Organization Details:

Mission Statement: It is the goal and purpose of Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara to pass down the true message of Aikido and to nurture a better society by creating individuals of responsibility, compassion, judgement, and character.

Description:
As one of our first projects as a new nonprofit organization, we are starting an at-risk youth program in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club, Collaborative Communities, and the SB Probation Dept. Ongoing standard aikido classes and future projects will be in line with our Purposes listed below:

Specific Purposes

1. To create an interest and motivation within the general public to practice the Japanese non-violent art of aikido;
2. To encourage individuals, or groups of individuals, to practice aikido;
3. To promote aikido as a positive and effective vehicle for self improvement and spiritual growth;
4. To promote educational programs that teach aikido techniques, models and processes as a harmonious way through conflict, both in practice and everyday live;
5. To advance aikido as a means of transforming the stresses of everyday life into opportunities for personal growth and development;



History:
Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation. Our articles of incorporation were filed in December, 2008.

We’re a small group of dedicated Aikido students under the direction of Lia Suzuki Sensei. In the summer of 2007, we lost our training space on lower State Street due to an extreme rent increase. After regrouping and reorganizing, our adults’ class came together in a temporary space at the Veterans’ Memorial Building. The kids reconvened for class a full year later, refusing to give up hope for continued study under Suzuki Sensei.

We excited and grateful to be able to be back training weekly. Our future goals are to once again have our own dedicated training space (a place where we’ll no longer have to put down and pick up tatami mats for each class), take field trips to Japan, and to hold events to benefit the community through this fantastic art that we love called Aikido - the Art of Peace.

Please help us reach our goals.



Contact people:


Lia Suzuki, Executive Director, (email) Linda Placencia, Chief Financial Officer, (email)

Address:


PO Box 351 Santa Barbara, CA 93102


Web Site: http://www.aksb.org

Last updated on June 1, 2009