MARTIAL ARTS INDUSTRY NEWS

STOP PRESS EVENTS
MARTIAL ARTS WEAPONS LICENSING CHANGES..... How Will Affect You! ..... Can You Have Your Say?
See you can! An industry meeting has been set up with the Victoria Police for you to find out more.
1.30 -2.30pm 21st March IMA HQ See details
So you couldn't make it and want to know what happened? Don't worry we will keep you in the loop either via email (if you have sent us your details) or by attending our next meeting. So what was the main thing we found out? We found that many instructors teaching weapons have been breaking the law - How/Why Find out More!

Business Seminar with Paul Mracek 'When you need more than martial arts skills to run your Club'
Saturday 21st March Free so go to the Events Pages for more details.
Find out more about a Businesman / Martial Artist with the skills and strategies to get your Club pumping!

Free Martial Arts Insurance
This is our recession buster competition for schools to win a 12 month martial arts insurance premium. The International Martial Arts Alliance will be giving away insurance packages to cover entire schools over the next year. Find out how you can enter now!

Regular First Aid Courses (Senior/Level 2) Martial Arts Specific are now available on demand under a fine tuned delivery mode that only requires you to take one day of practical training (one session like 10am-5pm)
$150 Full Course $50 for just CPR Contact IMA for details 03 9897 3213

Member Feedback (IMA having an impact on consumers)
We are getting feedback from instructors advising us that more and more new and existing students are asking if their school is a member of the ‘International Martial Arts Alliance' and wanting to know how the instructors gained their qualifications.

What the consumers are really asking is, ‘are you professional and are you governed or use a code of practice or guided by an overseeing orginisation / peak body'. Consumers want to be confident they are choosing the right club and are looking for schools that have met and operate by some form of industry standard.

Like every other industry there are professional / peak bodies that instill consumer confidence, so by purchasing from a member of that body, they feel safe and that the trainers in this case, are qualified to teach.
Go to full report

Working with Children Card (Instructors have until30th June 2009 to obtain one)
The Working with Children (WWC) Check was introduced in Victoria in 2006. It is designed to assist in protecting children from sexual or physical harm by ensuring that people who work with, or care for, them have their suitability to do so checked by a government body.

People engaged in ‘child related work' are required to apply for a WWC Check. Under the Working with Children Act 2005 ‘

Martial Arts Clubs and Associations
Martial Arts clubs and associations that:
* provide services or conduct activities for, or directed at children or
*   whose membership is mainly comprised of children

are currently being phased-in. This means that if you are engaged in ‘child-related work' in this activity, you may need to apply for a Working with Children Check by 30 June 2009 . After this date, if you were required to apply for a WWC Check but failed to do so, it will be an offence to engage in ‘child-related work' and penalties may apply to you and your organisation. Read the full story and get an WCC Info Pack!

Working with Children Information Session 1.00-2.00pm Saturday 21st March 2009
The IMA HQ Unit 2 / 2 Kia Crt Preston Victoria will be hosting a Working with Children information session.
A representative of government will answer questions, give you information and take your applications on the day.

You helping make Martial Arts more popular in your region

In these uncertain economic times we may look at our club / business and think that we are going to lose students and possibly be forced to close the doors. When times are tough consumers cut back on their spending but still spend money on things that are important to them. For some alcohol, cigarettes and going to the footy are essential purchases while the majority believe that their health is the most important. Everyone knows if you haven't got your health your life sucks! The full story