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Terms and Conditions for Academy Safe
Welcome to the Academy Safe website. By accessing and using our website, you agree to comply with and be bound by the following Terms and Conditions. Please read them carefully before using our website. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our website.
1. Acceptance of Terms and Right to Refuse Service
By accessing and using the Academy Safe website, you agree to these Terms and Conditions, our Privacy Policy, and any additional terms and conditions that may apply to specific sections of our website or to products and services we offer. We reserve the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time, and such modifications will be effective immediately upon posting on this page.
Right to Refuse Service: Academy Safe reserves the right to suspend or refuse service, membership, or accreditation to any individual, academy, academy owner, coach, or staff member at our sole discretion, without prior notice or stated cause.
2. Purpose and Use of Website
Academy Safe provides information and resources related to the safety and regulation of martial arts academies. Our website includes resources such as safety guidelines, safety certification information, and other content intended to help ensure a safer training environment.
3. Membership and Vetting Requirements
3.1. Age Requirement for Vetting: The Academy Safe vetting process, including background screening and certification, applies only to persons eighteen (18) years of age or older. Coaches and staff members under eighteen (18) years of age are not vetted by Academy Safe and will not be listed on our website as accredited or certified personnel. Any coach or staff member, whether an employee or a volunteer and whether paid or unpaid, must begin the Academy Safe vetting process as soon as they turn eighteen (18), and the academy must notify Academy Safe when this occurs.
3.2. International Residents: For individuals who have lived outside of the USA or Canada for six (6) months or more in the past seven (7) years, they are required to purchase the International Residents background check package to cover the additional administrative costs associated with necessary international screening and compliance.
3.3. Honesty and Compliance: Academy owners and staff must be truthful and accurate regarding all items we request and verify. Any false, misleading, or deceptive statement made to Academy Safe could result in immediate removal from our site and revocation of their accreditation.
3.4. Ongoing Obligations: Academies are required to notify Academy Safe within seven (7) days when they hire any new coach or staff member, and within seven (7) days when any coach or staff member leaves or is terminated. They must ensure these new hires commence and complete our certification process. Failure to notify us or ensure compliance of new hires could result in immediate removal from our site and the revocation of the academy’s accreditation.
3.5. Full Disclosure of Coaches and Staff: Each member academy must disclose to Academy Safe every coach and staff member who is eighteen (18) years of age or older. For these Terms, a coach or staff member is any person who works, teaches, assists, or volunteers at the academy’s facility, whether paid or unpaid. Academy Safe does not conduct in-person inspections of member academies and does not independently confirm who works at an academy. Academy Safe relies on each academy to be honest and to provide a complete list. The member academy and its owners are solely responsible for any coach or staff member who is not disclosed, and Academy Safe is not responsible for any person an academy fails to disclose. Parents, guardians, students, coaches, and owners should understand that Academy Safe’s information is only as complete as what each academy discloses. Failing to disclose, or attempting to hide, any coach or staff member may result in immediate removal from our site and revocation of the academy’s accreditation.
3.6. Legal Name Requirement: Every person submitted for background screening must use their full legal name exactly as it appears on their government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license. Using a different name, nickname, alias, or incomplete name during the background screening process may result in disqualification from membership or accreditation. Fees paid will not be refunded if an applicant is disqualified under this section.
3.7. Fingerprinting and State and Local Requirements: Academy Safe’s background screening does not include fingerprinting at this time. Fingerprint-based background checks are not one of the items Academy Safe requires or verifies as part of its accreditation process.
Many states, provinces, counties, cities, and other local governments have their own rules for people who work with children. These can include fingerprinting, licensing, registration, or other screening. These rules differ from place to place. Each academy owner, coach, and staff member is solely responsible for knowing and following every law, regulation, and requirement that applies where they operate. They are also responsible for completing any required fingerprinting or screening through the proper official channels.
Academy Safe is an independent nonprofit organization. Accreditation confirms only that an academy has met the specific items Academy Safe has chosen to verify, including the 8 Pillars of Protection. Accreditation does not mean that an academy, owner, coach, or staff member complies with any federal, state, provincial, county, city, or local law or regulation. Academy Safe does not verify or enforce government requirements. It is not responsible for any person or academy that fails to meet them.
Parents and guardians who want to know whether an academy meets the requirements in their area should ask the academy directly and check with their local or state authorities.
4. Accreditation Status and Disclaimers of Liability
4.1. No Guarantee of Safety: Accreditation by Academy Safe does not and cannot guarantee safety. Accreditation means an academy has provided documentation that Academy Safe reviewed against the 8 Pillars of Protection, such as background screening, U.S. Center for SafeSport certification, CPR/First Aid & AED certification, and belt and lineage verification. It gives parents, guardians, and students an additional level of information to consider when choosing an academy. It is not a promise about how any person will behave, and it does not mean that injuries, accidents, or misconduct cannot occur. For example, a driver’s license shows that a driver has passed a driving test, but it does not guarantee that the driver will always drive safely. Accreditation works the same way.
While Academy Safe strives to set rigorous safety standards and provide valuable resources to enhance safety within martial arts academies, we cannot guarantee the safety or behavior of any individual owner, staff member, coach, gym or academy. The safety and behavior at any particular gym or academy are the sole responsibility of the gym or academy itself.
4.2. Accreditation Status Clarification: Academies can be listed on our site (e.g., in-process, informational) but may not be fully accredited by Academy Safe. The user is responsible for fully reviewing the listing page and understanding the specific accreditation status. The user assumes all risk and is responsible for their own decision to choose an academy.
4.3. Limitation of Liability: Academy Safe is not liable for any injuries, damages, or losses that result from bad behavior, misconduct, or any other issues at a gym or academy. Our role is to provide information and establish safety standards, but we cannot ensure or warrant that any specific gym or academy adheres to these standards or maintains a safe environment. You acknowledge that participation in martial arts training involves inherent risks, and you are responsible for taking appropriate measures to ensure your own safety.
4.4. Reliance on Member-Provided Information: Academy Safe is a registry that depends on the honesty and accuracy of the information provided by its members, prospective members, and applicants. Academy Safe verifies the items it requests, but it cannot guarantee that the information provided is complete or accurate. Academy Safe is not responsible for any information a member, prospective member, or applicant omits, withholds, or misstates. We recommend that parents, guardians, and students review the information on any academy’s listing directly with that academy’s owners or managers before enrolling.
5. Reporting and Enforcement Disclaimer
5.1. No Investigative Authority: Academy Safe is a nonprofit Martial Arts Safety Registry. It is not a government agency, law enforcement agency, emergency response service, child protective services agency, or investigative agency. Submitting a report of misconduct or safety concerns directly to Academy Safe or academysafe.org does not constitute a formal legal report and does not initiate an investigation by our organization. While we reserve the right to review information related to our members’ compliance, we do not have the legal authority to investigate criminal matters or act as an official regulatory body.
5.2. Reporting Immediate Danger: If you or anyone else is in immediate danger, you MUST immediately dial 911 or your local emergency services.
5.3. External Reporting: For reports regarding misconduct, abuse, or other serious safety concerns, you must refer to the agencies listed on our Resources Page. Submitting a concern to Academy Safe is not a report to authorities and does not satisfy any legal duty to report. Individuals, parents, and guardians should report incidents directly to the appropriate authorities, such as local police, Child Protective Services, or national sports governing bodies.
5.4. Concerns About Member Academies: Academy Safe reviews concerns only about current member academies. The review looks only at whether the academy continues to meet Academy Safe’s membership and accreditation standards. Academy Safe does not decide guilt, liability, or the facts of any alleged crime. Outcomes are limited to membership actions, such as requesting documents, suspending or revoking accreditation, or removing the academy from the registry.
5.5. Cooperation with Authorities: Academy Safe may share information with law enforcement or child protective services when required by law or when it believes a child may be at risk.
6. Partner Terms and Policies
Our operational and technological partners, including SportsEngine and Versant, maintain their own separate terms and conditions and privacy policies that govern your interactions with their systems (e.g., registration, payment, data handling). Please refer to the following links:
- SportsEngine Terms and Conditions: https://www.sportsengine.com/terms-and-conditions/
- Versant Privacy Policy: https://www.versantprivacy.com/privacy
7. Intellectual Property
All content on the Academy Safe website, including text, graphics, logos, images, and software, is the property of Academy Safe or its content suppliers and is protected by intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any content on this website without our express written permission.
7.1. Academy Safe Logo: No person, academy, or organization may use the Academy Safe name or logo without Academy Safe’s express written permission. Written permission sent by email from Academy Safe is acceptable. Academy Safe provides the standalone Academy Safe logo only to approved companies and partners. The only Academy Safe image approved for use by member academies is the Academy Safe Accreditation Graphic described in Section 7.2, which includes the Academy Safe logo.
7.2. Academy Safe Accreditation Graphic: Accredited member academies may display only the Academy Safe Accreditation Graphic that Academy Safe issues to them, which shows the Academy Safe logo, the academy’s name, and the accreditation expiration date. Member academies may not use the standalone Academy Safe logo. The Accreditation Graphic may be used on the academy’s website, in the academy’s social media posts, and in the academy’s print media, and only until the expiration date shown. The Accreditation Graphic must be used as issued and may not be altered, cropped, or edited in any way that removes or changes the expiration date. A new Accreditation Graphic is issued each year when accreditation is renewed. Any use of the Accreditation Graphic on a website must link to the academy’s accreditation or listing page on academysafe.org. The right to use the Accreditation Graphic ends immediately if accreditation expires, is suspended, or is revoked.
8. User Conduct
You agree to use the Academy Safe website only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. You must not engage in any activity that disrupts or interferes with the operation of the website or its servers. Unauthorized access to the website or its systems is prohibited.
9. Links to Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites that are not owned or controlled by Academy Safe. We are not responsible for the content or practices of any third-party sites. Your use of third-party sites is at your own risk, and we encourage you to review their terms and conditions and privacy policies.
10. Disclaimers
The Academy Safe website is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, regarding the operation or availability of our website or the information, content, materials, or products included on the site.
10.1. Resources Are Informational Only: All resources on the Academy Safe website, including the Resources page, the Safety Hotlines and Registries page, the Safety Documents page, articles, guides, FAQs, and downloadable documents, are provided for general educational and informational purposes only. They are not legal, medical, or other professional advice, and using them does not create an attorney-client or other professional relationship.
10.2. AI-Assisted Downloadable Documents: The downloadable templates, policies, procedures, and forms offered by Academy Safe were written with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and are suggestions only. They are not legal documents, they have not been reviewed by an attorney for your state, province, or situation, and they may contain errors, omissions, or information that is out of date or does not comply with the laws where you operate.
10.3. Attorney Review Required: Before you adopt, rely on, sign, distribute, or enforce any downloadable document, you must have it reviewed and adapted by your own licensed attorney. Any use of a document without that review is entirely at your own risk. Not every sample is legally required for every academy, and attorney review does not by itself guarantee compliance with any law.
10.4. Third-Party Organizations, Phone Numbers, and Websites: Our resources may list outside organizations, government registries, hotlines, phone numbers, and websites. Academy Safe does not own, control, or verify them, and does not guarantee that their information is accurate, complete, or current. Academy Safe is not responsible for your interactions with those organizations, phone lines, or websites, or for any result of those interactions. In an emergency, call 911.
10.5. No Responsibility for Use: To the fullest extent permitted by law, Academy Safe and its officers, directors, employees, volunteers, and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any loss, damage, claim, or injury arising from your use of, reliance on, or inability to use any resource, document, or third-party information on this website. This includes incorrect or outdated information and any decision to use a downloadable document without review by your own attorney.
10.6. Your Responsibility: You alone are responsible for deciding whether any resource or document is right for your academy, family, or situation, and for following all laws that apply to you.
11. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Academy Safe, its officers, directors, employees, and affiliates from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your use of the website or any violation of these Terms and Conditions.
12. Governing Law
These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Florida, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. Any disputes arising under or related to these Terms and Conditions shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Broward County, Florida.
13. Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us at:
Academy Safe
3301 N University Dr., Suite 100, Coral Springs, FL 33065
Thank you for visiting the Academy Safe website and for your commitment to enhancing safety in martial arts.
ACADEMY SAFE INC FDACS REGISTRATION#: CH76168
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
The toll-free number is 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352)
Website: FDACS.gov