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Martial Arts Instructors Starting Out
Starting Out? use our One Stop Shop to open your first martial arts club.
Waivers Forms / Risk Management
Protect your school from day one.
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Club Software / Student Fee Billing
Run your club and collect fees the easy way.
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Website / Profile Marketing
Get found by students searching your suburb.
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Instructor Accreditation
Certified Practising Instructor status.
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Whether it’s a hobby or your income, opening a school means acting with the professionalism of a qualified instructor — there are OH&S, duty of care, business structure, insurance and code-of-practice rules to know before you open.
Here Is a Quick Martial Arts Check List
Qualifications checklist
- Minimum martial arts: at least 4–5 years’ experience
- Minimum sports coaching, fitness or Sport & Rec Cert III or Cert IV
- Other options: AMACS, or a Cert III/IV in Fitness – Personal Trainer course
- Get better skills from a Cert IV Trainer & Assessor (TAA)
- The ultimate: a teaching degree from university
- Senior First Aid — keep it current
Other things to consider
- Police check — often required for working at schools or corporations
- Working With Children Check / Blue Card — compulsory for teaching children
- Weapons licence — compulsory if using or holding prohibited weapons in training
- Registration to an industry body — professional membership is expected by students
Recommended
Australian Martial Arts Coaching Scheme (AMACS)
Coaching courses tailored for school owners and assistant instructors, at a price that’s affordable for everyone — and a great way to train up students who want to become instructors.
The Six Stages
Stage 1
Qualifications
You have the right qualifications, checks and licences, so now you need to look at martial arts insurance to protect both you and your students.
Stage 2
Insurance
Policies cover all areas of your business, though not every school owner carries every type. Public Liability and Professional Indemnity come as one package, Player Accident and Income Protection as another. Property, Contents/Equipment and Business Interruption can be covered together as a Business Package.
Stage 3
Curriculum
This is what you sell — what are you going to teach? AMACS courses include curriculum building as one of the modules. Make your training syllabus clear and easy to follow.
Stage 4
Policy & Procedures – OH&S
Accident report books, blood rules and other policies need to be formalised and implemented. MAA Membership includes resource sign-up forms (waivers), incident reporting and risk/operational management manuals.
Stage 5
Location
Church hall, community centre, fitness centre, scout hall, PCYC, YMCA, school hall, from home, or lease/buy a shopfront — the choice depends on how much investment you want to put in.
Stage 6
Advertising
Being the best, most skilful instructor in the world counts for nothing if students don’t know where to find you. Advertising needs to be confident, repetitive and far-reaching. You need leads — people calling you, or better, turning up — so you can sell your service face to face.
Essential Tools / Procedure
Protect it all with insurance, waivers and the appropriate risk management policies and procedures.
The procedure
Create a lead, call them, book them into an intro class, upsell them into a membership, sell them uniforms/pads/mouth guards, get them to bring a friend for a free class, or offer a special deal for the new person. Keep motivating the students you already have — it’s far harder and costlier to bring in a new one.
Everything we Offer
Insurance
Public liability, products, civil & management liability, professional indemnity, player accident, income protection.
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Promoters
Cover for events — fight shows, tournaments and expos.
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Business Packs
Property, contents, glass, business interruption and cyber cover.
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Billing Company
Student fee collection by direct debit.
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Club Management Software
Manage and market your business end to end.
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Business Resources
Technology applications, operational manuals, videos and graphics.
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Membership
What gives you access to all the benefits.
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Business Consulting / Coaching
Industry experts providing support across many areas of business.
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Instructor Training & Officiating Courses
Nationally recognised training created specifically for martial arts.
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Instructor Accreditation
Certified Practising Instructor status offers greater recognition.
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School Ratings
Get up to a 6-star rating that instils consumer confidence.
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Website / Mobile Apps / IT Services
Be found easier online and deliver the right message to your clients.
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Video Production
Make a promo or instructional video — the most powerful marketing media for your business.
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Still Have Questions?
Whatever stage you’re at thinking it through or ready to open your doors we’re here to help you get it right the first time.
HERE IS A QUICK MARTIAL ARTS CHECK LIST
- Qualifications – Minimum Martial Arts at least 4-5 years’ experience
- Qualifications – Minimum Sports Coaching or Fitness or Sport & Rec Cert III or Cert IV
- Qualifications – Other options AMACS, Cert III or Cert IV in Fitness – Personal Trainer Course
- Qualifications – Get better skills from Cert IV Trainer & Assessor (TAA)
- Qualifications – The ultimate is to get a Teaching Degree from university
- Qualifications – Senior First Aid often done with a Cert Course but should be kept current
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
Police check – Often required for working at schools/corporations – promotes confidence
Working with Children Check / Blue Card – Compulsory for teaching children
Weapons License –
Compulsory if you are using prohibited weapons in training or have in your possession
Registration to an
Industry Body – Professional Membership is expected by students.
There are Martial Arts Coaching Courses especially tailored for School Owners and assistant instructors that ticks all the boxes and is at a price that is affordable for everyone – Australian Martial Arts Coaching Scheme (AMACS). This is also a great way to train up your students who want to be instructors.
HELPFUL RESOURCES / LINKS MAKING THINGS EASIER
Business Name - set up starts here: https://asic.gov.au/for-business/registering-a-business-name/
Trade Mark
- serious about protecting your brand, register it: https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/trade-marks
Martial Arts Insurance
– the essential way to project your business and livelihood:
MAA Insurance Services
Business Resources - Waiver Forms & Risk Management Policies form a layer of protection for your school:
Collecting Students Fees
- is an essential part of your business, get it right first time: Billing -
Direct Debit Companies
Club Management Software - to run your martial arts school:
ClubManager
Getting Your Business Found
– can be easier than you think:
Club Directory - Free School Listings
Want To Gain Multiple Incomes – no problem we can help get set up for Online Classes as well:
Martial Arts Universities
Stage 1: Qualifications – You have the right qualifications, checks and licenses so now you need to look at martial arts insurance to protect both you and your students.
Stage 2: Insurance – There are a number of polices to cover all areas of your business, but not every school owner will operate with it. The covers are Public Liability and Professional Indemnity as one package and Player Accident and Income Protect as another. There is also insurance for the Property you rent / owe and the Contents / Equipment inside it that can be covered for Fire / Theft along with Business Interruption, this all comes as a Business Package with all those elements. (follow the link for more info).
Stage 3:
Curriculum – Is what you sell –
What are you going to teach?
The AMACS courses includes curriculums building as one of the modules.
Make your training syllabus clear and easy to follow.
Stage 4: Policy & Procedures – OH&S – Accident report book, blood rule and other polices need to be formalised and implemented. MAA Membership includes resources sign up forms (waivers), incident reporting, risk operational /management manuals etc.
Stage 5: Location – Where are you going to teach?
Church hall, Community Centre, Fitness Centre, Scout Hall, PCYC, WMCA, school hall, from home, lease/buy a factory - shopfront. The choices are varied and will depend on how much of an investment you want to put in and each one having their advantages and disadvantages.
Stage 6: Advertising – Let’s face it you can be the best and most skilful /qualified master in the world but unless the students know where they can find you, there isn’t a school. In all my years of experience I haven’t found one model that works all the time and what worked several years back doesn’t work as well today. Do your own research and seek consultation with a good business coach. We have a few working with us.
Advertising needs to be confident / repetitive and far reaching in all the ways that people search for information / your service.
You need leads, that is people calling you, better still turning up at your school and then you need to sell them your service and you have a better chance of doing that speaking face to face.
ESSENTIAL TOOLS:
Website, Mobile APP, listings in community directories, flyers, business cards, a brand to identify you, cash flow, positive attitude and you need to protect it all with insurance, waivers and the appropriate risk management policies and procedures.
PROCEDURE:
Create a lead, call them, book them into an intro class, up sell them into a membership, sell them uniforms / pads, mouth guards etc, get them to bring a friend for a free class, offer a special deal for the new person etc. Keep motivating the students you have because it is so much harder and costly to bring in a new student.
Public. Products, Civil & Management Liability, Professional Indemnity, Player Accident, Income Protection Insurance
Promoters
- Events, (fight shows / tournaments / expos)
Business Packs
- Property, Contents, Glass, Business Interruption, Cyber
BILLING COMPANY
Student Fee Collection through Direct Debit services through a number of providers such as PayRix, Ezidebit, Paychoice (Member discounts)
CLUB MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Manage & Marketing your business from end to end with the Industry's leading software with local support.
BUSINESS RESOURCES
Technology applications, operational manuals / videos / graphics etc
MEMBERSHIP
This is what gives you access to all the benefits!
BUSINESS CONSULTING / COACHING
We have a number of industry experts that can provide multiple levels of support in many areas of business
INSTRUCTOR TRAINING & JUDGING/OFFICIATING COURSES
Nationally Recognised Training courses specifically created for Martial Arts
INSTRUCTOR ACCREDITATION
Certified Practising Instructor Status offers greater recognition
SCHOOL RATINGS
Get up to a 6 Star rating for your schools that instills consumer confidence
WEBSITE / MOBILE APPS / IT SERVICES
Want to be found easier online and deliver the right message to your clients, ask us how
VIDEO PRODUCTION
Want to make a promo video or an instructional one, check out our studio and get access to the most powerful marketing media for your business.