What this about licensing?

[yamesu]

As far as i know in Australia you can teach Martial Arts anywhere but if you are 'busking' or doing a demonstration you need a permit but from what i read you don't need one.

at my school we rent a room at a rec center and we didn't need to register.

This has been an iffy issue for some time now, and is down to different Local Government Areas.

Some Councils will make you pay for the right to use a public space to make money (no different to PT work or setting up a food stall as far as business goes).

I have a personal gripe with this too. Nothing worse than going down to use the fitness equipment in my local park only to find some Crossfit instructor with their gear strewn everywhere and using ever bar in sight! Worse is, they are using our public space to make a buck, and pushing other people out.

Other than that, anyone would have to be a fool to be teaching without having a registered business, with the right levels of both Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurances.

[Nidan Melbourne]

As far as i know in Australia you can teach Martial Arts anywhere but if you are 'busking' or doing a demonstration you need a permit but from what i read you don't need one.

at my school we rent a room at a rec center and we didn't need to register.

This has been an iffy issue for some time now, and is down to different Local Government Areas.

Some Councils will make you pay for the right to use a public space to make money (no different to PT work or setting up a food stall as far as business goes).

I have a personal gripe with this too. Nothing worse than going down to use the fitness equipment in my local park only to find some Crossfit instructor with their gear strewn everywhere and using ever bar in sight! Worse is, they are using our public space to make a buck, and pushing other people out.

Other than that, anyone would have to be a fool to be teaching without having a registered business, with the right levels of both Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurances.

I hate seeing people who do that and make it difficult for others to enjoy the open space.

I have many friends who are PT's and use parks for space and ensure that their gear isn't spread out making it annoying for others. They keep everything in a pile around a tree and to keep in tidy. And also allow fellow PT's to use the gear when they aren't using it.

And all the PT's use one area which is away from the areas that are commonly used by the public. So they are all together

[RAM18]

There is one main reason for licensing. Insurance!

Your school licenses through an affiliate body. In the UK my school uses http://www.nakmas.org.uk/ These affiliates provide insurance to your school in case someone breaks a leg a sues you!! They also hold a register of every school and a register of every blackbelt associated.

[Nidan Melbourne]

There is one main reason for licensing. Insurance!

Your school licenses through an affiliate body. In the UK my school uses http://www.nakmas.org.uk/ These affiliates provide insurance to your school in case someone breaks a leg a sues you!! They also hold a register of every school and a register of every blackbelt associated.

Well not everywhere really. In Australia we can apply for insurance through the Australian Karate Federation, but also through insurers available to the public.

But It makes things easier to apply through the AKF when applying for membership with them.

[IcemanSK]

In the US, all you need, really is liability insurance to cover any problems. In fact, you really don't need that; but it would be really stupid. There are more than a few schools where the "instructor" is barely trained at all in any Art. They don't last long, but there's little to keep the guy from taking money, packing up & opening up a school in another town. It doesn't happen often, but occasionally.

[Spartacus Maximus]

In North America the situation is a freeforall as others have already described. As for most countries in Europe, there are national federations that issue grades and authorizes people to teach. However, in practice there is practically no way to stop anyone from instructing. If one chooses to teach in a public place such as a park, one has to consider the possibility of being disrupted or heckled.

Being registered or recognized by a governing body is not illegal nor is it realistically enforced in any way anywhere. Neither is teaching without insurance or actual qualifications or skills. It is just incredibly stupid and setting oneself up for potential liability if an accident/incident happens. Some parks and public places have regulations about what sorts of activities are allowed on the grounds, thus may require a license or permission from the park authorities.

As for Registering one's hands with authorities is a old myth that just refuses to die down despite being debunked countless times.

[LLLEARNER]

You don't need any kind of certification to teach. Having some credentials will be beneficial to your endeavor, though. Being a black belt is a good start. Years of experience will be another factor, etc.

As for finding a building to rent at and teach out of, it can be more sticky there. Before a landlord decides to let you teach people how to fight, they might like the idea of you being credentialed in some way, affiliated with an organization, or perhaps insured in some way. Those are all things you need to check with the landlord, and perhaps any local codes or business bureaus.

It depends on where you are. Even in the US some places are starting to see a way to make money by taxing use of public land when a business uses it. You teaching for money in some cases would, to them, constitute a business to tax.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The best and quickest way to get a satisfactory answer is to directly contact whoever the authority may be. For parks and other similar public places it should be fairly easy to find a name and contact information for inquiring what is or is not allowed.

[MatsuShinshii]

Hello. I have been doing martial arts for a little over 15 years now. Its always been my dream to become an instructor. After just recently receiving my BB, This dream is coming closer to fruition. I started training a few interested individuals in a public park 2 people to be exact. After my training session someone had approached me and asked if i had a license to practice and teach? Well it was more like " I hope you have a license to practice and teach!" To my confusion i simply replied "Well I do have certification proving Im a black belt" Gave me the 1000 yard stare and i walked off. So here is my concern, Short of signing a contract with a landlord regarding lease agreements, do you need legal documents to teach and train in a park or public place (beach, my backyard ect....). Do you need special licensing to teach in a facility like a rented space like in a mall or plaza or recreation center? How many of you guys have your hands registered? I am only asking because I dont want to get in trouble and I dont want to give other practitioners a bad rap.

At this time I am going tot ask my predecessors, but i would like to here more from people who have been instructing for a while.

Please bestow me with your knowledge.......

You do not need a license to teach like you would need a license to practice medicine or teach at a college.

However he may be referring to teaching licenses (Renshi, Kyoshi, Hanshi) that some organizations utilize to prove that you have qualifications to teach others. However this does not necessarily prove anything either since most instructors start teaching at Sandan, and some even earlier depending on the organizations protocol, and Renshi is typically not granted until Yondan to Rokudan in most traditional schools.

I have no idea what this guy was talking about but my bet is he was testing you or just messing with you.

[sensei8]

Yeah, I'd just walk away while shaking my head and snickering to myself!! Ah, the things that people ask!!