0 1

Get my book! "THE TEACHER: INTERVIEW WITH LIA SUZUKI" Click here.

🇩🇪 Germany “Be One” Tour • Sept. 14–27, 2026 — Register Now

Header Logo
About Seminars Contact Blog
Log In
← Back to all posts

🎥 WATCH: Why Aikido Plateaus Are a Sign of Progress

by Lia Suzuki
Sep 08, 2026
Connect

I've watched hundreds of students hit the same wall at roughly the same point in their training. In this week's video I explain why a plateau isn't a lack of progress, it's progress you can't see yet.

I cover what separates the students who train through a plateau from the ones who quit, and specific things you can try in class this week if you feel stuck: from finding the partner you'd rather avoid to studying a sempai with a body type close to yours.

▶️ Watch here:

https://youtu.be/s0COySDJ9Bk

As always, thank you for training with me each week.

💙 Enjoying these weekly Aikido insights?
You can support the project and help keep them coming — starting at just $5/month.
Support the Newsletter →

 

🌿 Your Practice Prompt

Name the technique you avoid the most right now. This week, do it more, not less, and resist the urge to stop and discuss after every rep. Do ten reps in a row before you talk about what happened.

Share your experience—I read every reply.

- -

Lia Suzuki
Author
   • The Teacher
   • Mastering The Shoto
Director: Aikido Kenkyukai International USA

❤️ Support

 


🗓 Upcoming Seminars

  • September 14-27, 2026
    🇩🇪 Germany "Be One" Tour 🇩🇪
    Four Cities • One Approach to Aikido
    Click here to register for all four cities

   - - Or click below to sign up for individual seminars. - -

    • September 14–15 — Heidelberg
      PSV Heidelberg Aikido Dojo
    • September 16–20 — Bonn
      Bewegung & Lebenskunst Dojo
      Sept. 16–17: Yudansha Seminar
      Sept. 18–20: Mixed Levels Seminar
    • September 22 — Düsseldorf
      Aikido Shinboku e.V.
    • September 25–27 — Sehnde
      Aiki Dojo Sehnde
  • October 2-4, 2026
    Mountain West Aikido - Livingston
    Lia Suzuki Sensei
    Livingston, MT, USA
  • November 20-22, 2026
    Aikido Kenkyukai Pennsylvania
    Lia Suzuki Sensei
    Fort Washington, PA, USA

Looking Ahead to 2027

I'm planning three small-group Aikido Training Tours for 2027:

🌸 March — Kumamoto, Japan
Aikido training during cherry blossom season

🇯🇵 May — Tokyo • Yokohama • Kamakura
Aikido training across several dojos

🇩🇪 🇳🇱 September — Germany + Netherlands
Aikido training across multiple cities

Interested in joining me? Click here to join the interest list.


Coming to one of my seminars? Want your own Limited-Edition Lia Suzuki Shoto? Reserve yours and I'll bring one for you!

👉 Click here to reserve yours.


💙 Enjoying these weekly videos?
If you'd like to support my work and help keep these coming, you can subscribe at any level that feels right for you:

  • Supporter – $5/month
  • Sustainer – $10/month
  • Patron – $20/month

All tiers receive the same content — it's just a way to support the project and keep it sustainable.


Unsubscribe: If you'd rather not receive these weekly videos, you can use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email. You'll still stay subscribed to my other lists unless you opt out separately.

🎥 WATCH: Why Your Aikido Training Starts Before the Bow-In
In my first Aikido class in Japan back in 1987, I noticed something in the first five minutes that had nothing to do with technique: the senior students were warming up their attention, not just their bodies. This week's video is about what that actually looks like — and the specific routine I still use before every class I take or teach. I get into why chatting before bow-in has a real cost, h...
🎥 WATCH: What Aikido Asks of You Beyond Technique
After 45 years in Aikido, I've never trained another martial art, so I can't compare them. What I can tell you is the specific, demanding list Aikido has asked of me. This week's video starts with the fact that there's no scoreboard. I explain why your partner's well-being is a technical requirement, not just an ethical nice-to-have, why ego shows up in your hands whether you want it to or not,...
🎥 WATCH: What Self-Development in Aikido Really Demands
Self-development, discipline, and focus are the top reasons new students say they came to Aikido. In this week's video I get into what those words actually require once you're a few years in. I share a couple of stories from my own students, including why the students who say they want discipline most often have the worst attendance, and why focus is really about removing interference, not addi...

Weekly Aikido Training Videos

Get weekly Aikido videos from Lia Suzuki Sensei — short lessons to level up your technique, stay healthy, and be first to know about global seminars.
Footer Logo
About Seminars Contact Blog
© 2026 Lia Suzuki

Did you find what you were looking for?

Tell me your interests and I'll do my best to send relevant information.

I hate SPAM. I'll never share your info with anyone. And you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want to know more?

Submit the form below and I'll send you info relevant to your interests.

Or contact me directly at +1-424-209-2083 | [email protected]

IMPORTANT! After you submit the form, please check your inbox for a confirmation email and a gift from me.