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There are 21,339 martial arts schools and 13,025 martial arts instructors in the United States. The median income of martial arts instructors is 19.48 per hour or $40,510 per year. On the other hand, martial arts schools earn as much as $14,000 per year in small cities up to $100,000 a year in big cities.
Many want to learn martial arts in the United States. The most recent data shows that there are at least 3.42 million people, ages 6 years old and older, who are enrolled at dojos. With that said, martial arts schools and martial arts instructors teach a lot of people. The problem with teaching many people is that exposures resulting in legal liability and financial loss are more likely to happen. And so, it’s best to have martial art insurance as immediate protection.
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Martial arts insurance is a collective term for specific insurance products that provide protection against the exposures associated with teaching karate, mixed martial arts (MMA), Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, and Aikido.
Also, insurance for martial arts is available as business insurance for martial arts instructors, gyms, schools, clubs, and studios. This bundles liability insurance and commercial property insurance for more comprehensive protection. Also, martial arts business insurance allows for customization so that the policyholder has control over premiums, policy limit, and exposures covered.
The most common martial arts liability insurance instructors and schools get are general liability and professional liability insurance.
General liability insurance offers protection when a student files a personal injury claim or property damage claim against the instructor or the school’s management. A martial arts instructor or martial arts school can face legal liability for any injuries or property damage a student experiences during a sparring session or during the demonstration.
Having general liability insurance will be extremely helpful. Settlement for property damage can be as costly as $100,000. As for personal injuries, it depends on which body part was affected. And so, here’s a table that outlines the cost:
| Type of Injury | Settlement Cost |
|---|---|
| Arm Fracture | $65,000 |
| Leg Fracture | $83,000 |
| Head Injury | $80,000 |
| Eye Injury | $48,282 |
| Jaw Injury | $76,329 |
| Shoulder Injury | $156,000 |
| Knee Injury | $114,293 |
Professional liability insurance, on the other hand, will apply if a student files a lawsuit against the martial arts instructor or martial arts school by reason of negligence. Negligence claims mostly happen when:
When there’s failure to assist the student during training
The instructor or school didn’t take into account the difficulty of the lesson with regards to the student’s health
A student got severely injured during a sparring session because of faulty safety gear
The instructor or school failed to assess an injury the student experienced during training
Negligence lawsuits against martial arts instructors and martial schools can be costly. The settlement is $30,000 - $100,000 or more without insurance.
What if curious guests visit a martial arts gym, decide to give it a try, and end up injured? Will professional liability or general liability in martial arts gym insurance provide coverage? The answer is no. The policy that will take care of claims from visitors and other entities not directly associated with the martial arts gym is public liability insurance for martial arts business
Martial arts clubs and organizations can get insured through martial arts club insurance or business insurance for martial arts. Policies included in insurance for martial art clubs and organizations are:
Property insurance
General liability insurance
Professional liability insurance
Directors and officers liability insurance
Public liability insurance
Remember that carriers require the following from anyone who wishes to qualify for martial arts club insurance:
The organization or club must have 20 members or more
The organization or club must be registered to federal or state agencies
The organization or club must provide proof of non-fraudulent or non-terrorist activity
The organization or club must provide a copy of its constitution and by-laws as well as its organizational structure
Try to check out the martial arts club insurance of Protectivity. A lot of customers opt to work with this company because its policies are underwritten by AXA XL. Also, Protectivity insures 150 types of martial arts clubs.
Before giving the answer, allow us to clarify one thing: martial arts instructors can be self-defense instructors whereas self-defense instructors may or may not be martial arts instructors . Some self-defense instructors teach karate, taekwondo, or any other combat sports as self-defense. While others teach conventional hand-to-hand combat or weapons handling. The perfect example is military veterans who are teaching self-defense.
Self-defense instructors that teach martial arts can get insured through martial arts insurance. However, those that teach weapons handling or hand-to-hand combat can only get insured through self defense instructor insurance, which has:
General liability
Products and completed operations
Damage to rented property
Professional liability
The policy limit of the coverages in self defense instructor insurance is $1 million up to $5 million. But understand that having a greater policy limit will result in expensive premiums.
Note that insurance for self-defense instructors is available as a short-term policy or per session only policy. To decide which to get, it's best to consult websites that allow for self-defense insurance comparison such as CoverWallet, GoCompare, and Zebra.
Martial arts instructor insurance only offers liability coverage. In addition, a customer can opt to get it as a short-term policy that only lasts for hours, days, or months.
Martial arts school insurance doesn’t only offer liability coverage but also other policies that offer protection against business interruption, lawsuits from employees, and damage to business property.
Martial arts instructor insurance is best for those who get paid by dojos to do sessions. As for those who are running their own martial arts dojo, it’s better to purchase insurance for martial arts schools.
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Martial arts insurance for instructors costs $43 a month or $516 a year for a $1 million general liability policy
Martial arts clubs and organizations pay $86 a month or $1,032 a year for a $1 million general liability policy
Martial arts insurance cost for large martial arts studios is $295 a month or 3,548 a year for a $1 million general liability policy
Are you not sure which insurance company to choose and what are factors to consider? To help you, this section discusses the best martial arts insurance companies and what they offer through martial arts insurance reviews. Read to know their pros, cons, and pricing for a $1 million general liability coverage.
| Insuranks rating | 10/10 |
|---|---|
| Best for | Karate insurance quotes comparison |
| Average cost | $39 |
| Year Founded | September 2015 and acquired by AON at 2020 |
| CEO | Inaki Beringuer (former) |
| Headquarters | 101 Avenue of the Americas 18th Floor New York, NY 10013 United States |
| Customer Support | (646) 844-9933 |
| AM Best Rating | A ( excellent) |
| BBB Rating | A+ |
| Number of Complaints | 158 |
Coverwallet Insurance has been in operation for many years and is now an AON company. The company offers martial arts insurance quote comparison online services from leading carriers. With Coverwallet, you will enjoy tailored martial arts insurance coverage at great rates that will protect your business against any claims.
Coverwallet offers martial arts insurance quotes comparison online for both general and professional liability insurance for martial arts, as well as all other possible policy types, like commercial vehicle insurance, workers compensation, commercial property insurance, and business owners policy.
| Insuranks rating | 9.5/10 |
|---|---|
| Best for | Martial arts instructors |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| CEO | Jay Bregman |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Customer Support | hello@verifly.com |
| AM Best Rating | A+ ( excellent) |
| BBB Rating | A+ |
| Number of Complaints | 53 |
Thimble Insurance Company is known for its tailored on-demand business insurance coverage options. Thimble Insurance has high membership thanks to its innovative products, reliability, online accessibility, and steadfastness. > Thimble offers different types of martial arts business insurance coverage. Apart from general liability insurance, Thimble offers tailored professional liability insurance for martial arts studios at affordable rates.
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Martial arts insurance can be categorized into different types based on which combat sports its terms apply. Let’s talk about karate insurance first, which offers karate liability insurance and property insurance. This policy is great for those who teach:
Shotokan
Gojo-Ryu
Uechi-Ryu
Wado-Ryu
Shorin-Ryu
Kyokushin
Shito-Ryu
Ashihara
Chito-Ryu
Enshin
Kishimoto-di
Karate instructor insurance has general liability and professional liability coverages. The policy limit starts at $1 million up to $2 million. Personal injuries it covers are fractures, contusions, sprains, and strains.
Karate school insurance offers commercial property coverage, directors and officers liability coverage, and commercial auto insurance aside from general and professional liability coverage. The policy limit of commercial property coverage is $1 million for damage to business structures and $100,000 for equipment breakdown. Directors and officers liability provides a $1 million policy limit for attorney fees, other legal costs, and compensation for damages. Commercial auto insurance has the same policy limit as director's and officer's liability.
Nationwide
Idea Health and Fitness Association
Sports Cover Direct
Sometimes, Jiu-Jitsu instructors and schools might find it difficult to qualify for a generic martial arts insurance as the combat sport is riskier as compared to Karate or Taekwondo. And so, going for a specialized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu insurance that accounts for the unique exposures associated with BJJ is the only option. Coverage in Jiu-Jitsu insurance are:
General liability
Professional liability
Commercial property
General liability coverage in BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu insurance) provides compensation for cauliflower ear, spinal injury, knee injury, neck injury, and torn tendons and ligaments. Professional liability covers instances of wrongful death. Finally, commercial property covers Jiu Jitsu equipment such as groin protectors, ear protectors, knee pads, and grappling gloves.
Camp Team
Nationwide
MMA and BJJ are not the same. And so, BJJ insurance can’t cater to the exposures MMA schools and instructors face.
Mixed martial arts insurance has the best protection for MMA schools and instructors. It offers the following policies:
General liability
Professional liability
Equipment Coverage
Having mixed martial arts insurance is very important. Personal injury, property damage, and professional negligence lawsuits cost mixed martial arts instructors and schools $65,000 on average. Also, note that students can easily suffer injuries as MMA’s execution is very rabid and meant to incapacitate the opponent. Also, without insurance, the replacement for MMA equipment can be as expensive as $10,000 or more.
K&K Insurance
Karate Insurance
Markel
Taekwondo is one of the most popular martial arts in the United States. Data shows that there are at least 1.5 million - 7 million Americans engaged in Taekwondo sessions held by the American Taekwondo Association and other Taekwondo organizations. And so, carriers offer a specialized insurance program for the exposures associated with this combat sport.
Taekwondo insurance has the following policies:
Public liability insurance
Professional liability insurance
Equipment coverage
Sexual harassment coverage
Taekwondo insurance can help a lot. On average, personal injury lawsuits against taekwondo studios and taekwondo instructors require compensation of $75,000 up to $135,000. But sexual harassment lawsuits can be more costly. Here’s an example:
Taekwondo instructor, Marc Scott Gitelman, had to pay $60 million after his three students filed a sexual harassment lawsuit ( source )
Protectivity
Nationwide
Thimble
Kung Fu insurance is included in standard insurance for martial arts. Schools and instructors that can get protection through insurance are those teaching:
Wing Chun
Tai Chi
Baji Quan
Baguazhang
Shaolin Kung Fu
Muay Thai involves the use of one’s elbows, knees, knuckles, and legs to defeat an opponent. This martial art from Thailand has its own distinct executions and techniques. Muay Thai instructors face exposures that are unique from the exposures karate instructors or taekwondo instructors face.
Carriers offer specialized Muay Thai insurance for Muay Thai instructors and schools. It includes the following policies:
Muay Thai studio property insurance
Muay Thai liability insurance
Muay Thai training is still difficult even though organizations imposed strict regulations to make the combat sport safer for practitioners. Schools and instructors teaching Muay Thai should have Muay Thai insurance because settlement for personal injuries like bruised ribs, sprained wrists, cut head, and damaged teeth can scale up to $146,000 on average.
Thimble
Insure and Go
Nationwide
Aikido is all about using the strength of one’s enemy to win. Unlike MMA or BJJ, this combat sport isn’t that risky. Nonetheless, injuries can still happen during training, and Aikido instructors and schools can face liability. And so, there are carriers that offer specialized Aikido insurance having:
General liability coverage
Professional liability coverage
Public liability coverage
Interestingly, Aikido insurance also offers lost income coverage if Aikido instructors can’t report to work because of an illness or injury. Through lost income coverage, Aikido insurance can give the policyholder a $1,017 allowance a month.
Carriers also offer a personal accident option, which is useful for Aikido instructors who are worried about the rehabilitation cost of severe injuries.
Sadler Sports
Markel
Nationwide
CoverWallet
Igomag
Tai Chi is a martial art characterized by slow movements that help to improve focus and control of one’s body. The benefits of Tai Chi include the reduction of muscle pain, knee osteoarthritis, back pain, and management of Parkinson’s disease. And so, it’s no wonder that the elderly look for the help of Tai Chi instructors.
There’s insurance for Tai Chi instructors. Most Tai Chi insurance carriers only offer liability insurance mainly:
General liability
Professional liability
Premises liability
Thimble
CMF Group
West Point Insurance
Namasta
Your martial arts insurance program might offer kickboxing insurance coverage. Specific policies that you’ll get are $1 million general liability insurance, $1 million professional liability insurance, and personal accident insurance. Note that only a few insurance companies offer kickboxing coverage in their martial arts insurance as the sport is very perilous. Read the fine print of your policy to see the excluded and included activities.
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