The easiest software to run a martial arts club

Family memberships, gradings, kit, trials and attendance. What a martial arts club needs from its software, and how to keep it simple.

Kane Foster, founder of Kanvas One and owner of Kanvas Academy in Newcastle
5 min read · Updated 19 October 2026

A martial arts club has its own rhythm: regular sessions, families training together, gradings every few months, and kit to sort out for every new starter. The right software makes all of that quieter, so you can spend your time on the mat.

Family membershipsSibling discounts and pause, taken by card.
Attendance for gradingsEvery session counted by QR check-in.
Gradings and eventsBooked and paid with the fees.
Kit and licencesOrdered before they arrive.
Medical notesOn every instructor’s phone.
Trials that turn upConfirmed and reminded.

Family memberships that work themselves out

Martial arts is often a family thing: brothers and sisters, sometimes a parent too. Look for memberships taken by card every month, family and sibling discounts applied automatically, and the option to pause instead of cancel during exams or injury.

Attendance you can actually use

Attendance matters for gradings. Registers on your phone, with QR check-in at the door, mean every session is counted without paperwork, and you can see who has trained enough to grade.

Gradings and events

Gradings, competitions and seminars all need booking and paying for. Taking those payments in the same place as memberships saves a lot of chasing. Every club runs gradings differently, so this is something we set up around your club’s own syllabus.

Kit, licences and uniform

New starters need a suit, and sometimes a licence and sparring kit. An online shop in your own app means it’s ordered and paid for before they arrive.

Consent and medical information

It’s a contact sport. Emergency contacts, medical notes and consent should be collected at booking and be on the instructor’s phone in every session.

Trials that turn up

Most new members start with a free trial, and many trial bookings never arrive. Confirm every booking and remind families before the session. We send four messages before every trial, and 15 of our last 22 turned up.

A checklist

  1. Family memberships with discounts and pause.
  2. Attendance tracked automatically, ready for gradings.
  3. Grading and event payments in the same place as fees.
  4. Kit and licences sold online.
  5. Consent and medical notes on the instructor’s phone.
  6. Every trial confirmed and reminded.

Questions

What software do martial arts clubs use?

Many use a general booking system. Look for family memberships, attendance tracking for gradings, grading and kit payments in the same place, and consent and medical notes on the instructor’s phone.

Can I track attendance for gradings?

Yes. With registers and QR check-in on your phone, every session a student attends is counted automatically, so you can see who is ready to grade.

How Kanvas One does this for you

Less admin. More time on the mat.

Everything in this guide runs inside Kanvas One, set up around how your club already works. You get your own app with your club’s name on it, your website, payments, registers and messages in one place, and me to talk to.

  • Family memberships with sibling discounts, pause and failed payments chased.
  • Registers and QR check-in that count every session.
  • Gradings and events set up around your syllabus.
  • Suits, kit and licences sold in your own app.
  • Consent and medical notes on every instructor’s phone.
  • Every trial confirmed and reminded four times.