Year-End Message from Lia Suzuki Sensei

Year-End Message From Lia Suzuki Sensei

Grateful for 2024 – Excited for 2025! 🌟

Dear Aikido Family,

As 2024 draws to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared this year and express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you. Whether you’ve joined me on the mat, tuned in online, traveled to seminars, or supported us through your generous donations, you’ve been an integral part of our community, and for that, I’m deeply thankful.

🌟 2024 Highlights

Our youth program has started to flourish again post-lockdowns, bringing new energy and smiles to the dojo.
I’m inspired by the dedication of a couple of our post-lockdown white belts, who are steadily inching closer to black belt—a testament to their perseverance and love for the art.

Japan Trip Highlights

I once again had the honor of attending Ueshiba Dojo-Cho’s special annual class in Kamakura and performing a demonstration in his presence.
Teaching in Japan was a highlight, made even more special by three of my students who joined me—two white belts and one shodan, who successfully tested for nidan at our seminar at the foot of Mount Fuji.

Looking Ahead to 2025

The new year is already brimming with exciting opportunities:

I’m honored to kick off the year as one of the instructors at the ASU Winter Intensive in Florida (January 1–5), sharing the mat with luminaries like Saotome Sensei, Heiny Sensei, and Deppe Sensei.
In March, I’ll be teaching in Kumamoto, Japan, during the beautiful cherry blossom season—my first time teaching in this historic city!
May will bring another trip to Japan for the special annual class with Ueshiba Dojo-Cho and Embu.
In Europe, I’ll be teaching seminars once again in the Netherlands and Germany—it’s always a joy to reconnect with our international Aikido family!
Across the U.S., I’m excited to visit various cities to share Aikido through seminars—stay tuned for details on dates and locations.
Here at home in Los Angeles, we’re looking forward to three incredible annual seminars:
- New Year’s Seminar (led by me)
- Aikido Summer Seminar (with Ikeda Sensei, myself, and special guest Stephen "Tatsuo" Toyoda)
- AKI USA Annual Summer Camp (featuring myself and senior AKI USA instructors)

These events are not just about training but about strengthening the bonds that unite us as a global Aikido family.

Explore the Full 2025 Event Schedule

To see all upcoming events and plan your participation, please visit my event schedule here: Event Schedule.

Thank You

To my local students, online subscribers, seminar participants and hosts, and donors: your support and enthusiasm continue to inspire me. Together, we’ve shown that Aikido’s spirit of harmony transcends borders and challenges.

As we step into 2025, I invite you to continue this journey with me. Let’s embrace the challenges, celebrate the victories, and deepen our practice together.

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a year ahead filled with health, happiness, and harmony.

With gratitude and best wishes,

Lia Suzuki
Director: Aikido Kenkyukai International USA
Author: "The Teacher" (From the Aiki Dialogues)

P.S. I’d love to hear about your Aikido highlights or goals for 2025—feel free to reply to this email and share!

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What people are saying...

"One element that really stuck with me was continuing to lead with center, connect, and move with that connection. I valued using the shoto to demonstrate open hand techniques and feel the extension. I really appreciated ato-keiko as well and the attention to ukemi - and particularly the way you pushed each of us appropriately to each of our growth edges. Another huge benefit was that each day had a flow and focus on a technique. I so appreciated breaking down ikkyo, irimi nage, shiho nage, etc. into smaller studies. Then the end of the day had a culmination of our learnings that helped me, as 5th kyu, understand at least a little bit more about the foundational techniques.

As a student, I feel more confident going into an attack with energy and trust in my ukemi. I also notice more spirals in the techniques that help stretch out uke, and the importance of bending my knees and using the ground as a resource, connection point and ally."

Cam, Petaluma, California

"Thanks again for the wonderful seminar in Weilheim!

It was especially interesting to do some things we had done on Zoom during the pandemic lockdowns, now with real partners. It felt quite different (e.g. A+B footwork with real partner).

Nevertheless, the Zoom practice was very good preparation.

It was also great fun to practice "Monty pythons walk“ or techniques "against the wall“.

I think everybody enjoyed it and hopefully this will be repeated next year."

Thomas Petry, Germany

"Dear Lia, you gave a class in September 2017 in Hildesheim. Our Dojo likes to work with internal power. I was very impressed by your training. Pierre from Hildesheim"

Pierre Pihet, Germany