{"id":3432,"date":"2019-09-05T14:49:20","date_gmt":"2019-09-05T14:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bmaba.org.uk\/clubs\/?page_id=3432"},"modified":"2026-07-23T15:46:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T15:46:35","slug":"what-makes-us-different-to-other-associations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bmaba.org.uk\/clubs\/association\/what-makes-us-different-to-other-associations\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes Us Different To Other Associations?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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BMABA CIC<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Not Just Another Martial Arts Association<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Independent, modern, and accountable – BMABA CIC is rewriting what a governing body should look like. We’re professional, regulated, member-driven, and relentlessly focused on raising the standards of martial arts in the UK.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We're A Different Kind Of Association. And That's A Good Thing.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We get it.<\/strong><\/h5>

A lot of martial arts organisations start to look the same from the outside: acronyms, insurance, certificates, politics. That’s not who we are.<\/p>

Since 2012, BMABA CIC has quietly redefined what a modern martial arts association can be. We’ve grown from grassroots to nationally recognised without ever compromising our core values: professionalism, integrity, and meaningful independence. We exist solely to support instructors and clubs, not to dictate syllabus or collect titles.<\/p>

We’re not here to control. We’re here to empower.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t✓  Externally Verified<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t

Held To Higher Standards<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

Audited. Certified. Accountable.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

We don’t mark our own homework. Every credential below is issued, audited or overseen by an external body. Select any mark to see exactly what it means for your club.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t

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Select a mark above to learn more.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

ISO 9001:2015<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Certified by the British Assessment Bureau under UKAS accreditation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The international standard for quality management. Every core process at BMABA, from how we verify an instructor's qualifications to how we handle a complaint, is documented, measured and externally audited every year. For your club, it means the association behind you runs to the same standard used to assess hospitals, universities and major corporations.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

ISO 27001:2022<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Certified by the British Assessment Bureau under UKAS accreditation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The international standard for information security. Your club's data, your members' details, safeguarding records, DBS outcomes and payment information, sits inside an independently audited security management system. We're the first UK martial arts association to hold both ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 under UKAS accreditation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

CIC Regulator<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Overseen by the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

BMABA CIC is a regulated Community Interest Company. A legal asset lock means our income must be reinvested into our community purpose, never distributed as private profit, and we report annually to the Regulator to prove it. When we say not-for-profit, it's a legal structure, not a slogan.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Sport England-approved national safeguarding standard<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The national benchmark for safeguarding in martial arts. BMABA is authorised to issue SCiMA certification in-house through our Club Colours programme, the only independent martial arts body granted that authority. Your club can earn full, nationally recognised safeguarding status directly through your membership.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

CIMSPA Training Provider Partner<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Our CPD and qualifications are developed in line with CIMSPA professional standards, the chartered body for the UK sport and physical activity workforce, with individual programmes submitted for formal endorsement, confirmed course by course. Your training with us is built to the same framework used across professional sport.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Cyber Essentials<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

UK Government-backed certification scheme<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A Government-backed certification confirming we have fundamental technical protections in place against common cyber attacks. Alongside ISO 27001, it means the platforms your club relies on every day are defended to recognised national standards.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Social Enterprise UK<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Certified by Social Enterprise UK<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Independent certification that BMABA is a genuine business for good: trading for a social purpose, with profits reinvested into our mission. It's external verification of the model that funds free qualifications, free tools and our community programmes.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Sport & Recreation Alliance<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Member of the umbrella body for UK sport and recreation<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

We're a member of the Sport & Recreation Alliance, the voice of the sport and recreation sector, alongside national governing bodies and major sports organisations. It keeps independent martial arts represented in the rooms where sector policy is shaped.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Welsh Sports Association<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Member of the WSA<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Membership of the Welsh Sports Association connects our Welsh clubs to the national sporting infrastructure in Wales, and gives them a voice within it.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Scottish Sports Association<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Member of the SSA<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Membership of the Scottish Sports Association does the same for our Scottish clubs: representation, connection and standing within Scotland's national sporting landscape.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Armed Forces Covenant<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Proud signatory<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

We're a proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, with lifetime membership discounts for serving and ex-serving forces and emergency services personnel, and active support for the forces community through our REBOOT programme.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t