00;00;00;00 - 00;00;16;16
Unknown
It's not speed itself that actually overwhelms you. It's your internal reaction that actually does, especially during fast attacks in Aikido. Let's check it out.
00;00;16;19 - 00;00;40;01
Unknown
So one thing to keep in mind with fast attacks in Aikido is that the body reacts before the mind has a chance to think about it or process. So for example flinching, right? This is just a reaction. Just like any reflex. Like when you go to the doctor and they tap your knee and your your foot swings up.
00;00;40;04 - 00;00;40;22
Unknown
So
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Unknown
when an attack comes at you fast, it's very natural to flinch like that. The breath tightens, doesn't it? So first the breath tightens. Then the flinching happens. Calm has to be trained. We have to train ahead of time in Aikido under pressure. Or I should say, we have to train ahead of time for aikido under pressure. And there's going to be pressure.
00;01;09;08 - 00;01;38;27
Unknown
So we'll have to test sometimes for our next rank. Sure. You could tell your teacher like, oh, sorry, I don't want to test. Wow. You will be robbing yourself of some real progress, because training under pressure will really take your aikido to the next level, not take your aikido to the next level so you'll be able to defend yourself about against five people you know, none of that.
00;01;38;29 - 00;01;52;02
Unknown
Just you will surprise yourself in a positive way, and you'll have a better understanding of your strengths and your weaknesses, and you will stretch your comfort zone.
00;01;52;04 - 00;02;18;29
Unknown
Hey, sorry to interrupt the video, but some of you have been asking how you can get a copy of my book, The Teacher. The book includes topics such as from horse riding to budo, the Japan experience back home, building intuition, attracting new students to aikido nonviolence and aikido leading by example, women and aikido. Arrogance. No to homogenization in Aikido, Aikido and distance teaching.
00;02;18;29 - 00;02;46;16
Unknown
Body alignment. More. If you haven't yet purchased it and you'd like to just head to lia-suzuki.com/book, or you can find that link in the description here on YouTube. The book is available in English and Italian. If you want it in Italian, you've got to go to Amazon. There's plenty of really cool photos. There's me. When I first started Aikido.
00;02;46;19 - 00;02;53;08
Unknown
Even before I got to Boston, which is, where my first teacher is also Takara Sheehan
00;02;53;11 - 00;03;02;14
Unknown
Bill Gleason sensei, my first teacher. And for those of you who might know him, Gary Small sensei taking alchemy long ago.
00;03;02;17 - 00;03;04;12
Unknown
another up to Kira Sheehan
00;03;04;19 - 00;03;12;07
Unknown
Yamaguchi sensei. Right? We've got a couple of me teaching seminars.
00;03;12;07 - 00;03;24;03
Unknown
Of course. And then even one with me with, explaining something with Shoto. This is in the, no to homogenization section,
00;03;24;08 - 00;03;34;20
Unknown
as I said, the link is in the description below. Just click on that. Go to lia-suzuki.com/book and order yours. Let's get back to the video now.
00;03;34;24 - 00;03;58;12
Unknown
I used to try as soon as possible in class to train with Takashi sensei, because I was scared of him. He never injured me, but he was fast and quick and agile and he had a very intense look on his face. I was like, oh my gosh. So I would try to get him for for one of my very first partners of the night.
00;03;58;14 - 00;04;17;09
Unknown
I thought, it's just, let's get rid of this tension and just train with this guy. And I knew him. I knew him really well. You know, I loved to sit next to him at the pub and talk, because actually, one of the reasons was that he was so intense looking and so he, he was quiet. He didn't talk very much.
00;04;17;12 - 00;04;46;25
Unknown
And so Japanese is not my first language, so I always had to concentrate hard when I would be talking in Japanese with people. But with him, I knew that it was just fine to sit in silence together. So there were long, comfortable silences sitting next to him. So even though I felt very comfortable with him in the dojo, still I was really nervous and scared and tense.
00;04;46;27 - 00;05;14;14
Unknown
But boy oh boy, I'm so glad that I trained with him all the time. Like I always went to him at the beginning of class as often as I possibly could. And I'm so glad, because now when I train with somebody and I'm a little bit nervous, yes, I still get nervous training with certain people. If I feel that somebody is trying to scare me or intimidate me or something, I think to myself, oh, wow.
00;05;14;14 - 00;05;38;09
Unknown
Yeah, this is a little scary. This is a little uncomfortable. And then I think to myself, but this person is nothing compared to Takashi sensei. And it's always true. I haven't met anybody that that scares me more than him. And yet again, he never hurt me. So anyway, put yourself in these situations where you feel under pressure, right?
00;05;38;10 - 00;05;43;23
Unknown
Whether it's a test or a demo, whatever it is, do it. Don't resist.
00;05;43;23 - 00;06;08;20
Unknown
This is one way that we can train calmness and when we are calm, we can gather more information. So tension reduces our perception. If we're tense, we don't pick up as much information. We don't notice as many things calm if we can remain calm in a tense situation.
00;06;08;22 - 00;06;13;21
Unknown
that widens our awareness, doesn't it? So even off the mat,
00;06;13;21 - 00;06;18;13
Unknown
You see more when you're calm in Aikido
00;06;18;13 - 00;06;22;09
Unknown
training, and you see more when you're calm.
00;06;22;11 - 00;06;34;19
Unknown
If you've been watching my videos, you've probably noticed that I sometimes use Shoto or Shortsword. I find that it helps students drop their shoulders, stop pushing and really feel the technique.
00;06;34;21 - 00;06;58;28
Unknown
Right now I have a limited number of these Lia Suzuki Signature Shoto available. They're made in Japan from premium Japanese white oak. They're engraved with my signature, and they're really beautifully balanced. Because of the lumber shortage in Japan. I was only able to get a small batch of them. So once these are gone, that's it for the time being.
00;06;59;01 - 00;07;11;05
Unknown
So if you'd like one, click the link below to reserve yours during the checkout process. You'll be prompted to let me know which seminar you'll attend, and then I'll bring it right to you. Now let's get back to the video.
00;07;11;08 - 00;07;12;15
Unknown
Off the mat,
00;07;12;18 - 00;07;19;18
Unknown
for me, that's how it is. The third main point. You can receive speed.
00;07;19;18 - 00;07;49;02
Unknown
You can receive a fast attack. You don't have to match it. Somebody attacks you really fast. You don't have to do the technique really fast. You can meet it, receive it, absorb it, and then create a new pace. Create a new tempo. It takes some skill, but I've seen some high level instructors do exactly that. So I've seen Takeda Shihan do that.
00;07;49;05 - 00;08;17;19
Unknown
I've seen videos and in person of Yamaguchi sensei do that. And some of my sempai also are very good at absorbing and acknowledging the fast attack and then changing the pace. Once they connect, that can change the pace. If you're a teacher, I've seen many teachers who.
00;08;17;21 - 00;08;36;11
Unknown
You know, the 25 year old student jumps up, comes running at them so fast and attacks fast. And I've seen many teachers who who say, no, slow down on that attack. And they reprimand the student that like he was a peaceful art or whatever.
00;08;36;13 - 00;09;14;00
Unknown
I think I can say that I've never done that to a student. I always think it's my job and my responsibility, my duty to do my best to accept people as they come to me. So a 25 year old shodan is going to have a very different pace from a 55 year old total beginner. Right. And they'll have a different kind of confidence, you know, confident about the acrobatics that's that's about to take place when they fly away from me and take a roll or whatever.
00;09;14;02 - 00;09;42;10
Unknown
So I feel that my aikido will progress better if I take people as they come. So please, I would advise. Don't ever try to prescribe the attack. Oh, you know, go slower at me or, you know, whatever. Take it as it comes. And if you want to show something to the group, you. Let's say you're up front demonstrating.
00;09;42;12 - 00;10;07;07
Unknown
And the 25 year old shodan came running at you so fast about this shomenuchi, but you wanted to show something slower and more subtle. You can always grab a different uke you can say thank you and then get another uke, show it at the pace that they come at. Thank you. Get a different uke. Now you just showed how to do this technique with from a fast attack.
00;10;07;09 - 00;10;31;28
Unknown
From a slow attack from a medium speed attack. So this is also, I think, very important that we learn to meet people where they are, learn to meet our uke where they are. So again that's point three. Receive the speed but don't feel the need to match it. Match it if you want. Don't feel the need. So in summary.
00;10;32;00 - 00;10;40;10
Unknown
In conclusion when an attack speeds up, try to exhale. Try to widen your gaze and
00;10;40;10 - 00;10;48;21
Unknown
Go slow internally. Let the external speed be whatever it wants to be. But see if you can slow down internally.
00;10;48;22 - 00;11;21;19
Unknown
In my classes in Los Angeles and in my seminars around the world, I do sometimes focus on this exact topic. So if you're interested in knowing more, you can either sign up to train with me in Los Angeles in person or remotely as I broadcast from my Los Angeles dojo, or come to one of my seminars, I'll be teaching in Taiwan and Germany and the UK and, Ireland and the USA and all different places in 2026.
00;11;21;19 - 00;11;36;21
Unknown
So hope to see you there. There's links in the description for remote training. There's a link in the description for my seminar schedule and various different resources. So check it out and I'm looking forward to training together soon. Bye bye.
