Why Choose a Certified Martial Arts Instructor

Most instructors are great people, trying to teach fun, and useful arts that go well beyond self-defense, improving the body and mind through many aspects of life. Unfortunately in any group there are always bad apples…

There are many cases of reported abuse, including physical, emotional, and sexual, from martial arts instructors against students of all ages, sizes, and of both sexes. There are also countless cases of unreported assault and other abuse that occurred behind closed doors that we know nothing about.

And yet most instructors work very hard to prevent this exact thing from happening in other parts of their students’ lives… That’s why MACA supports the best instructors and their good intentions.

The authoritative and traditional nature of martial arts school culture can help devious criminals disguise treacherous behavior behind a veil of school secrecy. Also, because martial arts can involve physical domination, there is an element of intimidation between instructor and student. The despicable instructors intentionally increase the intimidation level to stroke their own egos and occasionally to coerce students into doing things they wouldn’t normally do.. this could be as simple as cleaning the instructor’s car down to sexual assault.

It is extremely unfortunate that many instructors rely purely on intimidation to gain the respect of their students. This is linked to insecurity and can result in outrage and even violence when these people are questioned or confronted. Even the slightest slip during a class demonstration can create a potentially embarrassing situation that the instructor cannot handle, and so the instructor reacts by injuring and/or berating the student or assistant.

The staff members and investigators at MACA work very hard to insure that only the best martial artists attain the credential of Certified Martial Artist. Our instructors have undergone extensive background investigations and have had their martial arts ranks, certifications, and competition records verified. Our Certified members are charged with upholding our Code of Ethics which puts the safety and interests of the students first and foremost.

You can rest assured that when you go into a school run by a Certified Martial Artist, you're going to find an experienced professional who will help you learn what you need to know and won't berate you or try to take advantage of you.