The Irish Martial Arts Commission (IMAC), in collaboration with Sport Ireland Coaching, has created a specialised coach-development programme for clubs recognised by IMAC. This programme is delivered through coaching courses conducted by tutors trained by Sport Ireland Coaching.

As an introductory step, some IMAC systems offer an ‘Introduction to Coaching’ course for junior and novice members aged 16 and older. This course allows martial artists to train as class assistants. While these assistants are not trained to coach independently, they provide support to a qualified coach.

The IMAC Level 1 martial arts coaching course aims to develop assistant coaches. Open to members aged 18 and older, this course spans two weekends and covers both theoretical and practical coaching elements. 

The curriculum includes modules on long-term athletic development, sports psychology, physical preparation, and training games for understanding.

The IMAC Level 2 coaching course is designed for club chief instructors and takes place over four weekends. It includes four days covering a generic core syllabus with topics such as stretching and flexibility, nutrition, strength and conditioning, periodisation and planning, and performance profiling. Additionally, Level 2 candidates complete two weekends of art-specific coach education and must maintain a season-plan logbook of sessions. 

The IMAC coaching-development programme ensures that IMAC-registered coaches receive a high standard of coaching education. These courses are exclusively available to members of IMAC registered clubs. The coaching programme has significantly contributed to the ongoing success of our members in competitions, with Irish teams achieving notable international success in recent years.