Founding Scholars · A campaign for 50 seats
Forged on the mat.
Proven off it.
For five years we have run a martial arts-based leadership program for high school and college students in Southern California, serving over 1,000 students. In Q1 2027 the program opens nationally, and we are funding the first 50 scholarships.
Where we stand
Fifty seats is $60,000 of the goal. The other $90,000
builds the rest of the curriculum and runs the program through its first year.
Monthly commitments shown at first‑year value. Includes gifts received by check, transfer and
donor‑advised fund as well as online.
What a scholar gets
A 50‑module curriculum, developed through our accredited program at UC Irvine, paired with real training on the mat.
The curriculum is grounded in the teachings of some of the most respected voices in martial arts, psychology, and education.
Self-mastery
Taking control of your attention and your fear.
Resilience
Learning to recover when failure finds you, on the mat and off.
Adapting to new environments
Getting your bearings in something new, and moving into a position of strength.
The character to lead
Leading with integrity, and thinking for yourself when it matters most.
Proven, going national
This isn't a concept.
For five years we've run this program locally with more than 1,000 students.
reported leaving the program with good or great career knowledge and skills.
demonstrated gains in at least one applied leadership capacity — 37 of 38 students.
demonstrated gains in at least one adaptive mindset capacity.
students served since 2021.
What's new is the platform. We've built an online system that delivers this same proven curriculum at the same quality anywhere.
In their words
Students in their own words
“This program gave me the confidence and the skills to speak up and share my ideas effectively. That changed how I lead, and it’s a big part of why I’ve been able to solve hard problems with our rocket team.”
JesusBJJ · Computer Engineering, UC IrvinePropulsion Lead, UCI Rocket Project · Former Intern, NSWC
“I met the head of my studio at a Budo speaker event, and that connection led to my internship and then my full-time job. The program didn’t just teach me leadership; it opened the door to my career.”
ChiAikido · Game & Interactive Media Design, UC Irvine (’24)Producer, Take-Two Interactive
“The martial arts and leadership training gave me learning strategies I use off the mat, and I’m grateful for the lasting professional and personal connections I’ve made along the way.”
KathleenKali · BJJ · Biomedical Engineering, UC Irvine · Regents ScholarR&D Engineering Intern, UniWearables (Berlin)
“This program has been a defining experience in both my college years and in my life as a whole.”
VincentBJJ · Aikido · Business Information Management, UC Irvine (’26)Solutions Intern, Cloudflare
“I’ve learned valuable leadership skills that I will apply at graduate school, in my career, and beyond. I will always cherish the connections and friendships I’ve made here.”
VyBJJ · Aikido · Grad Student, Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine
Why now
No generation has ever had this much power at its fingertips, but power is only as useful as the character behind it.
Budo has always been about the ethical use of power and the mastery of oneself under pressure, which is exactly what this generation needs to build their future, and ours.
We teach young people about their own humanity, through real human interaction on the mat.
What a seat buys
$100 a month funds one Founding Scholar.
A seat is a full year for a young person who could not otherwise afford to train: the complete curriculum, mentorship, a national community of peers, and training on the mat at a dojo near them. Every dollar is accounted for.
Paid directly to the student's dojo as dues. Their teacher, their mat, their community — covered by the seat, not by the family and not by the school.
The program itself: the curriculum, the platform, mentorship, and the staff who read and respond to every student's work.
Prefer to give once? A full year is $1,200, and $75 buys a scholar their own gi.
Make a gift
Fund a Founding Scholar.
Fifty founding seats, the first cohort. A monthly commitment keeps a young martial artist on the mat for a full year and pays their dues directly to their school.
Gifts will directly support eligible scholarship students. If no students at a selected dojo / gym / organization need a seat, gifts will be used for seats where they are needed most.
Prefer to give by check, bank transfer, donor‑advised fund, or appreciated stock? Those reach us in full, with no processing fees — email us and we'll send details the same day.
Rather support Budo Accelerator as a whole?
A Founding Scholar seat funds one student’s year on the mat through our Budo Scholar program. If you would rather back the organization itself — our accredited program at UC Irvine, where students earn academic credit; the students we serve in Orange County; and our partnerships with Simon Scholars, Project Hope Alliance and TGR Learning Lab — please give to our general fund instead.
Built around the dojo
A scholar's school is the heart of Budo Scholar, and everything we add points back to the mat.
More reasons to stay on the mat
Budo Scholar tackles one of the hardest problems every school faces: teens drifting away from training right when life gets busy. It gives them a reason to stay — a national community of peers beyond their home mat, and tools that carry their training into the rest of their lives.
A scholarship fund, paid to the school
Budo Scholar covers the full program and pays dues directly to the school for every scholarship student. Scholarship students choose a quality school near them, which means partnering can bring new, Budo-funded students through the door.
Run a dojo? Tell us about it →
How it works
Students move through five phases, one short module a week, grounded by their training on the mat.
Foundations
The base everything that follows is built on: stance, breath, falling, learning to read the room.
Self-Mastery
Taking control of your attention and your fear, and learning to recover when failure finds you.
Perception
Reading a room, a person, a moment. Noticing what others miss.
Connection
Training with others: building trust and alliances, and learning to repair important relationships when they go wrong.
Leadership
Leading with integrity and dignity. Unlocking the power of a team, and learning to think for yourself when it matters most.
They don't do it alone: every student joins a national community of peers, young martial artists across the country working through the same curriculum.
Inside a module: the reading, and the films that go with it.
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