The Teacher

Lia Suzuki, founder and director of Aikido Kenkyukai International USA, began her Aikido training in 1982 under William Gleason. She soon moved to Japan to train with Yoshinobu Takeda, one of Seigo Yamaguchi’s most accomplished students. She lived in Japan and trained extensively in Aikido from 1987 to 1996. At the urging of Takeda shihan, Lia sensei returned to establish dojos in the USA in 1996. She currently holds the rank of 6th dan Aikikai and travels extensively as a guest instructor, conducting Aikido seminars in dojos around the world. Over the years, Lia sensei has dedicated her training to promoting inclusion in the world of Aikido and increasing the popularity of Aikido among young people, Gen Z and Millennials. Since founding AKI USA in 1996, she has also led various philanthropic and social projects and initiatives. More recently, through her work at the Virtual Dojo, she has provided Aikido teachers and students with the resources they needed to navigate the challenging times we are facing, helping them navigate and adapt to the new world of online training. Table of contents: From Horse Riding to Budo. The Japan Experience. Back Home. Building Intuition. Morihei Ueshiba and the “Little Invincible Warriors”. Attracting New Students to Aikido. Non-Violence in Aikido. Leading by Example. Women Who Forget Femininity. Arrogance. No to Homogenisation in Aikido. Aikido and Distance Teaching. Body Alignment.