First aid that’s ready
when it matters.
Professionally led online training and refreshers for instructors, assistants and volunteers, built on recognised UK best practice and the realities of running a grassroots club. Approved by our insurers as the minimum standard, completed on any device, certified instantly.
A Non-Negotiable Responsibility, Made Genuinely Accessible
First aid is a non-negotiable responsibility for anyone teaching martial arts: every instructor, assistant and volunteer must be prepared to act if a student is injured or becomes unwell. Our online training and refresher courses quickly upskill your whole team to the minimum recognised standard required by insurers, while supporting ongoing CPD and keeping essential knowledge sharp. And we’ll be straight with you, because it matters: in-person training is best, and we say so plainly. We deliberately don’t run face-to-face courses ourselves, because our reach covers the whole of the UK and doing so would load cost and travel onto members when there’s an abundance of great trainers locally. Instead, we provide the insurer-approved minimum standard your whole team can complete online, as a stop gap while you arrange in-person training, as a refresher between renewals, and as the guarantee that everyone in your club has immediate access to the core knowledge that keeps practice safe from day one.
Recognised Best Practice, Delivered With Modern Craft
The current First Aid for Martial Arts award is built around nationally recognised first aid best practice, with professionally produced video training embedded throughout and up-to-date guidance at every step, and it’s approved by our insurers as the minimum training standard for cover. Learning is interactive rather than passive: scenario-led content, assessments as you go, and a final assessment written with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy, designed to genuinely test understanding rather than memory. And we film our own dedicated first aid content with licensed professionals, made specifically for the situations martial arts clubs actually face.
- Recognised best-practice video training, embedded end to end
- Interactive learning with rigorous, AI-written assessment
- Our own filmed content with licensed professionals
The Current Award
First Aid For Martial Arts, Module By Module
A substantially expanded, professionally structured course: eight modules and a final examination, moving from the universal life-saving core through to the injuries only martial arts sees, and finishing with the systems that make your club’s response professional.
Introduction to First Aid
Your orientation: how the course works, how assessment runs, and what you’ll be able to do by the end.
- Introduction to First Aid
First Aid In Context
The professional footing everything else stands on: what the law expects of you, and the systematic assessment that begins every single response.
- Your Duty of Care as a First Aider
- Scene Safety and the Primary Survey
Cardiac & Breathing Emergencies
The life-or-death core of first aid: recognising when a life is at immediate risk and acting in the minutes that decide the outcome.
- Recognising Cardiac Arrest and Starting CPR in an Adult
- CPR for Children and Infants
- Using an AED
- Choking
- The Unconscious Casualty
Catastrophic Bleeding & Anaphylaxis
The highest-urgency emergencies beyond the heart: massive blood loss and severe allergic reaction, where hesitation costs most.
- Recognising and Managing Catastrophic Haemorrhage
- Wound Packing and Tourniquet Use
- Anaphylaxis
Head Injuries & Concussion
The martial arts priority, treated with the depth it deserves: recognising head injuries, managing concussion as an emergency, and knowing the red flags that mean hospital, now.
- Head Injury Types, Recognition and Immediate Action
- Concussion Emergency Management
- Red Flag Symptoms, Seizure After a Head Injury, and the Collapsed Casualty
Other Injuries & Medical Conditions
The wider casualty picture every club sees eventually: from suspected spinal injuries and seizures to fractures, burns and heat illness.
- Spinal Injuries
- Seizures
- Fractures, Dislocations and Soft Tissue Injuries
- Burns, Abrasions and Heat Illness
Martial Arts-Specific Presentations
What generic workplace courses never teach: the injuries unique to our sport, from grappling joint damage to choke and strangle incidents.
- Winding, Rib Injuries, Eye and Dental Trauma, and Joint Injuries in Grappling
- Choke and Strangle Incidents
Running First Aid At Your Club
From casualty care to club systems: the preparation and paperwork that make your response professional before and after the incident itself.
- First Aid Kits, AEDs and Venue Preparation
- Incident Recording, Reporting and Follow-Up
Final Examination
A full course examination testing genuine understanding across every module, with instant digital certification on passing.
- First Aid for Martial Arts Final Examination
Learn On The Go, In A Certified Secure Environment
Complete your training however life allows: on your phone between classes through the free MyBMABA app, on a tablet on the sofa, or at a desktop in the office, all seamlessly synced so you pick up exactly where you left off. And because first aid records are personal data that matter, everything runs inside our information security environment certified to ISO 27001:2022 under UKAS accreditation, with your certificates downloadable instantly the moment you pass.
- Free MyBMABA app on the App Store & Google Play
- Phone, tablet and desktop, seamlessly synced
- ISO 27001:2022 certified security, under UKAS accreditation
First Aid Best Practice On The Mats
Keep Your Kit Where You Train
A stocked, in-date first aid kit belongs at the matside, not in a car boot. Check it monthly, restock what’s used, and make sure every session leader knows exactly where it lives.
Know Your Students Before You Need To
Medical conditions, allergies, medication and emergency contacts should be recorded and reachable in seconds, which is exactly what the medical records in our free Club Management Platform are for.
Cover Every Session, Not Just Most
Trained cover shouldn’t depend on one person’s attendance. Training assistants and volunteers too, which our online course makes trivial, means no class ever runs uncovered.
Report Everything, However Small
A consistent incident reporting habit protects students and instructors alike. Our platform’s digital incident book makes the record contemporaneous, secure and audit-ready.
Treat Head Injuries As Their Own Discipline
Concussion deserves more than a module. Pair your first aid training with the CHIMA award and our Return-to-Play tools, and treat every suspected head injury by the protocol, every time.
Refresh Before It Fades
Skills decay quietly. Build refreshers into your club’s annual rhythm, and use your compliance dashboard to see whose training is due before it lapses.
Your Whole Team’s Training, Tracked Properly
Instructors, assistants and volunteers complete training at their own pace, on desktop, tablet or mobile through the free MyBMABA app, with progress fully trackable and completion records logged automatically. Club owners and safeguarding leads get complete oversight of who’s trained, who’s due, and what’s outstanding, with certificates downloadable instantly and every record feeding your club’s live compliance standing.
- Free MyBMABA app on the App Store & Google Play
- Trackable progress & automatic completion records
- Instant certificates, logged to your compliance record
Supporting Clubs Beyond The Classroom
Specialist Add-Ons
From the CHIMA concussion award to safeguarding-led modules, our CPD goes deeper than basic training, giving your team confidence to act when it matters.
Trusted Local Options
For full in-person qualifications, we signpost clubs to trusted local training providers, helping you meet insurer requirements cost-effectively and without delay.
Training Without Barriers
First class, inherited club or twenty years at the front: our blended approach makes sure everyone has access to essential skills, wherever they are.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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UK Register of Learning Providers
A recognised organisation on the UK Government's official Register of Learning Providers under UKPRN 10098149, affirming our legitimacy as an education and training provider able to work credibly with funding bodies, employers, and public agencies.
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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
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 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
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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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Professionally built first aid training for your whole team, tracked, certified and included with most memberships. Join free today and make readiness your club’s default.
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