Over the past five years, my son Spencer has been involved in Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara (“AKSB”). AKSB is dedicated to encouraging the practice of the Japanese non-violent martial art of Aikido to promote physical health, self-esteem, and harmonious ways to resolve conflict.

Our program is run by aikido master, Lia Suzuki, who has been training and teaching the art for over 27 years. Lia is the “Sensei” which is the Japanese word for instructor or teacher. Her aikido reflects years of dedicated training with the Japanese masters of this traditional art.

AKSB partners with various other local agencies to provide underprivileged and at-risk children with aikido training and mentoring. Our goal is to provide sponsorships for all of the boys and girls in these agencies who want to participate. Currently, we have limited funds to finance this endeavor, and therefore are calling on you for your help.

Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara is continually challenged to provide sponsorship for children from low-income families and the need for sponsors has significantly increased this year as parents have lost jobs, homes, or child-care funding. As families face profound challenges, they are more vulnerable to other problems such as substance abuse or violence. Children more than ever need the safe, and consistent support that Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara offers.

Today, more than ever, our youth need YOU — someone dedicated to giving every young person the opportunity to thrive. Your generosity will ensure that we can say “YES!” to all sponsorship applicants as they register for classes at Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara. Our thanks in advance for your support.

Anything you wish to contribute would help greatly. If you would like to assign your donation to a specific program or need, I would direct you to our wish list.

Very truly yours,
Bruce D. Glesby
Board Member: December, 2008 - Present

Mission

Our mission at Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara is to pass down the true message of Aikido "The Art of Peace", and to nurture a better society by creating individuals of responsibility, compassion, judgement, and character.


4 Reasons to Give to Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara

1. The need exists & is substantial. There is a gang violence problem in Santa Barbara. Youth are drawn to gangs because they increase a sense of self-worth and promise higher status and peer acceptance, which is so important in adolescent development. Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara is a community, rather than just a "place to work out." Every member of our dojo community adds value to our organization and therefore gains a sense of self worth. Also progress in the art is publicly recognized through testing and promotion in rank, for example. This contributes further to the feeling of self esteem and self worth.
2. Return on your investment. Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara provides self esteem, status, and peer acceptance to youth, along with alternative coping mechanisms for conflict, whether it be physical conflict, verbal conflict, emotional conflict. In the big picture, supporting Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara means investing in a more peaceful and safe Santa Barbara.
3. Giving feels good. Contribution is one of the core values we teach our young people. It's the only way we can truly manifest our vision.
4. Our young people deserve your support. There's a saying in Japan - "Everyone is born good." We believe this at Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara. EVERY CHILD is born good and therefore deserves a peaceful, happy, and safe childhood.

There is no better time than now to invest in our community’s future and our children. We look forward to the results we create together in the years to come.

Our History...

Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara was founded in 1999 by Lia Suzuki.

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 aduts’ class came together and resumed training in a temporary space. The kids’ class reconvened a full year later, refusing to give up hope for continued study under Suzuki Sensei.

Now, we’re a 501(c)(3) California nonprofit public benefit corporation, training at the Santa Barbara Buddhist Temple. We’re excited and grateful to be able to be back training weekly. Our future goals are to once again have our own dedicated training space, 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.