User Roles & Permissions
Understand the five user roles and their access levels in DojoMaster
1. Overview
DojoMaster uses a role-based access control (RBAC) system to ensure users have appropriate permissions for their responsibilities. The system includes five distinct roles, each with specific capabilities designed to support efficient dojo management while maintaining security and data integrity.
The Five Roles
- OWNER: Full administrative access to all club features and settings
- SENSEI: Instructor with elevated permissions (can be granted admin privileges)
- SEMPAI: Assistant instructor with limited administrative access
- STUDENT: Student access to personal progress and class information
- PARENT: Parent/guardian access to linked student information
Admin Flag
SENSEI and SEMPAI roles can be granted additional "admin" privileges by the OWNER. Admin SENSEI have nearly full access (except certain owner-only features), while admin SEMPAI have expanded permissions for managing students and classes.
2. Role Hierarchy
DojoMaster roles follow a hierarchical structure where higher-level roles inherit permissions from lower levels and have additional capabilities:
Level 1: OWNER
Highest authority - Full access to all features
Level 2: SENSEI (Admin)
Senior instructor - Nearly full access when granted admin privileges
Level 3: SENSEI (Regular) / SEMPAI (Admin)
Instructor / Senior assistant - Teaching and student management
Level 4: SEMPAI (Regular)
Assistant instructor - Class assistance and basic student tracking
Level 5: STUDENT
Student - Personal progress and class information
Level 5: PARENT
Parent/Guardian - Linked student information and communication
3. OWNER Role
The OWNER role has complete administrative control over the dojo. This role is typically assigned to the dojo owner or head instructor.
Full Permissions
✅ Club Management
- • Edit club settings and information
- • Manage subscription and billing
- • Configure belt systems
- • Set up class types and schedules
✅ User Management
- • Send invitations for all roles
- • Manage staff and instructors
- • Toggle admin status for SENSEI/SEMPAI
- • Remove users from club
✅ Student Management
- • Add, edit, and deactivate students
- • Bulk import students
- • Assign belt ranks
- • Manage student profiles
✅ Class & Grading
- • Create and manage classes
- • Track attendance
- • Create grading events
- • Award stripes and badges
✅ Business Operations
- • View all reports and analytics
- • Manage equipment sales
- • Access business metrics
- • View audit logs
✅ AI Features
- • Access AI-powered insights
- • View retention predictions
- • Get grading readiness predictions
- • Generate student insights
Important
The OWNER role should be assigned sparingly and only to trusted individuals. There can be multiple OWNERs, but each has full access to all club data and settings, including the ability to delete the club.
4. SENSEI Role
The SENSEI role is designed for instructors. Permissions vary based on whether the SENSEI has been granted admin privileges by the OWNER.
Admin SENSEI Permissions
When granted admin privileges, SENSEI have nearly full access (similar to OWNER, with a few exceptions):
✅ Can Do
- • Create and manage classes
- • Add and manage students
- • Create grading events
- • Send invitations
- • Toggle admin for SEMPAI only
- • Track attendance
- • Award stripes and badges
- • View reports and analytics
❌ Cannot Do
- • Edit club settings
- • Manage subscription/billing
- • Delete the club
- • Toggle admin for other SENSEI
- • Remove OWNER from club
Regular SENSEI Permissions
Without admin privileges, SENSEI have read-only access to most features:
✅ Can Do
- • View students and their progress
- • View class schedules
- • Track attendance (view only)
- • View grading events
- • View reports
❌ Cannot Do
- • Create or edit classes
- • Add or edit students
- • Create grading events
- • Send invitations
- • Award stripes or badges
5. SEMPAI Role
The SEMPAI role is designed for assistant instructors. Like SENSEI, permissions vary based on admin status.
Admin SEMPAI Permissions
✅ Can Do
- • View and manage students
- • Track attendance
- • View class schedules
- • View grading events
- • Award stripes (if configured)
❌ Cannot Do
- • Create or edit classes
- • Create grading events
- • Send invitations
- • Manage staff
- • Edit club settings
Regular SEMPAI Permissions
✅ Can Do
- • View students and progress
- • View class schedules
- • View attendance records
- • View grading events
❌ Cannot Do
- • Edit student information
- • Track attendance
- • Award stripes or badges
- • Create or edit classes
6. STUDENT Role
The STUDENT role provides access to personal training information and progress tracking.
✅ Can Do
- • View personal profile
- • View current belt rank and progress
- • View class schedule
- • View attendance history
- • View earned stripes and badges
- • View upcoming grading events
- • Update personal information
❌ Cannot Do
- • View other students' information
- • Edit belt rank
- • Create or edit classes
- • Track attendance
- • Access administrative features
7. PARENT Role
The PARENT role allows parents and guardians to monitor their children's progress and communicate with instructors.
✅ Can Do
- • View linked student profiles
- • View student belt rank and progress
- • View student attendance history
- • View student class schedule
- • View upcoming grading events
- • Receive notifications about students
- • Communicate with instructors
❌ Cannot Do
- • Edit student information
- • View unlinked students
- • Access administrative features
- • Create or edit classes
- • Track attendance
Parent-Student Linking
Parents can only view information for students they are linked to. Linking is done by administrators (OWNER or admin SENSEI) through the student profile. See the Student Enrollment Guide for details.
8. Inviting Users with Roles
Only OWNER and admin SENSEI can send invitations. When creating an invitation, you specify the role the user will receive upon accepting.
How to Send an Invitation
- 1.Navigate to Settings → "Invitations"
- 2.Click "Send New Invitation"
- 3.Enter the recipient's email address
- 4.Select the role from the dropdown (OWNER, SENSEI, SEMPAI, STUDENT, or PARENT)
- 5.Click "Send Invitation"
The recipient will receive an email with a unique invitation link. When they accept:
- •They are added to your club with the specified role
- •SENSEI and SEMPAI automatically get an Instructor profile created (with admin = false by default)
- •They gain immediate access to features appropriate for their role
9. Managing Admin Privileges
OWNER can grant or revoke admin privileges for SENSEI and SEMPAI roles. Admin SENSEI can also toggle admin status for SEMPAI (but not other SENSEI).
How to Toggle Admin Status
- 1.Navigate to Settings → "Staff"
- 2.Click the "Instructors" tab
- 3.Find the instructor (SENSEI or SEMPAI) you want to modify
- 4.Click "Edit" or the admin toggle switch
- 5.Toggle the "Admin" status on or off
- 6.Click "Save" to apply changes
Important
Admin privileges take effect immediately. When you grant admin status to a SENSEI, they gain nearly full access to your club. Only grant admin privileges to trusted instructors.
10. Changing User Roles
Currently, DojoMaster does not support directly changing a user's role after they've joined. If you need to change someone's role:
Workaround Process
- 1.Remove the user from your club (Settings → Staff or Students)
- 2.Send a new invitation with the desired role
- 3.Have the user accept the new invitation
Note
This process will preserve the user's account but may reset some role-specific data. For example, changing a STUDENT to SENSEI will remove their student profile but keep their user account and login credentials.
11. Common Pitfalls & Troubleshooting
❌ SENSEI Can't Create Classes
Problem: SENSEI role can view classes but can't create or edit them.
Solution: Regular SENSEI have read-only access. Ask the OWNER to grant admin privileges if the SENSEI needs to create classes.
❌ Can't Send Invitations
Problem: User doesn't see the "Invitations" option in Settings.
Solution: Only OWNER and admin SENSEI can send invitations. Check your role and admin status.
❌ Parent Can't See Student Information
Problem: Parent account exists but can't view their child's progress.
Solution: The parent account must be linked to the student profile. Ask an administrator to link the accounts through the student profile page.
❌ Admin SENSEI Can't Toggle Admin for Other SENSEI
Problem: Admin SENSEI trying to grant admin to another SENSEI.
Solution: Only OWNER can toggle admin status for SENSEI roles. Admin SENSEI can only toggle admin for SEMPAI.
❌ Invitation Email Not Received
Problem: User didn't receive the invitation email.
Solution: Check spam/junk folders. Verify the email address is correct. Resend the invitation if needed. Contact support if emails consistently fail to deliver.
12. Quick Reference: Permission Matrix
Use this matrix to quickly understand what each role can do:
| Feature | OWNER | SENSEI (Admin) | SENSEI | SEMPAI (Admin) | SEMPAI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Create Classes | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Manage Students | ✅ | ✅ | View Only | ✅ | View Only |
| Track Attendance | ✅ | ✅ | View Only | ✅ | View Only |
| Create Grading Events | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Send Invitations | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Toggle Admin Status | ✅ (All) | ✅ (SEMPAI only) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Edit Club Settings | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
13. Related Features
User roles and permissions work together with other DojoMaster features:
14. Next Steps
Now that you understand user roles and permissions:
- 1.Plan your team structure: Decide who needs which roles and admin privileges
- 2.Send invitations: Invite instructors, staff, students, and parents with appropriate roles
- 3.Grant admin privileges: Elevate trusted SENSEI and SEMPAI to admin status as needed
- 4.Link parent accounts: Connect parent accounts to student profiles for family access
- 5.Review regularly: Periodically review user roles and permissions to ensure they remain appropriate