Happy Thanksgiving! And thank you to all who have contributed to our year-end fundraising campaign. As of today we have raised 52.6% of our $50,000 goal. All gifts of all sizes help us reach our goal and to have the impact we have achieved this year. Find some fun stats below, and know we are preparing for a very exciting 2026. We have major news to share soon, but first we will enjoy our Christmas Seminar together in a few short weeks.

Our reach

This year, the NY Aikikai celebrated 60 years of practice by hosting our anniversary summer camp. 550 aikidoka from around the world trained on our mats. Nine of our members taught at Summer Camp.

Our instructors taught in to Boston, Cincinnati, Central New York, Germany, Helsinki, Northampton, Mexico, Spain, Montreal, and at Aikido North Jersey.

We delivered 1,523 classes on 18th Street. We welcomed 300 visitors who dropped in to practice while traveling through New York. 19 new members are now part of our growing community.

We opened our doors to the next generation, hosting St. Timothy's School, Packer Collegiate, and Flight Path Dance Company for special classes—over 60 young people got their first taste of aikido, assisted by our membership.

We grew our social media presence by 16%, strengthening our connection to the broader aikido community.

Our standards and leadership

We conducted 23 kyu examinations this year. We expect approximately 12 yudansha tests and promotions coming out of our Christmas Seminar next week.

Steve Pimsler Sensei serves on the USAF Board and Technical Committee. Sharon Dominguez serves as the USAF representative to the International Aikido Federation and as senior delegate of the IAF's Gender Working Group. Our presence extends beyond our walls.

Our numbers

While we completed significant construction work this year, including installation of a new HVAC system, we also have strong financial year-end numbers to share with you.

For fiscal year July 2024-June 25 our operating expenses were $399,134 and our operating income was $367,847. We are in the process of submitting our end of year filings as well as conducting an independent accountant’s review. As always, if you have questions about these numbers or our processes, just email Mieke.