Kokushi Budo Institute

Very welcoming and supportive community of judokas. It’s full of great training partners. And the instructions are top-notch and enables you to develop your own style of judo. It’s a great place to study and train judo whether your goal is to compete or are just looking for a fun, challenging, and rewarding hobby.

Training at Kokushi Budo Institute has truly been the highlight of our year, and it has exceeded expectations on every level. The quality of instruction in judo and BJJ is exceptional, with a clear emphasis on proper technique, fundamentals, and real understanding rather than shortcuts. The facilities are excellent, particularly the spring-loaded mats, which make a noticeable difference in comfort, safety, and longevity during hard training sessions. Shintaro consistently sets the tone for the gym with his professionalism, deep knowledge, and genuine passion for teaching. He places a strong emphasis on safety while still maintaining a challenging and motivating training environment that pushes students to improve at their own pace. The community at Kokushi Budo Institute is also outstanding, welcoming, respectful, and supportive, whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced practitioner. Overall, this is a rare place where world-class instruction, top-tier facilities, and a strong sense of community all come together. I would highly recommend Kokushi Budo Institute to anyone in New York looking to train judo, BJJ, or martial arts seriously in a positive and well-run environment.

Highly welcoming, throw you straight into the depths - no bs. The best Sensei’s, very good at explaining techniques and fundamentals. Best Judo dojo in NYC by far!

Fantastic dojo and an excellent place to train. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to improve their judo—whether you’re a beginner or aiming to compete. The senseis are top notch-world class- and there’s a strong group of talented athletes training here. They also offer great Aikido, Karate, and Jiu-Jitsu classes.

From someone with ~10y prior experience in Japanese jujitsu (which includes all the same techniques as Judo without the competitive focus), as well as prior experience training with a world-class judo club, I can say I am incredibly happy to have found Shintaro Higashi's dojo. His instruction is top notch--technical, methodical, dynamic, and very very safety-focused. The environment is friendly and noticeably meathead-free and at no moment do I feel I am in imminent peril of bodily harm (now in my 4th decade, the "old gray mare just ain't what she used to be" as they say), while still feeling rigorous enough that I not only get a good workout but feel I can legitimately improve my judo.