Founded in 1981 and directly affiliated with Aikido World Headquarters—Hombu Dojo—in Tokyo, San Diego Aikikai teaches from its dojo at 3400 El Cajon Blvd in North Park. The curriculum covers body-arts aikido, Iaido sword drawing, weapons training, zazen seated meditation, and misogi Shinto purification, and martial artists seeking cross-disciplinary grappling can train at North Park Jiu Jitsu Academy on 30th St. The dojo served as the original headquarters for Birankai North America, an organization directly recognized by the Aikikai Foundation in Tokyo. Striking and mixed-format practitioners can expand their training at Gamebred North Park on El Cajon Blvd, which covers boxing, MMA, and jiu jitsu. The school conducts Aikikai-recognized belt examinations up to sixth-degree black belt, maintaining the ranking lineage from its 1981 founding through present-day testing.