, learn to recognise early warning signs in students, and understand how to engage appropriately with those at risk.
Finally, you’ll explore how to campaign and engage in outreach work — whether through workshops, partnerships with schools and youth services, or community projects — ensuring your club becomes part of the solution.
By completing this course, you’ll not only strengthen your safeguarding and teaching practice but also position your club as a community leader in violence prevention and youth empowerment.
Training You Can Trust
Every BMABA course is delivered under the credibility of BMABA CIC — a nationally recognised, not-for-profit Community Interest Company. As an ISO9001:2015 certified, CPD Accredited, and UKRLP registered provider, we’re committed to raising standards in martial arts through quality, compliance, and genuine social impact.
Course Content
This award can be accessed online. Each lesson or module typically contains specialist text-based content and can also include videography, imagery or other exclusive content.
Module 1: Understanding Knife Crime & SYV in the UK
National statistics and trends
Victim and offender profiles
The escalation cycle (minor offences → serious harm)
Myths, misconceptions, and media narratives
Module 2: Root Causes & Risk Factors
Poverty, inequality, and social exclusion
ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and trauma
School exclusion, lack of role models, and gang grooming
County Lines and youth exploitation
Module 3: Impact & Consequences
Legal ramifications and the youth justice system
Trauma for victims, perpetrators, and communities
The cyclical nature of violence and destabilisation
Module 4: The Role of Martial Arts
Disrupting the pathway to violence
Safe spaces and alternative communities
Martial arts for identity building, resilience, and regulation
Mentorship and trust-building with young people
Module 5: Safeguarding & Responsibility
Spotting early warning signs in students
Safe intervention practices and setting boundaries
Referral processes, local support networks, and multi-agency working
Legal and ethical safeguarding obligations
Module 6: Campaigning, Outreach & Empowerment
Delivering community workshops and awareness campaigns
Collaborating with schools, youth services, and parents
Measuring impact and ensuring sustainability
Case studies and real-world examples from martial arts
ELEVATE YOUR CLUB
Access this course, alongside dozens more. All in one membership.
A Clean, Modern Classroom You Can Access 24/7, When Your Schedule Allows
Our courses are accessible 24/7 via our MyBMABA website or app, so you can login and do what you can, when you can. Your progress is saved, and on completion you’ll be able to instantly access verified certification.
Upskill You & Your Team With Industry Leading Qualifications & Courses
From essentials like coaching qualifications, safeguarding and first aid through to specialist such as SENCO and Trauma informed, through to club management, finance and marketing. Access a growing library of expertly written, award-winning content.
Train Anywhere, Anytime
Our online qualifications and awards can be completed entirely online — whether at home, at your club, or on the move. Access the courses via our website or mobile app, with the option to learn in flexible blocks that fit around your schedule.
Dozens of Specialists Courses. One Low Membership Price.
We don't make our instructors spend a small fortune on a fluffed up course to raise revenue. Instead we invest in expert courses created by some of the best minds in martial arts, and we make them accessible to instructors, assistants and volunteers inclusive with memberships wherever possible.
Completed Courses
Questions & Answers
About Our Courses & Qualifications
All Silver and Gold members receive completely free access to all current and future courses. If you’re a Bronze member, we’ll provide free access to our SENCO, Induction, Level 1 and Level 1 instructor qualifications. We also make a range of qualifications inclusive in assistant and volunteer memberships.
The ambition is to make content and qualifications available at no extra cost. If you opt for our only membership not to include all courses as standard (Bronze) you can access any course on a pay as you go basis for the low fee of typically £9.99.
All of our courses and delivered 100% online. Many include several hours of videography – be it webinars or video lessons, and all also include comprehensive text. There’s no requirement to travel anywhere to conduct courses.
Our ever-growing catalogue of qualifications covers everything from Instructor Qualification to SEN, First aid to Safeguarding, Club Management to Web Design and so much more.
We often work with specialist partners to gain topic-specific knowledge. This could be leading charities or other companies.
The rest of our content is produced in house our team of industry experts. From our dedicated safeguarding team to our own industry insurance experts – we’ll share as much specialist insight as we can with our clubs.
It depends what you mean by recognised. BMABA is a household name in martial arts, and our courses are served not just through BMABA memberships but also via exclusive partner relationships with NGBs given the level of engagement and quality content. We then have other courses recognised by specialist in-sector charities or bodies, and our Club Colours award is recognised by Sport England’s Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts (SCiMA).
We also work to structure courses for CPD approval, have all core qualifications approved by our insurer and to date aren’t aware of any external provider turning down our awards.
We’ve even had our Safer Recruitment Training accepted by OFSTED inspectors!
Led By Industry GIANTS
We regularly bring in experts like our own CEO & Founder, Giovanni (Men’s Health Coach of the Year and Multi-Award Winning Social Entrepreneur) as just one example among many as to how we build qualifications and trainings founded upon credible, industry-leading insights and expertise.
100% Online. 100% At Your Ready.
Long before it ever became acceptable to complete online training (namely during COVID!) we were pioneering making courses and qualifications as accessible to all via our exclusive MyBMABA. Take all of our courses and qualifications with you, and complete them – even on the commute, if needs be.
Take Your Club To The Next Level
It’s not just CPD and qualifications you’ll find with BMABA CIC. It’s dozens of resources, cutting edge technology, a free club website and club management platform, leading governance, and more.
