This week’s video dives into a topic that many Aikido students have heard of — but few truly understand: zanshin.
Most people think zanshin is a dramatic pose at the end of a technique.
But real zanshin is sustained mindfulness — the awareness you carry before, during, and after movement.
In this new video, I share:
• What “zan” and “shin” really mean
• How to train presence before contact
• Why “soft eyes” (peripheral vision) makes such a difference
• How to avoid collapsing after the throw
• Daily training assignments to build real zanshin
• Why four throws should feel like a paragraph, not four random sentences
Let’s check it out.
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🎥 WATCH: Zanshin in Aikido: How to Train Sustained Mindfulness
🌿 Your Practice Prompt
During your next class…
• After each throw, pause one breath and keep your attention on uke.
• Use “soft eyes” and notice how wide vision affects movement.
• Carry one continuous awareness from throw to throw.
💬 What did you notice about mindfulness before, during, and after each technique?
Share your experience—I read every reply.
- -
Lia Suzuki
Author
• The Teacher
• Mastering The Shoto
Director: Aikido Kenkyukai International USA
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LET'S TRAIN TOGETHER!
🗓 Upcoming Seminars
2026
- January 9-11
New Year's Seminar
Lia Suzuki Sensei
Los Angeles, California, USA - March 6-8
Orange County Aikido
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Orange, California, USA - March 20-21
Lia Suzuki Sensei
Kaosung, Taiwan - March 22
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Taipei or Hsinchu (TBD), Taiwan - March 27-29
Cherry Blossom Seminar in Kumamoto, Japan
Senseis Sakabe, Johansson, Lin, and Suzuki
Kumamoto, Japan - May 28-31
Aikido Kenkyukai Los Angeles
Senseis Hiroshi Ikeda, Lia Suzuki, and Bruno Gonzalez
Los Angeles, California, USA - June 13-14
Aikido Wexford
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Wexford, Ireland - July 20-21
Marple Aikido
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Marple, Stockport, Cheshire, UK - July 15-19
AKI USA Annual Summer Camp & 30th Anniversary Celebration
Senseis Daiyu Takeda, Lia Suzuki, and others
Los Angeles, California, USA - September TBD
Bewegung & Lebenskunst Bonn
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Bonn, Germany - September TBD
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Heidelberg, Germany - October 2-4
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Livingston, CO, USA - October 9-12
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Redlands, CA, USA
2027
- September
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Baarn, Netherlands - More Seminars added soon...
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