Maai isn’t about how far apart you stand. Learn how dynamic distance shapes calm, timing, and options in Aikido training — and why it must be felt, not calculated.

Perfectionism can create tension, hesitation, and slower learning in Aikido. Discover why exploration, repetition, and permission to be wrong accelerate progress in training.

Progress in Aikido doesn’t stop when you stop moving. Learn how observation develops perception, accelerates understanding, and helps principles transfer from Sensei to student.

Trying harder often feels productive, but in Aikido it can hide timing, dull sensitivity, and slow progress. Learn why reducing effort can lead to clearer technique and better connection.

Many people assume confusion in Aikido means they’re doing something wrong. In this post, Lia Suzuki explains why confusion is a natural and necessary part of learning, and how the body often learns before the mind.

Fast attacks can trigger tension and panic in Aikido. In this video, Lia Suzuki explains why calm must be trained under pressure and how staying calm widens perception and improves timing.

A clear explanation of Aikido stance, why over-fixating on foot placement creates rigidity, and how adaptability, soft knees, and center awareness support real stability and readiness.

If your Aikido feels stiff or disconnected, the issue may not be technique. In this post, Lia Suzuki explains how micro-pauses, dropped awareness, and missed transitions interrupt flow — and how to restore smooth movement.

Can you really improve Aikido without a training partner? For most of my life, I assumed the answer was “not really.” Then the pandemic happened. My dojo in Los Angeles shut down for 15 months, and like many of you, I found myself training in my living room with nothing but a camera, a project...

Most Aikido students think that learning more techniques will make them better. But after nearly a decade training in Japan, I learned that real Aikido skill comes from going deeper into a few essential movements — not collecting more waza. In this post, I share stories from my training with T...

Learning to move from your center is one of the most important skills in Aikido — but also one of the most misunderstood. In this week’s video, we look at why techniques often feel shaky, weak, or disconnected, especially under pressure, and how arm-driven movement creates tension long before ...