Better Cover, Fairer Pricing, and a Few Things We're Really Proud Of

Hi there,

Every year we sit down with our broker and underwriter and ask the same question: how do we make this better for the clubs we serve?

This year, we think we've got some genuinely good answers. Here's what's changing from 4 April 2026, and why we think it matters.

Named Instructor Insurance Just Got Better. You Don't Have to Do Anything.

If you hold Named instructor insurance through BMABA, your policy is improving automatically from 4 April. No upgrade to buy, nothing to apply for, no extra cost.

From this year, worldwide cover (excluding USA and Canada) is explicitly confirmed as standard, so whether you're teaching abroad, attending an international seminar, or travelling with students, you're covered. Products Liability at £5,000,000 is now confirmed as a standard inclusion alongside the £5,000,000 Public Liability, £1,000,000 Professional Indemnity, and £500,000 Abuse Extension that you've always had.

All martial arts teaching activities remain covered, including contact and weapons disciplines, classes, seminars, and gradings, underwritten by AXA XL via Lloyd's. It just gets better from here.

We also want to make sure you actually know everything your Named policy already includes, because some of these are genuinely useful and not everyone realises they're there:

➡️ Worldwide cover (exc. USA and Canada)
➡️ Free event cover for sanctioned events with active student licensing
➡️ Free online lesson cover, live and pre-recorded

➡️ Free temporary instructor cover for sickness and holidays

➡️ Maternity and paternity cover package

➡️ Birthday party cover Holiday camp and food preparation cover

These aren't add-ons. They're already part of your Named policy, and they have been. If you've never used them, it's worth knowing they're there.

Open Allocation policies continue to provide the same excellent core cover as before, and remain the flexible choice for clubs that need to assign and reassign policies across their team throughout the year.

Club Cover: We'll Pay the £169.99 Bill if You're Set Up the Right Way

This one we're particularly pleased about. If you hold a Regulation Ready Bronze score or above, and you have both your instructor insurance and your student licensing in place through BMABA, we will cover the full cost of your Club Cover, all £169.99 of it, completely free.

Club Cover protects your club as a legal entity, whether you're a CIC, a Limited Company, or a similar structure, with £5,000,000 Company Public Liability, £1,000,000 Professional Indemnity, and £500,000 Abuse Cover included.

We want to be honest about the scope here. BMABA has never offered premises insurance and won't be doing so. Different sized dojos present different risks and attract different prices, and we want smaller dojos to maintain excellent rates - but that requires a direct to insurer quote. Employer's Liability is also no longer part of the Club Cover product. We know that's the right decision, because premises risks and employer risks are genuinely complex and specific to each club's situation, and a one-size product wouldn't serve you properly. Instead, we've set up a referral process to connect clubs with specialist brokers who can look at the unique factors of your venue and workforce and make sure you're actually properly protected.

Event Cover: Free, As Long As Everyone Attending is BMABA Registered

If all competitors and participants attending an event hold a valid BMABA licence, your sanctioned event is covered at no charge. Up to 500 participants, up to 250 students, and full contact events are explicitly within scope.

The key thing to understand here is that BMABA licences are completely transferrable nationally. Your competitors don't all have to be members of your club. As long as every attending competitor holds BMABA cover somewhere in the UK, through any BMABA-affiliated club, they're covered. There's no per-event fee and no limit on how many events you run across the year.

We've also built a dedicated event licensing and management platform so you can licence and insure events on your own schedule, as and when you need to, with everything in one place. No chasing paperwork, no delays.

The only cost is for non-BMABA registered students, which is a flat £2.50 per event, per student. You can mitigate this by registering them to your club - as named or open students - and avoiding this charge completely.

Student Insurance: We've Put the Member-to-Member Question to Bed

There's been a misconception doing the rounds in the martial arts world about whether Public Liability covers participant-to-participant incidents. We went straight to AXA XL and got explicit written confirmation: our named student policy covers member-to-member incidents. That question is now answered, clearly and in writing, so you can reassure your students and your club with confidence.

Worldwide Travel Insurance: Coming in April 2026

We're expecting to launch a dedicated worldwide travel insurance product from April 2026. This is separate from the international territorial cover already within your instructor and student liability policies.

This will be a proper travel product covering injury, medical expenses, missed flights, cancellations, and travel disruption, with martial arts participation and teaching baked in as a covered activity rather than excluded, which is the frustrating norm with standard travel policies. We'll confirm full details ahead of launch.

Referee and Officials Insurance: Now Available

For clubs running competitions, fights, and tournaments, referee and officials insurance is now available. It covers referees, judges, and ring officials, and it costs less per month than a Starbucks coffee. We didn't think that was an unreasonable ask. There will be a CPD requirement (a new free referee CPD is on its way) but otherwise, it's available and flexible and ready to go.

Live Blade Cover: Cheaper, Fully Online, Documentation on Demand

Live blade cover for instructors and students is reducing in price this year, and for the first time it's fully activatable online. Border Force letters and certification are available on demand through MyBMABA, so you're never waiting on us when you need documentation at short notice.

Personal Accident: Bronze, Silver, and Gold Tiers

Personal Accident cover is now available at three levels for both instructors and students. Bronze is the same level of cover you've had before at the same price. Silver and Gold offer enhanced benefits, including loss of income protection up to £200 per week, for those who want to go further. You choose what's right for you. Its still optional.

We're Taking the Hit on Price Increases So You Don't Have To

We want to be straight with you about this. Our total policy spend for 2026/27 is expected to be close to a quarter of a million pounds. The market has moved, costs have gone up, and we're facing higher premiums this year. We made the decision to absorb the majority of that increase rather than pass it on to clubs. That's what a not-for-profit association should do, and it's what we're doing.

Club Colours: 5% Off Everything, for Clubs Doing Things the Right Way

If you hold BMABA Club Colours, you'll receive a 5% "above and beyond" discount across every membership tier and every insurance product we offer, no exceptions, no small print.

Club Colours are awarded free following our Regulation Ready assessment. Reach 76% or above and you'll be able to apply for your colours. Do that, insure your instructors and students through us, and you'll also get that free £169.99 Club Cover on top of your 5% discount.

We set these incentives up deliberately. We think clubs that are operating to a high standard, investing in their members, and taking safeguarding and compliance seriously should pay less, not more. That's the direction we want to keep travelling in together.

If you have any questions about any of these changes, drop us a message at customerservices@bmaba.org.uk or reach out through MyBMABA.

We're always happy to talk through what's right for your club, although remember we can't give advice when it comes to insurance as it's a regulated service.

You don't need to take any action for the new benefits - they'll be waiting for you either at renewal, or within MyBMABA, with the named instructor cover benefits live automatically on 4th April.

Here's to a great 2026/27!