ABOUT US
FAMILY RUN
DOJO
NOBUYOSHI HIGASHI started the Kokushi Budo Institute in 1963. He was a judo pioneer sent from the renowned judo program at Kokushikan University in Tokyo, Japan. KBI has trained many lifelong martial artists and continues to do so, now under the guidance of Nobuyoshi Sensei’s son, Shintaro.
Everyone is welcome at KBI.
Meet Shintaro Highashi
“I was a professional judo athlete on the IJF circuit for years in pursuit of the Olympics - what a journey it’s been.”
NYU Stern Executive MBA
M.A Education
Former IJF 43rd world rank
2x World Team member (2010, 2011)
2x National Judo Champion
Beijing Olympic Trials qualifier
2x All State Wrestling, HS and NCAA
BJJ Black belt
Panamerican Grand Prix Silver Medalist
3x World Cup Medalist (Brazil, Samoa, Miami)
EST 1963
OUR HISTORY
The history of our school begins
in the Kumamoto region of Japan.
Nobuyoshi Higashi, the founder of our martial arts school, was born in a small farming village in 1937. At that time Japan was a war-torn place and Nobuyoshi, being in a military family, spent much of his childhood without his soldier father. In keeping with family tradition, Nobuyoshi started training martial arts at a very young age.
He would wake up early morning to help with the family rice farm and then immediately head to his morning judo training session, the first of several sessions that day.
From a very early age, Nobuyoshi was taught that it was absolutely necessary to combine the practice of martial arts with a strong formal education. This was the belief system of Jigoro Kano, the educator who founded judo, and it continues to be the belief system of our school today.
Jigoro Kano in the light suit. Aida bottom row on the very right.
Nobuyoshi’s judo was developed by Hikoichi Aida, who was one of Jigoro Kano’s top students. Aida Sensei’s judo was internationally regarded and Kano Sensei took him to Europe to teach. He spent a number of years teaching judo in England, France, and Germany before returning to teach in Japan, where he developed a handful of promising players like Nobuyoshi.
Mifune using Daigo for an uke, at Kokushikan practice back in the mid 1950s.
Nobuyoshi 4th from the left bottom row.
The philosophy and technical lineage of our school traces directly to Kano Sensei and Aida Sensei. Other renowned martial arts masters also played a major role in shaping our school today. Masutatsu Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate, taught Noboyushi karate and developed him to black belt in the discipline. Kenji Tomiki, the founder of Tomiki Aikido, also taught Nobuyoshi and promoted him to black belt.
Oyama walking with Higashi
After fighting and coaching for Kokushikan University in Japan, Nobuyoshi was commissioned to come to the United States to spread judo and the education system that Kano Sensei developed. It was common in that era for the top universities to send their best fighters and teachers to all corners of the world to spread martial arts. Nobuyoshi was initially tasked to teach martial arts in the Middle East but fate had him routed to New York, where he started the Kokushi Budo Institute in 1963.
EST 1963
TODAY
Noboyushi’s son, Shintaro Higashi, is now head of school. Shintaro, an elite competitor with several national championship titles, world team membership, and international ranking, became one of the youngest judokas to ever hold the red and white belt in 2017.
Shintaro Higashi
6th degree Judo
Nidaime Kokushi-ryu Jujitsu
43rd world rank
2x National Judo champ
2x World team member
3x World cup medalist
The doors of KBI continue
to be open to everyone.
All are welcomed on the mats. Our judo program starts as early as age four and we have practitioners who are well into their 80s. Kano Sensei’s belief that martial arts is a tool that can be used to develop the best parts of the human spirit lives on today at KBI.
We welcome all.