This article explains the different options available to BMABA CIC clubs and instructors for creating professional grading certificates at club level. It also clarifies how BMABA branding can be used and what conditions apply.
All of the options described here are available as part of your membership. None is “better” than the others – the right solution is simply whichever best fits your club’s size, grading volume, technical confidence, and preferred workflows.
Using BMABA Branding & Licensing
BMABA and all associated logos, crests, and brand elements are trademarked throughout the United Kingdom. Any use of the BMABA name or branding on grading certificates is licensed and conditional, not automatic.
Use of BMABA branding on certificates is subject to:
Our general terms of use; and
Our National Grading Integrity Examination Standards (NGIES) policy framework, which sets out that only grades issued in good faith, through a fair and merit-based assessment process, can be recognised by BMABA CIC.
In practice, this means:
Certificates that carry BMABA branding should only be used for genuine, standards-based gradings.
BMABA reserves the right not to recognise grades issued outside of NGIES expectations.
Membership status and certificate use
Your ability to use BMABA-branded certificates is linked directly to your membership status.
You must hold an active, in-date BMABA membership to use the BMABA name, logos, crests, or certificate templates.
Certification issued must be 'reasonable' and accurate - meaning any co-branding you introduce must not create any false association between your club and BMABA CIC (such as 'Reviewed and Approved by BMABA' where this has not been the case) or any use of misleading or otherwise unprofessional branding or imagery likely to damage the reputation of BMABA CIC.
If your membership expires or is cancelled, you must immediately stop issuing BMABA-branded certificates and stop using BMABA marks on your own designs.
This applies even if you downloaded certificate files while your membership was active. They are used under licence, not as an unconditional download you can continue to use indefinitely.
You can, of course, continue to use your own club-only certificates without BMABA branding, but they will not be presented as BMABA-recognised awards. These must be your own original designs.
Choosing the Right Certificate Option
BMABA provides several ways for you to create grading certificates:
Publicly verifiable certificates tied to a national grade register
Automated, data-driven certificates inside the MyBMABA Club Management Platform
Editable Word templates for manual certificates
A design suite for fully custom layouts
Many clubs use a combination of these. The sections below describe each option in more detail.
LSGR
The Lifetime Student Grade Register (LSGR) is intended for clubs who want their students’ grades to be both professionally presented and independently verifiable.
Quick-Links
Full Guide
Public Verification Page
With LSGR you can:
Create lifetime grade records for named students registered to your club.
Store each grade against a secure, central register.
Allow parents, students, schools, funders, or local partners to confirm grades directly via the public verification tool at any time.
This moves your grading from an internal record to something that carries national, externally checkable recognition.
LSGR also includes a range of pre-designed BMABA certificates that:
Are already professionally worded and branded
Can be generated and downloaded as PDFs
Require little or no additional design work
This is usually the best starting point for clubs that want to show parents and students that their achievements are recognised beyond club level with minimal admin.
MyBMABA Club Management Platform
The MyBMABA Club Management Platform includes a fully integrated certificate system. It is well suited to clubs with regular gradings, larger numbers of students, or a desire to automate as much of the process as possible.
Full setup guide (certificate section):
Manage your designs in MyBMABA Club Manager;
Key steps and features:
Upload a base certificate design as a JPG or PNG image.
This can be one of BMABA’s stock grading certificate backgrounds, or a design you have created yourself (provided it complies with branding rules).
Add placeholders (variables) to the design that will be automatically filled by the system from your club data, such as:
Student name
Avatar or profile image
Student or membership number
Grade, belt, or level
Style or discipline
Date of grading
Instructor and club details
Save one or more templates for reuse.
Once templates are created, you can:
Select students inside MyBMABA Club Manager
Generate certificates that automatically pull in their real details
Download, print, or distribute certificates digitally
This is ideal for clubs who want a scalable, repeatable process with consistent branding and minimal manual editing.
Stock Grading Certificates
Stock grading certificates are pre-built Word templates provided for members who prefer to work offline or manually adjust each certificate.
What’s available:
Four different grading certificate designs
Two certificates of achievement
These templates:
Open in Microsoft Word or any compatible word processor (including many free options)
Allow you to edit key elements such as:
Student details
Grade or award
Date and place of grading
Instructor information
Certain colours and text elements
Your club logo, alongside BMABA branding
Some parts of the design are locked to protect brand integrity and ensure consistent presentation.
This approach suits clubs who:
Are comfortable editing documents manually
Want to print at home or via a local printer
Are happy to handle saving as PDF and managing their own distribution
Prefer a co-branded certificate without needing to design from scratch
MyBMABA Design Suite
The MyBMABA Design Suite is an in-browser design tool for clubs who want the greatest control over how their certificates look.
With the Design Suite you can:
Start from a range of pre-built certificate templates; or
Build a certificate layout from scratch using a drag-and-drop interface.
You can add and position:
Text boxes for student details, awards, and signatures
Logos and images (subject to branding rules)
Shapes, borders, and decorative elements
Additional labels for special awards, programmes, or schemes
The tool also includes:
A growing template library
AI-assisted layout and design suggestions
The ability to save designs for future use
Options to export finished certificates for print or digital sharing
This is particularly useful if you:
Run multiple programmes and need different certificate styles
Want to match certificates to your club’s own branding while co-branding with BMABA
Prefer to fine-tune layouts and visual details beyond what a basic template allows
Bringing It All Together
You do not have to choose only one route. Many clubs successfully combine these options, for example:
Using LSGR for core belt and high-stakes gradings where public verification and national recognition are important
Using the MyBMABA Club Management Platform for routine grading cycles and bulk certificate generation
Using Stock Grading Certificates for occasional awards or where Word editing is most convenient
Using the MyBMABA Design Suite for special presentations, long-service awards, or bespoke programmes
Whatever you choose, the key points to remember are:
Certificates that carry BMABA branding must reflect genuine, fair, merit-based assessments
NGIES and BMABA terms of use apply to all branded certification
Active membership is required for any ongoing use of BMABA branding or certificate templates
If you are unsure which option best suits your club, or how to stay compliant while designing or editing certificates, please contact BMABA CIC support for tailored guidance.