Something changes once you're one of the senior students on the mat — and it's not what most people expect. Improvement doesn't get easier. It gets harder, because the outside pressure that used to sharpen you starts to disappear.
Your training partners are, in a way, your students now. They're watching what you do whether you mean them to or not. And without something pushing back on you, it's easy to slide into just going through the motions — capable, comfortable, and quietly coasting.
In this week's video I get into what actually changes at this stage, a couple of stories about students (and a sempai) who found their own way to stay sharp, and specific ways to keep generating challenge for yourself once nobody else on the mat can do it for you.
▶️ Watch here:
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Lia Suzuki
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• Mastering The Shoto
Director: Aikido Kenkyukai International USA
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2026
- August 29-30
Shanghai Xijiao Aikido Dojo 15th Anniversary Celebration
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Shanghai, China - September 4-6
Aikido of San Diego
Lia Suzuki Sensei
San Diego, CA, USA - September 14-15
PSV Heidelberg Aikido Sansuikai Dojo
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Heidelberg, Germany - September 16-20
Bewegung & Lebenskunst Bonn
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Düsseldorf, Germany - September 25-27
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Sehnde, Germany - October 2-4
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Livingston, MT, USA - November 6-8
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Redlands, CA, USA
2027
- September
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