Is my child's jiu jitsu gym safe? Eight questions to ask
You do not need to know jiu jitsu to ask good questions. Here is what any academy should be able to answer in a minute, and what a good answer sounds like.
Eight questions
Ask them of any academy, whether or not it is in this program. A good academy will be glad you asked.
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Who will coach my child, and have they been screened and trained?
A good answer
Names the coaches, including assistants, and says what screening and training each has completed and when it expires.
Should give you pause
A vague answer. An answer that covers only the head coach. A screen or training that happened once, years ago, with nothing since.
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Is there a written code of conduct, and can I read it?
A good answer
Hands you the document, or points to where it is posted.
Should give you pause
"Everyone knows the rules." Nothing written down.
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What is the policy on private lessons and one on one time with minors?
A good answer
Describes a rule you could see and interrupt: private lessons in view of others, a parent welcome to stay, never behind a closed door.
Should give you pause
No rule. Or "you can trust him."
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How are changing rooms and bathrooms supervised?
A good answer
Separates adults and children, or sets times, and names who is responsible.
Should give you pause
Adults and children change together and no one is paying attention.
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Who else is on the mat with the kids?
A good answer
Knows who assists in kids classes and whether adult members ever join, and applies the same screening and conduct rules to them.
Should give you pause
Anyone who shows up can help out.
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How do you check who joins the academy?
A good answer
Describes what is checked at registration, tells you honestly that no check catches everyone, and explains what happens when something comes up.
Should give you pause
"We check everyone thoroughly" with a guarantee attached. Or no one has thought about who registers.
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What happens if I have a concern or need to report something?
A good answer
Names a person, gives you a way to reach them, and says what happens next, including when the academy would contact authorities.
Should give you pause
"Bring it to the coach," when the coach is the concern.
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Is anyone here trained in CPR and first aid?
A good answer
Names who is certified and says the certification is current.
Should give you pause
No one is sure.
What youth martial arts safety standards look like
Jiu jitsu, judo, wrestling, and MMA put adults and children on the same mat, in close contact, often in the same changing rooms. No law or governing body sets safety standards for most martial arts academies in the United States, so the standards are whatever the owner decides. The eight questions above are the standard in question form. In list form, a well run academy has:
- Coaches screened against public records before they teach
- Coaches trained in abuse prevention, mandated reporting, and CPR and first aid, with current certificates
- A written code of conduct covering one on one contact, changing rooms, and messaging with minors
- A named person and a written process for concerns
- A check on who registers, with an honest account of its limits
That list is what Safe Academy 360 certifies an academy against. An academy that meets it without the program is doing the right thing too; the certification is how a parent can check without taking the owner's word for it.
What a Safe Academy 360 listing tells you
An academy listed in the directory, or whose placard checks out on verify, has met the program's requirements as of the certified date shown. That means:
- Each of its coaches was screened against public records before anything else
- Each coach completed SafeSport, mandated reporter, and CPR and first aid training, and the certificates are on file
- The academy adopted a written code of conduct
- New registrations are checked against public records and sex offender registries
- Each credential is tracked to its own expiry date, and the listing shows when renewal is due
Safe Academy 360 is an independent third party verifier. The academy did not certify itself.
What it does not tell you
It does not tell you anything about any individual. No coach's screening result is published, and no listing says a person is safe, because a screen cannot establish that.
It does not tell you that no one at the academy has a record. Registry and public records data is incomplete, matching is imperfect, and no screening catches everyone.
It does not replace the eight questions above. It is a reason to expect good answers, and a way to check that the academy's own claims about screening and training hold up.
It is not a government program, a license, or an endorsement by any sports body.
Checking a placard
A certified academy displays a placard with a certificate number. Enter that number on the verify page, or scan the placard's code, to confirm it is current. If the number is not found, tell us at support@rollpay.co.