Frequently Asked Questions
Summer 2022 Leadership Academy
Tell me about Budo Accelerator.
Budo Accelerator is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that uses the martial art of Aikido to develop leadership, career readiness, and boost mental health for high school and college students.
Our programs are based on a unique curriculum that integrates martial arts training with modern learning science, technology, and mentorship.
You can learn more about us here.
How does Aikido relate to leadership?
Aikido teaches a unique approach to leadership that has been recognized and put into practice by leaders in government, business, nonprofit organizations, and even the U.S. military. Aikido forges critical leadership attributes and builds the capacity to engage with others collaboratively and constructively— especially those who hold divergent or oppositional beliefs or positions.
There is a growing research body and consensus that Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) - a constellation of skills, traits, behaviors, and insights - offers a single pathway into developing leadership capacity, developing emotional resilience, building community, and combating mental health issues.
Our programs use Aikido as a form of SEL. We are rooted in the traditions of the martial arts and augment them with modern learning science and technology to build our leaders of tomorrow.
What do students do in the program?
Our activities center on discussions, small group activities, and independently directed work. Students also participate in non-competitive marital arts training that has been designed to augment and reinforce key leadership concepts.
Our program design team includes an educational program design professional who holds both a Ph.D in Education and a Masters degree in Educational Statistics from University of Cambridge, a Ph.D in Psychology who has done post-doctoral work at Harvard University, and a movement performance specialist who supports olympic athletes and professional sports teams in the U.S. All are veteran martial arts practitioners.
How do you know your programs are effective?
Our curriculum is designed by world class experts and our programs have created great results at UC Irvine. We’re serious about measuring our impact and using a data-driven approach to demonstrate and improve the efficacy of our programs. In our Leadership Academies:
94% of students demonstrated gains in creativity and innovation.
88% of students demonstrated gains in communication, critical thinking, and problem solving.
82% of students demonstrated gains in collaboration and goal orientation.
88% of students develop good or great knowledge in public speaking, time management, and job interest exploration.
88% received encouragement to work through difficult problems.
82% received the opportunity to engage with people who are different from themselves.