BOLD Program

Budo Oriented Leadership Development

For high school students

Now taking applications for 2024!

Leadership, Community, Opportunity

Make friends, connect with mentors, and develop the skills and mindset to achieve your goals and dreams, whatever they may be. You’ll also learn awesome martial arts in a non-competitive setting!

Session 1 starts January 9: Wed 5-6:45pm

Session 2 starts March 13: Wed 5-6:45pm

About the Program

Martial arts and Leadership?

Yes! Budo (a category of martial arts) was developed hundreds of years ago to train leaders and build community. We combine Budo with modern approaches to leadership training to make it more awesome.

Our high-school program is modeled after our BOLD course offered at UC Irvine (college-level academic course), but you can totally handle it!

Full scholarships for accepted students

No martial arts experience required

Program held at Aikido West in Redwood City.

Session 1 starts January 9: Wed 5-6:45pm

Session 2 starts March 13: Wed 5-6:45pm

Build Leadership

Build Friendships

Build Your Future

  • Diane Vu

    “Budo Accelerator has changed my life. The martial arts-based leadership program is helping me to become the person I know I can be. I feel the change happening and I see it my classmates too, who I can now call my friends.”

  • Vanessa

    "The assertive communication training has been a game-changer for me. Coming from a culture that overly emphasizes respect for authority, I used to feel silenced sometimes, especially when talking to those older than me. Now, I know how to confidently express my thoughts and stand up for my beliefs in a respectful way.”

  • Carlos Flores

    “This program greatly improved my leadership and communication skills through the art of Aikido. Budo Accelerator is truly the start of an amazing thing.”

  • Joyce Huang

    “Budo Accelerator allowed me to learn more about myself as a person through ways of expressing myself both in the dojo and in real life situations. And through the program, I was able to make so many new friends and connections.”

  • Jozylynn Auditor

    Budo Accelerator has allowed me to not only become knowledgeable with the art of aikido, but also has enhanced my leadership skills tremendously. I would recommend anyone to take part in this opportunity and I am glad I was able to experience this class.

Our Impact

92%

of students leave our program with good or great career knowledge and skills.

100%

of students make friends in our programs.

23% vs. 85%

of students who reported good or great knowledge of Public Speaking before vs. after our program.

94%

of students demonstrate gains in creativity and innovation

FAQs

  • We have discussions, small group activities, and guest speakers focused on leadership. We also do non-competitive martial arts training that reinforces the leadership concepts we teach, and is just very cool to do.

    You’ll also get a membership to Aikido West, where you can practice aikido up to 7 days a week. You can level up your martial arts skills and meet lots of interesting people from all walks of life.

  • We cover topics such as resilience, empathy, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. We teach how to engage with mentors, manage time, regulate stress, navigate conflict, and how to generally be a better human.

    Most importantly, you’ll not only learn the theory, but you’ll get to observe and practice these things in high pressure interactions through martial arts training. (Don’t worry, it will be fun and safe!)

  • The program is open to high school students.

  • We’d love to chat! Send us an email at hello@budoaccelerator.org and we’d be happy to answer your questions.