Birthday parties, summer camps, public demonstrations, tournaments and off-site seminars may or may not be covered under some policies. Some companies will either not allow tournaments or may charge high premiums to add that activity to your coverage. If you host tournaments and camps, ask this question before you buy. With my policies camps and tournaments are free if just your own students or a small nominal charge if it is an open tournament or a summer camp for non-students. All of my policies cover these additional activities.
Don's Top 10 Tips for Selecting a Martial Arts Liability Policy
Need AIKIDO or IAIDO Liability Insurance?
"Relax. Don's got you covered!"
Our martial arts liability insurance representative is Don Baldwin of Castle Rock, Colorado. We've been working with Don for years and have always been very happy with the prompt, fair, educational, and hassle-free service we get from him. Don has been in the insurance industry for 28 years, has literally thousands of active clients all across the United States and he is licensed to issue martial arts insurance policies in all 50 states. He presently represents over 200 Aikido dojos from all sorts of affiliations include United States Aikido Federation (USAF), Aikido Schools of Ueshiba (ASU), and many independent Aikido dojos.
First Name:
Last Name:
E-mail Address:
Confirm e-mail:
Contact Phone:
Call (720) 221-3665
How many students do you currently have?
Castle Rock AIKIDO
Fill out this short form and we'll have Don contact you right away to give you a QUICK QUOTE for your Aikido or other martial arts program. There is no financial commitment to completing this form.
Traditional Japanese Martial Arts Exclusively for Adults
In what state is your dojo/school/academy?
"Yes! Don now offers financing
for martial arts liability insurance policies."
Aikido is thought by many to be the "art of peace." However, we still live in a very litigious society. In most states it is required to have martial arts liability insurance. However, it is also the intelligent thing to have regardless of whether or not it is required. Accidents do occasionally happen and there is nothing worse than trying to get your martial arts school off the ground and suddenly being hit with a lawsuit for which you don't have sufficient coverage.
Don truly understand the insurance needs of the Aikido community because Don is a student of Aikido! He trains with us here at Castle Rock AIKIDO & IAIDO.
Don Baldwin
Martial Arts Insurance Agent & Student of Castle Rock AIKIDO
First Name:
Last Name:
E-mail Address:
Confirm e-mail:
Contact Phone:
How many students do you currently have?
Fill out this short form and we'll have Don contact you right away to give you a QUICK QUOTE for your Aikido or other martial arts program. There is no financial commitment to completing this form.
In what state is your dojo/school/academy?
These are Don's Top Red Flags to watch out for BEFORE you purchase an insurance policy for your Aikido, Iaido, or other martial arts school.
RED FLAG! #1 - INSUFFICIENT COVERAGE
Read your lease carefully (preferably before you sign it)! What are the insurance requirements? While most leases require $1,000,000 in liability coverage, some landlords require higher liability limits, property coverage, glass coverage, business interruption, auto liability and workers compensation. These extra coverage’s can add up to a lot of money. I can meet your coverage needs and save you some money.
RED FLAG! #2 - PAYING TOO MUCH
You can save significant amounts of money by selecting an agent (like me) who specializes exclusively in writing coverage for martial arts schools. Generally, we are more knowledgeable about the nature of your business and can offer better pricing. Also, most insurance companies tout martial arts schools as very high risk and thus either will not insure them or charge very high premiums. This isn't true. Most martial arts schools will NEVER have a claim. Some insurance underwriters erroneously assume that all martial arts schools engage in what they see in a no-holds-barred, televised MMA bout or what they've seen in a Bruce Lee or Steven Seagal movie. However, the loss history for the martial arts industry simply doesn't bear this out and you shouldn't be financially penalized their ignorance!
RED FLAG! #3 - INSUFFICIENT CREDENTIALS
Make sure the insurance company is licensed to do business in your state and it's approved and admitted. Generally your state insurance department can provide this information. I'm licensed in all 50 states, and only use approved, and admitted insurance carriers.
RED FLAG! #4 - INSUFFICIENT RATINGS
Your insurance company should have an AM Best rating of “A” or better. AM Best rates the financial strength of insurance companies and this information can be obtained from the AM Best website (www.ambest.com) or from your insurance broker. My insurance companies have an A rating or better.
RED FLAG! #5 - PARTICIPANT EXCLUSION
Does the policy have a “participant exclusion”? It shouldn't. If it does... run like hell! It may sound hard to believe, but some rather unscrupulous companies will include a "participant exclusion endorsement" effectively giving you no coverage at all if a student is injured! But that's why you're getting martial arts insurance! My policies never include participant exclusions.
RED FLAG! #6 - DESIGNATED PREMISE EXCLUSION
Similarly be equally weary of a "designated premises exclusions". If you see this exclusion... run like hell! This dubious term means that you are only covered at your school and not off site locations like a satellite school, public demonstration, or tournament. Or, if you take your class to the park on a warm sunny afternoon to work out, with this exclusion, you have no coverage. My policies never include "designated premises exclusions."
RED FLAG! #7 - WEAPONS EXCLUSION
Does your policy include a "Weapons Exclusion"? If so, again, run like hell! Also make sure there are no protective gear requirements. These, too, can leave you open to denial of coverage. Insurance companies love to take your money but most don’t want to give it back and are always looking for a way to deny a claim. My policies have no such exclusions.
RED FLAG! #8 - INSUFFICIENT ADDITIONAL INSUREDS
If you have signed a formal lease, make sure your landlord is listed on the policy as an additional insured. Here is why. Most leases contain an indemnity clause which basically states that if the landlord is pulled into a lawsuit as a result of your negligence, you will provide defense costs and attorney’s fees for the landlord. However, if you are smart enough to have your landlord listed on your policy as an additional insured, your insurance company will provide the defense costs. Since attorneys charge on the average of $250 an hour, you would much rather have your insurance company provide this service than pay it out of your pocket! It's also a good idea to have volunteer instructors and independent contractor instructor listed on your policy as additional insureds. The cost to add an additional insured is sometimes free but some companies do charge a small nominal fee to process the paperwork. If you're my client, adding and removing additional insured are always free and there is no limit to the number of additional insureds you can list on your policy.
RED FLAG! #9 - FAILURE TO COVER SPECIAL EVENTS
RED FLAG! #10 - POOR OR SLOW SERVICE
Last but not least, does the agent provide good service? You may be surprised to hear that most schools never have a claim. So what you are really buying in a policy is good service. You'll want someone to issue insurance certificate quickly, return phone calls fast and respond promptly to your emails and faxes. Ask for references! I've got hundreds of them! And, when you're my client, you'll always speak with me directly. I'm just one phone call away. You'll speak with me, not an anonymous claims agent, a could-care-less receptionist, or automated voice attendant at a big insurance company.
CLICK HERE for martial arts insurance Do's and Don'ts!
This webpage is an advertisement for the Don Baldwin. His insurance business is not formally affiliated in any way with Castle Rock AIKIDO or FFN, LLC.
