Brooklyn Aikikai

Specialties

Brooklyn Aikikai is a nonprofit institution that preserves and teaches the traditional Japanese disciplines of Aikido, Iaido, Zen, and Misogi in order to foster harmony within individuals. We strive to fulfill this mission by providing a sanctuary in New York City for the study of these arts and bringing high-​quality teachers to our school.

History

Established in 2001.

We started in a rented dance studio in Carroll Gardens and finally moved into our own space in 2005. Our dojo was once an old ironworks factory but you’d never know it to look at it now.

R. Savoca Sensei founded the dojo on New Year’s Eve, 2001. Ever since then he has been slowly growing the dojo so that now we have over 70 adult members, 50 children, and classes six days a week.

Meet the Business Owner

R Savoca.

Business Owner

Robert Savoca, chief instructor of Brooklyn Aikikai, began studying Judo and Aikido at age 13 in San Diego County. He continued to study Aikido at UCLA and then the West Los Angeles Aikido Institute during college.

Moving to New York, he continued his training at Aikido of Manhattan, for a year and a half with Juba Nour Sensei. Afterwards, he apprenticed to T.K. Chiba, Shihan, as an uchideshi (live in student) in San Diego for a year. Moving back to New York, he resumed training with Juba Nour Sensei and then started Brooklyn Aikikai in 2002.

Savoca holds the rank of 6^th Dan, and is certified to teach by Birankai North America.