The American Jujitsu Association offers its members a remarkable array of benefits, including but not limited to the following:
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Notice: Starting on January 1st, 2025 our rates will increase to $35 per dojo and $30 per member.
Yes! The AJA offers a FREE membership for new dojos and schools! As of January 1st, the annual membership for schools is $35 per year. But for your first year, The AJA will waive the membership fee! Each year an official AJA dojo membership certificate will be sent to you.
Individual student memberships are just $30 per year and include limited insurance coverage.
If your application is complete and there are no problems, you should receive a notification from the Chair of the National Standards and Certification Board (NSCB) within 30-45 days after receipt of your application. If you are approved by the NSCB you will receive an AJA Certificate of Rank, an AJA Instructor Certificate, and your annual AJA Dojo Membership Certificate. If you are applying by mail your application should be sent with the USPS certified mail with a return receipt or by Priority Mail.
To avoid confusion and delays, be aware that once this application is submitted, AJA rules do not allow you to seek or accept any promotion of rank in jujitsu until the National Standards and Certification Board (NSCB) accepts your dojo for membership and all appropriate certificates are issued.
The American Jujitsu Association offers its members a remarkable array of benefits, including but not limited to the following:
The AJA is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the arts of jujitsu, which includes traditional Japanese dojos and modern styles that may participate in amateur competition in various formats. In addition, the AJA is closely allied with a number of international martial arts organizations that work closely with one another to advance the Arts.
AJA certifies the promotions you make, and the promotions are recognized by all other AJA dojos, as well as internationally. This means that a student can move from one AJA dojo to another without losing rank. It also provides nationally recognized certification that enables your black belts to teach at other AJA dojos or set up their own dojos. This helps to grow the arts by creating “daughter schools” of their own.
AJA dojo membership provides insurance coverage – liability insurance for you, your instructors, and your dojo, as well as secondary medical insurance for your students in case of an in-class injury. To be eligible for the insurance, all students in your dojo must be registered as AJA members, and concussion training plus First Aid & CPR is required for all instructors.
The AJA is a low-cost, high benefit organization. As of January 1st, the annual registration fee for dojos is just $35, and for individual members it is $30. The first year of dojo registration is free. AJA certification of Mudansha promotions costs $8; Shodan and Nidan certifications are $15; Sandan $20; and Yodan and higher grades are $25.
The AJA maintains an efficient website, with one-stop shopping for you to gather information, register students, renew your dojo registration, and order promotion certificates. Payment can be made with a credit card through PayPal, or by check if you choose. On this website you can maintain your student ranks and their email addresses.
The AJA offers FREE black belts to all registered AJA students who earn their Shodan rank under you as a sensei. Each belt is embroidered with the student’s name on one end and “American Jujitsu Association” on the other.
Budoshin Yudanshakai, the dojo of AJA co-founder George Kirby, hosts an annual 3-day summer camp in Los Angeles in August for brown belts and black belts, as well as a Camp Budoshin gathering every October for ALL styles of martial arts, where high-level leaders in other martial arts (for example, Karate, Judo, Aikido, Sombo, Taiho-Jutsu) come to teach seminars.
The AJA sponsors jujitsu seminars and competitions each year. Each region holds one of these events (shiais) annually while providing national awards for you, your school, and your students, administered through the appropriate regional director for the region.
The AJA offers steep discounts on gi’s, belts, and other martial arts equipment.
Extremely reasonable liability/accident insurance for your school. There is NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE for this coverage, as it is included in the individual membership fees. However, ALL students MUST HAVE individual AJA membership in order for your dojo and the sensei to be covered by the insurance package.
Access to a large, national “family” of senior jujitsu sensei up to Judan. You have access to advanced regional seminars, PLUS individuals who are always willing to come and teach seminars at your school. These are real people ready to help you. After all, our people are our greatest asset.
All member dojos have a liability/accident policy through the American Ju-Jitsu Association. The liability portion is for $1,000,000. The accident coverage provides $25,000 excess (secondary) coverage further detailed here in the AJA Insurance Summary
This policy covers you, the instructor, as well as the AJA. It will provide coverage in a variety of activities however what is NOT covered are Muy Thai, kickboxing, and high-injury arts such as MMA.
Note: ALL students MUST HAVE individual AJA membership in order for the dojo and the sensei to be covered by the insurance package.
