Kokushi Budo Institute

What Kokushi Budo Institute does

Kokushi Budo Institute is a family-owned traditional Japanese martial arts dojo located at 331 Riverside Drive on Manhattan's Upper West Side, founded in 1963 by Nobuyoshi Higashi and now led by his son Shintaro Higashi. The school offers structured instruction in judo, Japanese jiu-jitsu (a proprietary style called Kokushi Ryu developed by the founder), karate (Kokushi-Ryu, blending Shotokan and Kyokushin roots), and aikido, serving both children (segmented by age: Tiny Champs 4-5, Kids 1 ages 6-9, Kids 2 ages 10+) and adults ranging from complete beginners to competition-level athletes. Its competitive positioning rests on a documented instructional lineage tracing directly to Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, and on Shintaro Higashi's elite competitive credentials (IJF-ranked, 2x U.S. World Team member, 2x National Judo Champion).

The business generates revenue almost entirely through monthly recurring memberships, supplemented by private lessons and drop-in fees. Adult memberships are tiered at $239-$299/month depending on commitment length, with a $2,400 annual paid-in-full option. Kids memberships run $199-$299/month with a $99 registration fee and tiered by weekly frequency. Private lessons are priced at $150-$300 per session based on instructor experience, and drop-in fees are $40 for out-of-town visitors. Acquisition is direct-to-consumer through the school's Squarespace website, free trial classes restricted to tri-state residents, and geographic proximity to Columbia University and the 1 train at 103rd Street.

The school is privately held with no institutional funding, operates from a single facility, and serves only the New York metro area. There is no digital product, no app, and no API or technology platform — the entire value proposition is delivered in-person on the mat. Marketing is largely word-of-mouth and local, and the school's 60+ years of continuous operation constitute its primary brand asset alongside the Kano lineage credentials of its head instructor.

Name

Kokushi Budo Institute

Legal name

Kokushi Budo Institute

Website

https://kokushibudo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kokushi Budo Institute is a family-owned Manhattan martial arts dojo, founded in 1963, teaching judo, Japanese jiu-jitsu, karate, and aikido to children and adults from a single Upper West Side facility, operating on monthly subscription memberships and private lessons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Martial Arts Instruction

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSADADAA

Traditional Martial Arts Schools (Karate, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, etc.)

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Martial Arts & Self-Defense Training

SECONDARYHSADADAG

Kids & Youth Martial Arts Programs

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Martial Arts & Self-Defense Training

SECONDARYHSADADAC

Grappling & Submission Arts Training (Judo, BJJ, Wrestling)

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Martial Arts & Self-Defense Training

Keywords

• Martial arts instruction
• Judo training
• Karate classes
• Jiu-jitsu school
• Kids martial arts

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Adult Memberships: Monthly recurring membership fees for unlimited access to all programs and classes. Tiered pricing based on commitment length with discounts for longer commitments.
2. Kids Memberships: Monthly recurring membership fees for children's martial arts programs with frequency-based tiers (1x/week, 2x/week, unlimited).
3. Drop-in Classes: One-time $40 fee for visitors from outside the tri-state area to attend individual classes.
4. Private Lessons: One-on-one instruction at $150-$300 per session depending on instructor experience and specialization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kokushi Budo Institute is a traditional Japanese martial arts school on Manhattan's Upper West Side that has taught judo, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu (Kokushi Ryu), Karate (Kokushi-Ryu), and Aikido since 1963. It delivers structured, curriculum-based classes for children and adults through recurring memberships, drop-in single classes, and one-on-one private lessons at a single physical dojo location.

Product overview

Kokushi Budo Institute is a traditional Japanese martial arts school established in 1963 offering a multi-program curriculum centered on Judo, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, and Private Lessons. The core programs include Adult Judo Classes (beginner through competition level), Kids Judo Classes organized by age groups (Tiny Champs, Kids 1, Kids 2), Japanese Jiu-Jitsu (Kokushi Ryu), and Karate (Kokushi-Ryu). Additional services include Private Lessons for personalized one-on-one instruction. All programs are unified by the school’s lineage tracing to Jigoro Kano and emphasize traditional martial arts principles with modern structured instruction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Judo Classes
• Kids Judo Classes
• Japanese Jiu-Jitsu Classes
• Karate Classes (Kokushi-Ryu)
• Private Lessons

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• American Taekwondo Association (ATA Martial Arts): Large national martial arts franchise offering taekwondo and related programs through hundreds of independently owned schools; overlaps Kokushi's family-focused youth and adult martial arts instruction segment, but at scale and with a different core discipline.
• Tiger Schulmann's Martial Arts: Large martial arts franchise with locations across the Northeast US including Manhattan and New Jersey; offers multi-program curricula (karate, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu) on a subscription basis and targets the same family and adult demographics as Kokushi, but at significantly broader scale.
• Gracie University: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu institution combining physical academies with a substantial online learning platform; comparable to Kokushi as a martial arts instruction brand, with a much broader reach via its digital channel that highlights the contrast in scale and delivery model.
• United Studios of Self Defense: California-based martial arts franchise with multi-discipline programs and family-oriented instruction across numerous company-owned and franchised locations; competes for the same family-and-adult martial arts instruction market as Kokushi but operates at greater geographic scale.

Direct peers

• SEIDO Karate: Traditional Japanese karate organization founded by Tadashi Nakamura, whose instruction directly shaped Kokushi-Ryu Karate as taught at Kokushi Budo; SEIDO is one of the closest lineage-level peers and competes in the same traditional martial arts school niche in NYC and beyond.
• Marcelo Garcia Academy: Elite BJJ academy in the NYC metro area built around an internationally credentialed head instructor (Marcelo Garcia, multiple-time world champion) and serving both hobbyist and competition-track members; comparable to Kokushi in its premium positioning on instructor credentials.
• Renzo Gracie Academy: Long-standing New York City Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy founded by the Gracie family, operating multiple dojos across Manhattan and Brooklyn and offering multi-discipline martial arts with both membership and private-lesson revenue streams; closely comparable to Kokushi's NYC dojo model.
• Pedro Sauer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu organization with multiple locations across the United States, including the NYC area, founded on the lineage of a BJJ master and emphasizing traditional martial arts values; directly comparable to Kokushi's traditional-lineage, instructor-credential-driven positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/kokushibudo
• Facebookfacebook.com/kokushibudo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kokushi-budo-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kokushi Budo Institute