If your Aikido feels shaky, weak or disconnected, this is probably the reason:
You're not moving from your center.
And if your partner tells you that you're pushing with your arms, you're definitely not moving from your center.
Today we're going to fix that.
In this week’s video, we take a deep dive into:
- How segmented movement makes execution harder
- Why the arms take over when you’re under pressure
- Three major myths about “using your center”
- What true tanden-led movement actually feels like
- How to align center → spine → limbs
- Why even strong partners suddenly feel light when you get this right
- Applying all of this to Ikkyo, Shihonage, and Kokyunage
- And how to know — instantly — when you moved from your center or not
I also share a personal story from my time in Japan — the first time I was thrown by Yamaguchi Sensei, and the unforgettable “weight dropping on me” feeling that completely changed how I understood center movement.
Let’s check it out.
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🎥 How to Move From Your Center in Aikido (Real Balance & Power)
🌿 Your Practice Prompt
In this video I shared a story about being thrown by Yamaguchi Sensei — and how his center-led movement felt like a piano dropping on me even though I couldn’t feel the contact point.
Try this in your next class:
Notice which part of your body moves first.
Hands? Shoulders? Hips?
Or the tanden?
Tell me in the comments section of the video:
Which technique is hardest for YOU to stay centered in?
I read every reply.
- -
Lia Suzuki
Author
• The Teacher
• Mastering The Shoto
Director: Aikido Kenkyukai International USA
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2025
- November 30
Aikido Kenkyukai Pennsylvania
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Fort Washington, PA, USA
2026
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Orange County Aikido
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Taipei or Hsinchu (TBD), Taiwan - March 27-29
Cherry Blossom Seminar in Kumamoto, Japan
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Livingston, CO, USA - October 9-12
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Redlands, CA, USA
2027
- September
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