Administrative requirements to open a dojo

[Spartacus Maximus]

There has probably been several topics on opening a dojo already, but for the sake of sharing information here is a question about administration:

Teaching experience and martial arts skills aside, what kind of requirements are needed for someone to publicly teach martial arts? Are there specific permits, certificates or licenses for this purpose? What is the process in your area of residence or familiarity?

[chiliphil1]

This is a great question! I am eager to hear the answer myself as I am on the cusp of opening one myself. I just haven't yet looked into all of it.. Sorry I cannot offer any help.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I think it is obvious that you have a WWCC (Working with Childrens Check), First Aid + CPR, Police Check (if required by state). And have various other certificates in regards to asthma, anaphalaxysis etc.

I know it isn't mandatory but good idea to is to have membership with a state or national level federation. That way you have better access to courses, tournaments, camps, instructors (some offer it).

Otherwise I'm not entirely sure. Maybe Sensei8 may be one of the best to answer this.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Police records and background checks are a very good idea, but they remain mostly optional. The countries and jurisdiction where it is mandatory are not as numerous from what I found.

@NidanMelbourne: do you know what is mandatory in Australia?

For safety reasons, there really is no such thing as too many qualifications or paperwork. For simplicity's sake I would like to have an idea on what the minimum mandatory requirements. Things without which it would be illegal or extremely risky to teach the public.

Martial arts specific insurance policies exist, but not everywhere. In my locality, both the individual participants and the place must have insurance for maximum coverage for extreme contact sports. What about everyone?

[Nidan Melbourne]

In Australia i know a WWCC is Compulsory (obviously), Police Check i think was a recommendation for a while.

First Aid is always a must along with appropriate extra certs for anaphalaxis and asthma treatment.

Since I'm running classes on my own for sensei when he can't, he said i had to have First Aid Level 2 and WWCC which i have both already.

I think it comes down to what qualifications you have and are going to get along with the policies in place that you will have. Also location of where you are going to teach will have their own policies in regards to injury etc.

I'm pretty sure most states would prefer you align with the state federation along with the national federation. As to ensure that you have some added coverage for insurance. But obviously you need your own schools insurance to cover injury

[Spartacus Maximus]

Some countries have specific insurance packages for martial arts on both the individual level and for dojo/facilities. I have seen these advertisements in several places but it seems to be from USA. I wonder if these exist elsewhere.

In my locality, certificates to work with youth or children are strongly recommended but only if one expects to teach youth or children. Obviously it is not needed for someone dealing with just adults.

There are many highly recommended certifications but all of them are optional. Insurance seems to be the only thing required by local law. As far as qualifications are concerned, anyone wishing to be a trainer, coach or sports instructor of any kind must have passed a short seminar course. This completed over a week or so and includes training for emergency first aid, CPR and AED machine use. Unfortunately it is very easy for just about anyone to teach privately in their own space with none of these things.

[Montana]

It will; vary from city to city, state to state, or country to country. No one here can really answer your question because of the many variables involved.

In general though, what has been said already makes a good p-lace to start.

[yamesu]

And then there is the business side of things:

-Attendance Lists.

-Book keeping for tax time.

-Business registration and listings.

-Advertising.

Etc etc etc.

A lot of the book keeping and attendance can be done on simple spread sheets for a single dojo, but once things get more complex, a better system will probably be required.

[Spartacus Maximus]

This topic is intended as an information thread, so the more different answers the better it is for everyone reading it.

One more thing to add as a general requirement is the difference between owning a space and renting one, such as in a sports centre. In using a rented space, the owner will most likely have some insurance policy offering some coverage for users. It is advisable to verify this when searching for a dojo space.

[bushido_man96]

Many governing bodies have their own requirements for instructors. Things like instructor certification within an organization might lend itself to the NGB covering you with their insurance. Certain requirements to attain instructor status will likely be in place by the NGB, like first-aid/CPR certification, among other requirements.

If you are planning to teach under a governing body, check with them to find out what your requirements to become and instructor are.