BMABA is a professional membership body and group insurance scheme provider. We are not an insurance company or insurer ourselves.
Our primary service is BMABA membership, through which we provide professional recognition, governance support, safeguarding guidance, training, technology and practical resources for martial arts instructors and clubs. As an additional benefit, eligible instructor members can access insurance through our specially arranged group cover scheme.
Why are membership and insurance combined?
The insurance is provided as a benefit of eligible BMABA instructor membership and is arranged on a group basis. It is therefore not available from us as a standalone insurance product without membership.
This structure allows BMABA to establish appropriate membership standards, eligibility requirements and professional expectations across the group being covered. It also means we can support members throughout the year, rather than simply providing an insurance document and leaving them to manage alone.
We do offer instructor membership without insurance for those who already have suitable cover elsewhere. However, where an instructor wants to access the BMABA group insurance scheme, they must also maintain the relevant instructor membership.
More than an insurance policy
Although membership and insurance are combined, the total cost is often still considerably lower than the price of standalone instructor insurance purchased directly elsewhere.
More importantly, the combined package provides much more than insurance alone. Depending on the membership level selected, BMABA instructor members can access benefits including:
Professional instructor membership and recognition
Access to the BMABA instructor insurance scheme
Safeguarding advice, guidance and escalation support
Club governance and compliance resources
Continuing professional development and online training
Instructor, student and club management technology
Digital membership and verification tools
Policy templates, risk assessments and operational resources
Support with DBS checks and wider compliance requirements
Access to BMABA platforms, services and member benefits
Practical support from an experienced martial arts membership team
Our objective is to provide instructors with a complete professional support structure, not simply an insurance certificate.
Crucially, the 'combined all-in' cost of membership and insurance is often less than standalone insurance from for-profit insurers, as we are a not for profit CIC and do not build profit or margins into provisions.
A group scheme built around membership
Because BMABA arranges insurance for eligible members through a group scheme, the membership and insurance elements form part of one connected provision.
BMABA administers access to the scheme and supports its members, while the insurance itself is provided and underwritten by the relevant authorised insurance providers identified within the policy documentation.
This approach helps us combine affordable cover with the professional infrastructure instructors need to operate safely, responsibly and successfully.
In short, BMABA instructor membership is required because membership is the foundation of the service we provide, and eligibility for our group insurance scheme sits within that membership. Even when the two costs are combined, the overall price will often remain highly competitive against insurance-only alternatives, while providing a substantially wider range of support, resources and benefits.