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NAPMA | Safe Training Environment Initiative

Safe Environment: School Owner Checklist

A practical first-line review for martial arts schools, BJJ academies and MMA gyms. Print this page, walk your school with it, and write down every gap you find.

1  People & Accountability

• Designate a safeguarding officer and a backup—not only the owner.
• Screen every adult with meaningful student access before contact; include background checks and references.
• Train owners, instructors, assistants, volunteers and teen leaders annually on abuse, grooming, bullying, harassment and reporting.
• Keep a current roster showing screening, training and renewal dates.

2  Boundaries & Training Practices

• Keep adult/minor interactions observable and interruptible, including private lessons.
• Require parent-visible or organization-monitored communication with minors; prohibit secret messaging.
• Explain physical contact before demonstrating or correcting; contact must be necessary, appropriate and instructionally relevant.
• Create specific rules for grappling, stretching, spotting, changing areas, bathrooms, transportation, travel and overnight events.
• Do not allow instructors to use rank, promotion, employment or team selection to pressure a student into personal or sexual conduct.

3  Conduct & Inclusion

• Adopt written rules prohibiting sexual misconduct, grooming, physical or emotional abuse, bullying, hazing, harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
• Protect adult students and employees—not only children—including women and others vulnerable to power-imbalanced misconduct.
• Set rules for student-to-student behavior, online conduct, photos/video and partner selection.
• Teach staff to intervene early in boundary violations instead of waiting for proof of abuse.

4  Reporting & Response

• Post at least two reporting routes, including one that bypasses the school owner or accused person.
• Make emergency, child-protection, law-enforcement and mandatory-reporting procedures easy to find.
• When a concern is received: protect, listen, document, report and preserve evidence—do not conduct a secret amateur investigation.
• Prohibit retaliation and protect confidentiality as far as law and safety permit.
• Remove or restrict access immediately when reasonably necessary while authorities or qualified reviewers act.

5  Facility, Family & Review

• Eliminate hidden or isolated spaces; maintain visibility while protecting privacy in bathrooms and changing areas.
• Give parents and students the conduct rules, reporting options and right to observe training.
• Review incidents, near misses, complaints and policy exceptions for patterns.
• Audit this checklist, policies, training and screening at least annually—and correct gaps in writing.