{"id":80788,"date":"2025-07-26T18:23:58","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T18:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bmaba.org.uk\/clubs\/?page_id=80788"},"modified":"2025-09-12T11:08:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T11:08:52","slug":"does-my-martial-arts-club-need-a-sport-england-recognised-ngb","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bmaba.org.uk\/clubs\/association\/does-my-martial-arts-club-need-a-sport-england-recognised-ngb\/","title":{"rendered":"Does My Martial Arts Club Need A Sport England Recognised NGB?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Does My Martial Arts Club Need a Sport England Recognised NGB?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In an ideal world, every martial arts club would have access to a well-funded, nationally recognised governing body (NGB) \u2014 one that provides clear guidance, practical tools, and genuine support for grassroots growth. Where that relationship exists, and where it works for your style and goals, we would always encourage you to make use of it.<\/p>

This applies equally whether you’re based in England, Wales, or Scotland, where the NGBs recognised by Sport England, Sport Wales, and Sport Scotland respectively play a role in administering participation, funding, and competition pathways for certain styles and disciplines. In general, their focus tends to lean toward sport-centric development<\/em> \u2014 things like talent progression, medals, and Olympic alignment \u2014 which is incredibly important in the right setting.<\/p>

But we also know the reality of the industry.<\/strong><\/p>

We\u2019ve been working deep inside UK martial arts since 2012. We understand how disconnected many independent clubs feel \u2014 especially those not chasing medals or aligned to a mainstream style. Whether you’re focused on self-defence, traditional systems, modern adaptations, mixed disciplines, or hybrid approaches, it\u2019s entirely possible your club may not find a natural home under a Sport England-recognised NGB. Even where one exists, it may not always feel inclusive or relevant to the way your club operates.<\/p>

That\u2019s where BMABA comes in.<\/p>

We\u2019re not a Sport England recognised NGB. And we don\u2019t pretend to be. Whilst we are arguably as well structured and governed than many NGBs out there, we’re a multi-style organisation so we’re broadly ineligible. We’re also deeply focused on grassroots – not elite level competition.<\/p>

But we are an accountable, professionally governed, not-for-profit governing body for clubs across the UK \u2014 one that stands shoulder to shoulder with the best of the sport sector in terms of quality, oversight, and standards.<\/p>

In fact, we\u2019re the only organisation of our kind in the martial arts sector to be audited and certified by the UKAS-accredited British Assessment Bureau for ISO 9001:2015 \u2014 the international gold standard for quality management and governance.<\/p>

That certification isn\u2019t just a logo on a website. It means our systems, policies, leadership, and organisational conduct have been externally verified to meet the same levels of professionalism you’d expect from major governing bodies in mainstream sport.<\/p>

We\u2019re Not Asking You To Choose Us Blindly<\/h4>

If you have a recognised NGB available to you, we encourage you to explore them.<\/p>

Look at their governance, their support offering, their inclusivity. Then compare it with BMABA. Speak with them. Speak with us. Make a decision based on what\u2019s right for your club, your students, and your goals \u2014 not based on legacy or branding.<\/p>

We know some NGBs don\u2019t welcome dual affiliation. We know others might not support clubs unless they fully \u2018buy in\u2019. And we know there are countless instructors and schools working ethically, safely, and professionally without any representation at all \u2014 simply because there isn\u2019t a recognised body that serves their needs.<\/p>

We\u2019re here for those clubs. The ones doing things differently. The ones forging their own identity \u2014 be it in self-defence, hybrid arts, cross-training, traditional or modern disciplines. Clubs that value autonomy but still want the structure, safeguarding, insurance, governance, and credibility that a professional governing body can offer.<\/p>

We don\u2019t expect your trust upfront. But we do<\/em> offer a free membership option so you can test our policies, resources, and systems with no pressure and no commitment.<\/p>

We’re not trying to be “the alternative”. We’re simply trying to be the right fit<\/em> for clubs who want to teach with professionalism, passion, and support \u2014 regardless of whether they fit the mould of mainstream sport.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If there is a Sport England (or SportWales\/SportScotland) recognised NGB for my style, do I\u00a0have <\/em>to join them?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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No \u2014 there is no legal or regulatory requirement that forces martial arts clubs to join a Sport England, Sport Wales, or Sport Scotland recognised National Governing Body (NGB).<\/p>

That said, where a recognised NGB exists and<\/em> provides genuine value \u2014 clear governance, high standards, practical support, and relevance to your style \u2014 it’s absolutely worth considering. If the relationship works for your club, we would encourage you to make the most of it.<\/p>

But martial arts in the UK is not centrally regulated. Unlike mainstream sports, there\u2019s no law or single authority that says your club must belong to one organisation over another. Instead, the choice of who governs your club \u2014 if anyone \u2014 is yours to make.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/h3>

So why do some clubs feel like they must<\/em> join their NGB?<\/h3>

Often, it\u2019s perception. A Sport-recognised NGB might be presented as the only valid option, especially when entering competitions. And while those NGBs do hold official recognition, that recognition doesn\u2019t invalidate alternatives \u2014 especially when those alternatives (like BMABA) offer equivalent or better governance, safeguarding, insurance, and member support.<\/p>

In fact, some clubs may find that recognised NGBs don’t serve their needs \u2014 particularly if they:<\/p>