Lia Suzuki Sensei

Lia Suzuki, 5th dan, has been practicing Aikido for 25 years. She trained under Takeda Shihan in Japan from 1987 to 1996. During those nine years, she forged lasting bonds with Takeda Shihan’s students from Japan and all over the world.

Lia Sensei’s aikido clearly reflects her years of training with Takeda Shihan and with his senior students. She defies the typical categorizations of “hard” versus “soft.” She possesses an uncanny ability to draw the attacker into her center and effortlessly redirect them, either softly or with huge force.

them, either softly or with huge force.

them, either softly or with huge force.

In 1996, at Takeda Sensei’s direction, she returned to the USA and established the AKI Pennsylvania Dojo. In 1999 Lia Sensei began another dojo in Santa Barbara to establish AKI on the west coast. Both dojo continue under her careful direction and support and there are many visits and exchanges between the California and Pennsylvania groups.