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BROOKLYN AIKIKAI
BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 261693436 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE N60 · Recreation & Sports · Small ($100K-$1M) · brooklynaikikai.com
revenue
$298K
expenses
$270K
net assets
$320K
employees
3
program ratio
66%
mission · from form 990

BROOKLYN AIKIKAI IS A NONPROFIT WHOSE MISSION IS TO FOSTER THE HARMONY OF THE ENTIRE INDIVIDUAL (MIND, BODY, AND EMOTIONS) THROUGH THE DISCIPLINES OF AIKIDO, ZEN, MISOGI, AND IAIDO. THESE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ARTS ARE A "DO" (OR "TAO" IN CHINESE), A WAY, THROUGH WHICH ONE STRIVES TO REVEAL THE TRUE SELF. BY BRINGING THIS TRUE SELF FORWARD, ONE IS TRANSFORMED, AND SO ALSO IS THE WORLD. WE PROVIDE A SANCTUARY IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS MAY DEVELOP THEMSELVES THROUGH TRAINING IN THE ABOVE ARTS. WE PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING OF THESE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ARTS, AS WELL AS OTHER JAPANESE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND WELCOME PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS, OTHER NONPROFITS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR MISSION.

profile · synthesized from sources

BROOKLYN AIKIKAI is a nonprofit martial arts organization based in Brooklyn, New York, dedicated to fostering personal development through traditional Japanese disciplines including aikido, iaido, zen meditation, and misogi. The organization provides a sanctuary for individuals from all backgrounds to engage in rigorous physical and spiritual training aimed at cultivating harmony of mind, body, and emotions. It emphasizes community, tradition, and accessible training for both aspiring instructors and those seeking personal growth.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Aikido Training
Regular daily classes in aikido, a traditional Japanese martial art focused on harmony, self-discipline, and spiritual development, offered to adults and children.
Iaido Practice
Training in iaido, the art of drawing the Japanese sword, integrated into the curriculum for students seeking deeper engagement with traditional Japanese disciplines.
Misogi Training
Austere purification practices rooted in Shinto tradition, offered as part of deep training; Brooklyn Aikikai hosted the first Shogaku Shugyo initiation outside Japan.
Shugyo (Austere Training) Program
Intensive training path for dedicated students, including live-in (uchideshi) opportunities, aimed at deep personal transformation and teacher development.
Zen Meditation (Zazen)
Regular zazen sessions held at the dojo to support spiritual development and mindfulness as part of the holistic training approach.
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Martial Arts Instruction and Training 4 activities
    • Host visiting practitioners and international exchanges
      Welcomes visiting students and instructors from other dojos and countries for training and cultural exchange, including charging a daily mat fee for visitors and organizing cross-state and overseas student exchanges and seminars.
    • Operate uchideshi (live-in apprentice) program
      Hosts intensive live-in training for uchideshi (apprentice instructors), requiring daily participation in aikido, weapons, iaido, zen, and misogi training, along with four hours of daily work practice such as cleaning, maintenance, gardening, and meal preparation. Apprentices also attend all local seminars and intensives as part of their curriculum.
    • Provide regular aikido, zen, misogi, and iaido training
      Offers ongoing classes in aikido, zen meditation, misogi (purification practices), and iaido (Japanese sword drawing) multiple times per week to foster individual harmony of mind, body, and emotions. These classes are open to students of all ages and backgrounds, with instruction tailored to beginners and advanced practitioners alike.
    • Train and develop aikido instructors
      Provides mentorship and professional development for aspiring aikido instructors, including hosting high-level visiting instructors for training and supporting uchideshi and ranking students in their pedagogical growth.
  • Summer Day Camp Programs 1 activity
    • Deliver children's aikido and cultural programming
      Offers a Kids' Aikido Summer Camp annually in July that includes daily aikido instruction, craft activities, outdoor play, and field trips to cultural institutions such as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Museum, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. The program integrates Japanese arts and cultural traditions into its curriculum.
  • Sliding-Scale Tuition Programs 1 activity
    • Ensure equitable access to training
      Implements a sliding scale membership system and provides financial assistance to ensure accessibility and equity in participation, allowing full access to all classes regardless of payment level. New students are supported with personal instruction and a three-month commitment structure to learn fundamentals.
  • Organizational DEI Capacity Building 1 activity
    • Promote anti-racism and community equity practices
      Confronts systemic inequity and injustice within the dojo through regular community discussions, reaffirmation of anti-racism and anti-oppression commitments, and policies designed to maintain a safe and ethical training environment.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$298K
Contributions & grants$63K21%
Program service revenue$234K79%
Investment income$20%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$270K
Program expenses66%
Admin / overhead34%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$58K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$331K
Cash$315K
Investments$0
Liabilities$11K
Net assets$320K
Liquid reserves14.0 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +7.1%
relationships · 16

Who they work with

  • Aikido of Manhattan Partner — Location where Ryūgan R.D. Savoca trained for a year and a half before founding Brooklyn Aikikai.
  • Birankai North America Network — Brooklyn Aikikai members pay annual dues to Birankai North America, indicating formal affiliation.
  • Birankai North America Network — Kate Savoca, the children's instructor, is certified to teach by Birankai North America.
  • Birankai North America Network — Member organization promoting quality aikido instruction, founded by T.K. Chiba Shihan and recognized by Hombu Dojo in Japan.
  • Birankai North America Network — Recognizes Ryūgan R.D. Savoca as a Shihan and is the organizational network under which Brooklyn Aikikai operates.
  • Brooklyn Botanic Garden Partner — Site of field trip for summer campers to experience Japanese garden and bonsai trees.
  • Brooklyn Museum Partner — Site of field trip for summer campers to view Japanese arts.
  • Chiba Sensei Partner — Respected teacher whose legacy and teachings are central to the dojo's lineage and philosophy.
  • Community organizations Partner — Works with community organizations to support mutual goals in cultural education and personal development.
  • Ichikukai Dojo Network — Brooklyn Aikikai is connected to Ichikukai Dojo, as evidenced by participation in joint events such as the opening seminar in 2005 attended by members and Chiba Sensei.
  • Juba Nour Shihan Partner — Ryūgan R.D. Savoca trained intensively with Juba Nour Shihan, who later sent him to study as an uchideshi with Chiba Shihan.
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art Partner — Site of field trip for summer campers to view Japanese swords, armor, and Buddhist art.
  • Other nonprofits Partner — Engages in partnerships with other nonprofits to promote understanding of traditional Japanese arts and cultural activities.
  • Schools Partner — Collaborates with schools to enhance understanding of traditional Japanese arts and the organization's mission.
  • T.K. Chiba Shihan Partner — Chief Instructor Ryūgan R.D. Savoca trained as an uchideshi under T.K. Chiba Shihan, a prominent disciple of O-Sensei, and maintains a teaching lineage connection.
  • West Los Angeles Aikido Institute Partner — Institution where Ryūgan R.D. Savoca studied aikido prior to moving to New York.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Cooperative, Partner-Based Experiential Learning for Mutual Development
    methodology: cooperative_learning
    Through structured partner-based training that emphasizes sensitivity, mutual respect, and non-competition, the organization enables students to develop both technical skill and interpersonal awareness, because learning in reciprocal relationships fosters safety, inclusion, and deeper embodiment of aikido principles.
  • Harmony-Based Practice as Anti-Oppression Framework
    methodology: aikido_zen_anti_oppression
    By applying the philosophical and spiritual principles of Aikido and Zen—particularly the dissolution of separation between self and other—the organization cultivates a lived experience of unity that serves as a foundation for anti-racism and systemic equity work, because recognizing interconnectedness undermines hierarchical oppression.
  • Personal Transformation through "Do" Arts as Path to Societal Change
    methodology: do-arts_personal_transformation
    By engaging individuals in the disciplined practice of traditional Japanese "do" arts, the organization fosters deep personal transformation, which it believes inherently contributes to broader social harmony and collective change because individual growth radiates outward into communities.