Aikido Kenkyukai Los Angeles

I highly recommend giving yourself the gift of trying a few classes at AKI Los Angeles. I started with the 5 class intro package and have been going regularly for almost a year now. I can’t speak highly enough of Lia Suzuki Sensei and the community she has nurtured and developed. They are a very supportive and welcoming group of people and you will find that «they» will become «us» very quickly.
I came looking for exercise I wouldn’t get bored of and self defense skills, and while I still get plenty of training in those areas, the reasons I come to Aikido have expanded. I now find aikido training helps with emotional strength, mental clarity, spiritual growth, confidence, and even communication (or as we call it, verbal aikido).
I trained in Aikido while I was in high school and have always wanted to get back into it. I took a few classes at different dojos in different cities over the years, but nothing stuck. I was never drawn in the way I was in high school. After moving to Los Angeles, I decided to give it one last try. AKI was located conveniently close to my house in Silverlake, so that’s where I went. Some dojos are very intimidating, but AKI is not like that. I felt immediately welcomed and have always felt comfortable to make mistakes which is very important in your aikido training!

I’ve been taking classes with Sensei Lia Suzuki since the beginning of this year and have been extremely happy with her style, commitment and passion for Aikido. I chose to take up Aikido as I wanted to study a martial art for the spiritual and physical practice, learn how to defend myself and build my self defence confidence and also because as a trainer of communication I use verbal Aikido in my daily life (align and redirect). I consistently find the tips and ideas I learn in my physical class practical in improving my adult training skills verbally.
Sensei Suzuki teaches through practical hands on activity which is a change from the mental practice I use in so many other parts of my life and her experience in Japan and teaching across the globe is fantastic. She is always learning herself and we regularly discover new techniques she has picked up with her practice with other great teachers to fine tune our skills. In addition, having a female teacher who is not physically big really shows how Aikido can be used by anybody against aggressors of any size.
I don’t do a lot of other exercise and although I have sweat a lot by the end of a class, I don’t feel that the training is too physically demanding so new students should rest assured that it won’t be like starting a weights régime in the gym where I know I end up unable to walk or lift my arms if I haven’t practised for a while. Even when I’m not feeling in the mood at the beginning of the class I end feeling like I’ve had a good workout and that I’ve improved and fine tuned my skills.
If you’re reading this, I highly recommend you commit to trying it for 3 months as that will give you a good understanding of whether it is right for you and you’ll also learn some great skills to build your confidence whilst having fun and getting a workout.
In addition, we all catch up once per month for a social gathering (sometimes in a restaurant and sometimes as a pot luck at the dojo) and this has created friendships and a community feel.

I started training aikido in early 2009. Aikido was a good match for me as I wanted a martial art that I could continue doing my entire life. Unfortunately, I’ve moved around a lot since then — and while I’ve kept my Aikido up I haven’t had one dojo as a «home base.» On the other hand, I’ve worked with many instructors and seen a WIDE range of teaching styles.
Finally, once I arrived in LA I signed up for some intro classes with Kenkyukai to see if the dojo would be a good fit for me. A few classes later, I signed up for the year. Suzuki Sensei embodies many of the principals of Aikido and comes from a direct lineage of Aikidoka. What this means for the layman is she’s «close» to the source. She’s very skilled and deeply cares about the art.
Aikido is a great place for me to «reset» on the mat. It certainly does that for me.

As an intern at Aikido Kenkyukai Los Angeles, I watched Sensei’s class twice. When Sensei teaches kids, she makes classes interesting. Kids are always looking forward to attending her class next week. When she teaches adults, she really helps each student improve their skills step by step.

I trained with Lia Sensei in Santa Barbara for about 4 years before I moved to Los Angeles. After moving, I had a tough time finding a teacher and a dojo that matched the energy, fun, and structure of Lia Sensei’s dojo and so, one day I called her and said «You need to start a dojo in LA.»
After years of searching, we finally found our current home at the Hollywood Japanese Cultural Institute. We already have a great kids class and a growing adults class.
I’m not in anyway an «employee» of this dojo, just a student that helped bring it together. I did it because Lia Sensei changed my life. Her teachings in Aikido have had a profound impact on who I am today and continue to shape me everyday into a stronger, more grounded person.
Lia Sensei is truly a one of a kind teacher. She is passionate to no end about aikido which comes through in her thoughtful though very Japanese style of teaching. Her aikido classes always leave me drenched in sweat by the end which I have almost never experienced anywhere else (except Japan!) They are intense, dynamic, and feel the way a martial art should truly feel, like a sacred practice.

I took two classes with Sensei and I thoroughly enjoyed them! She really knows how to teach people with such detail and patience, and how to help people improve step-​by-​step.
Also, Sensei Suzuki is great with kids! She is extremely patient and calm when teaching kids, and they’re always excited to return the next week!
Highly recommended for people who wish to learn aikido and stay in shape.

This Aikido Dojo will help undo the misunderstandings and redeliver Aikido in its original form as it is largely misrepresented in LA and all of USA. I look forward to the development of this dojo. If I was to invest in one, this will be the one of my priorities in USA.
Reserve your 1^st class here. Your ability to maintain your center, balance and harmony with others, resolve conflict in a nonviolent manner will deepen and refine itself at Aikido Kenkyukai Los Angeles.
Phone /​Text 424−209−2083
Email



Location Dojo
Hollywood Japanese Cultural Institute
3929 Middleburry St.
Los Angeles, California 90 004
Mission
Nurture a better society by creating individuals of responsibility, compassion, judgement, and character
Create an interest and motivation within the general public to practice the Japanese non-​violent art of aikido;
Encourage individuals, or groups of individuals, to practice aikido;
Promote aikido as a positive and effective vehicle for self improvement and spiritual growth;
Promote educational programs that teach aikido techniques, models and processes as a harmonious way through conflict, both in practice and everyday live;
Advance aikido as a means of transforming the stresses of everyday life into opportunities for personal growth and development;
Aikido Kenkyukai Los Angeles is under the umbrella of Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara, a 501©(3) California nonprofit public benefit corporation. In addition to offering traditional Aikido classes to the general public at our dojo, we also develop and run various community projects and offer financial aid to under-​served populations, such as low-​income children.
Head Instructor is Lia Suzuki Sensei, 6^th dan
Lia Suzuki
6^th dan: Founder, President, Executive Director
Aikido Kenkyukai, USA: National Director
Aikido Kenkyukai, Santa Barbara: Founder, Head Instructor, Executive Director
Lia Suzuki Sensei began training aikido in 1982. Through her first teacher, the renowned William Gleason Sensei, 6^th dan, she was introduced to the distinctive aikido of the late Yamaguchi Seigo Shihan, 9^th dan and one of his most accomplished students, Takeda Yoshinobu Shihan, 8^th dan. Lia Sensei lived in Japan from 1987 to 1996, receiving her 1^st through 4^th dan gradings at Takeda Shihan’s dojo during that time. Her aikido clearly reflects years of dedicated training with Takeda Shihan and his senior students.
She has conducted seminars in Great Britain, Germany, Australia, Canada and of course, the USA. Lia Sensei continues to travel regularly to Japan to train with her teacher, Takeda Shihan and to participate in demonstrations and seminars there.
In addition to teaching standard aikido classes, Lia Sensei is also involved in ongoing projects employing aikido in work addressing substance misuse and emotional/​behavioral problems. Suzuki Sensei helped develop A.C.T. — Aiki Conflict Transformation 2002 offering workshops and seminars to psychologists, counselors, educators, etc.
Aikido Demonstration: Lia Suzuki Sensei at Aiki Expo (shoto waza, koshinage, irimi tenkan)
Aikido Takeda Yoshinobu 44 all japan
Youth Summer Camp Watermelon Cutting
Andre leaps at AKSB’s Youth Summer Camp!