Katadori is one of the most challenging attacks in Aikido. Learn how to stay centered, expand your chest, and create heaviness to improve your Katadori Nikkyo technique and overall grounding during practice.

Are you or your students struggling with Ikkyo? Discover how one simple shift in focus—from force to space—can lead to smoother, more effective technique. Lia Suzuki Shihan explains how to avoid common mistakes and deepen your understanding of this fundamental Aikido movement.

In this advanced Aikido lesson, we explore the concept of redirecting attention from the point of contact to the center and space.

Learn how using the shoto (wakizashi) as a pointing and guiding tool can transform the way you approach techniques like ikkyo.

Through horse-lunging metaphors and g...

In this post, we dive into a non-traditional hanmi handachi shihonage variation that builds on last week's kokyu ho and kokyu nage session.

Taken from last year’s Aikido Summer Camp in Los Angeles, this training continues our deep exploration of grounding and centering.

Whether you’re a student...

In this behind-the-scenes look at our 5-Day Aikido Summer Camp in Los Angeles, you'll watch how we use kokyu ho and seiza-based techniques to restore grounding and build resilience midweek. A great resource for Aikido instructors and students alike, especially when you're feeling fatigued or unce...

In this advanced Aikido training session from our Los Angeles Summer Camp, we troubleshoot common issues with ushiro ryokatadori kotegaeshi. Learn how moving from your center and creating "heaviness" from the beginning can help you execute kotegaeshi smoothly, even when uke’s movement is less tha...

Discover how to overcome common challenges in ushiro ryokatadori ikkyo. This in-depth lesson from our Los Angeles Aikido Summer Camp focuses on using center movement and heaviness to keep uke’s momentum, leading to smoother and more effective techniques. Whether you're struggling with uke not com...

In this special session from my 5-Day Aikido Summer Camp in Los Angeles, we tackle one of the most common problems in ushiro ryokatadori: what to do when uke doesn’t fully come around. I share a progressive drill that allows nage to explore how to use gravity, body weight, and center-lowering to ...

In this video from my 5-Day Summer Camp in Los Angeles, we tackle a common issue in Kokyu Ho: the feeling of being "locked down" during practice. By analyzing ryotedori attacks and focusing on body structure, we can deflect our partner’s energy and transition into more fluid movements. Watch this...

In this blog post, Lia Suzuki shares an in-depth look at ryotedori shihonage, focusing on how to adjust your body structure and movement for effective defense and counterattacks. Recorded at her 5-Day Summer Camp in Los Angeles, this training session provides both foundational insights and advanc...

In this video from my 5-Day Summer Camp, I share advanced insights on how to handle ryotedori attacks. Learn how to modify your body structure to deflect a stronger, larger opponent’s attack and stay grounded in your center. These techniques are crucial for intermediate and advanced Aikido practi...

In this in-depth video from my recent 5-Day Summer Camp at my Los Angeles dojo, we continue working on suwari waza shomen uchi ikkyo but transition to a standing position. The focus of this session is learning how to shift your perspective from fixating on the contact point to understanding the f...