Lia Suzuki’s Virtual Dojo

In this episode, I share what I wish someone had explained to me during my very first year of Aikido. Many students are surprised when their fast early progress suddenly slows down, and they begin to wonder whether they are doing something wrong. In reality, this plateau is one of the most important stages of real learning. Aikido, like any deep physical discipline, grows in waves. At first everyt...

Fast attacks in Aikido can feel overwhelming — but speed itself usually isn’t the real issue. In this episode, I explore why our   internal reaction   to speed matters more than how fast an attack actually is. When pressure increases, the body reacts before the mind has time to process. Breath tightens, tension rises, and awareness narrows. Calm doesn’t appear automatically in those mome...

What makes an Aikido stance truly stable? In this episode, I clarify a common misunderstanding that affects many practitioners: stability does not come from fixing your feet, lowering your stance, or holding your body in a particular position. In fact, over-fixating on foot placement often creates rigidity—and rigidity slows you down. I explain why real stability comes from the center, not from th...

If your Aikido feels stiff or choppy, it’s probably not because you don’t know enough techniques. In this episode, Lia Suzuki explores why smooth movement breaks down — and how to restore flow without adding force, speed, or tension . We look closely at what happens between techniques, where flow is often lost without us realizing it. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why unconscious micro-pauses int...

Aikido Basics: 3 Mistakes That Quietly Slow Your Progress Many students believe they’re training Aikido basics—but unknowingly reinforce habits that slow their progress over time. In this episode, Lia Suzuki breaks down three common mistakes she sees again and again in Aikido training, and explains how subtle shifts in attention can dramatically change timing, connection, and development. Whether...