Author: Bret Gordon
I am both honored and humbled at the amount of inquiries we've received to join the US Association of Martial Arts over the last few days as a result of the recent attention by our detractors. There is a silver lining in everything I guess. Rather than typing largely the same response in numerous emails, I thought it would be best to write this article detailing the entire membership process that I can then link new inquiries to.
The absolute first step in the membership process is to fill out the form on the "Join USAMA --> Individual Membership" page of this website (click here). After that, you will be contacted by either myself or one of our officers to begin the application process.
The absolute first step in the membership process is to fill out the form on the "Join USAMA --> Individual Membership" page of this website (click here). After that, you will be contacted by either myself or one of our officers to begin the application process.
Membership into the US Association of Martial Arts is for instructors, and therefore you must hold a minimum of Dan grade ranking or equivalent in your style. Yellow belts should not be joining an organization independently of their instructor. After filling out the form above, you will be asked to supply a series of documents:
- Proof of rank
- This must be a physical certificate (scanned copy will suffice) and no digital diplomas are accepted. We then contact the issuing authority for verification, as well as look into their authority to issue such credentials in the first place. If they cannot be contacted, as often happens with an in-school certification that later shuts down or the instructor passes away, the prospective member may still join our organization but there will be no rank recognition offered.
- Copy of SafeSport certification
- All new members as of August 14, 2020, must complete the online training offered by the US Center for SafeSport on sexual abuse. There are no exceptions. Course can be found here.
- Valid government-issued photo ID
Once all documents are received, a background check will be done. This may be as simple as a public records search, an internet search through one of the many free service sites (BeenVerified.com, StateRecords.org, etc.), or a comprehensive background check done through a professional agency. Each case will be determined on an individual basis. The applicant cannot have any felonies within a three (3) year period prior to application, and certain offenses (murder, sexual offenses, etc.) will automatically disqualify the applicant regardless of the time since the offense.
Provided everything to this point meets our standards, you will be required to visit either our headquarters in Central Florida or our Northern Branch in Ohio. We are first and foremost a training and networking organization, so you must make the effort to train with us. Membership will not be granted to those we have never met and shared the floor with. Consider this an interview.
If you are approved for membership, there is a one-time $150.00 fee due upon acceptance. This fee entitles you to attend all sanctioned USAMA events for free for life, and visit any of our member schools nationwide so you will always have a place to train no matter where you are. As of August 12, 2020, we no longer offer certification services of any kind. Rank recognition provided in your welcome letter simply lists your rank and style, but it is not an endorsement or certification.
Provided everything to this point meets our standards, you will be required to visit either our headquarters in Central Florida or our Northern Branch in Ohio. We are first and foremost a training and networking organization, so you must make the effort to train with us. Membership will not be granted to those we have never met and shared the floor with. Consider this an interview.
If you are approved for membership, there is a one-time $150.00 fee due upon acceptance. This fee entitles you to attend all sanctioned USAMA events for free for life, and visit any of our member schools nationwide so you will always have a place to train no matter where you are. As of August 12, 2020, we no longer offer certification services of any kind. Rank recognition provided in your welcome letter simply lists your rank and style, but it is not an endorsement or certification.
