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Martial Arts Training
Summer 4-Week Intro Course
June 24, 2025 - July 22, 2025
Tuesdays & Thursdays 7pm-8pm*
(*No class July 3)
Registration now open!
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Confidence
Build your fitness level, meet new goals, learn new skills, and get tons of endorphins. Aikido training will give you unshakable confidence.
Fitness
Martial arts is a high-aerobic workout that uses every muscle group in the body. Your stamina, muscle tone, flexibility, balance and strength will all improve. Show up and get in the best shape of your life!
Reduce Anxiety & Stress
The workout you get from training, combined with our study of the peaceful principles of Aikido will give you new tools for dealing with stress and anxiety, bringing contentment and peace.
Community
Join us at least once a month for dojo parties and get-togethers. We also host seminars periodically, which attract visitors from around the globe.
Micro-documentaries
What people are saying...
"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)."
"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 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."
"I have nothing but good things to say about this dojo and Suzuki Sensei. I leave every class feeling exhilarated, challenged, and full of joy. If you’re looking to try aikido, already train and want to see if the dojo is a good fit, or just curious about martial arts, I can’t recommend AKI Koreatown enough.
I had zero martial arts experience when I started and was a little nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. Suzuki Sensei and the other students were incredibly welcoming, kind, and helpful and I felt at home in no time. I have watched the same thing happen again and again when new students join. I’m proud to be a member of this community.
You can be challenged here and push yourself to the limit (I have often left class physically exhausted yet mentally energized), but no one is ever made to do anything they’re not comfortable with or that causes pain, or shamed if they have physical limitations. There is always some way to train and something to learn and I think that is beautiful.
Highly recommended!"
What you'll learn:
- Some basic Aikido footwork
- Some basic Aikido techniques
- How to fall and roll safely
- Traditional Aikido warm-ups for safe training
- The correct way to put on your uniform, including how to tie your belt
- Dojo etiquette and protocols
- Aikido background and philosophy
- Breathing technique and awareness
About your instructor...
"I've found Suzuki Sensei to be a very effective teacher and martial artist. She combines quality of communication, technical proficiency, and a sense of joy in her teaching and technique.
I am also very impressed with her drive and commitment to improving access to Aikido programs for youth, especially those who might otherwise not have the opportunity to receive the benefits of Aikido training."
"Lia Suzuki Sensei is a highly qualified teacher of Aikido. She is one of the senior women in the United States in the art. Her training history is top notch and her instruction is powerful, clear, and personable. Very professional."
George Ledyard
"Lia Sensei spent years in Japan absorbing the essence of Aikido training and Japanese perseverance and grace from great teachers, and in turn she now transmits that depth of feeling to her students. Her fundraising and charitable works are exemplary, and she does lots with very little. She is admired from far and wide."
Nat McCully
Course Options
*Limited to one option per person. May not be combined with other promotional offerings.
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Course Options
*Limited to one option per person. May not be combined with other promotional offerings.
Registration closes in...
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Course Options
*Limited to one option per person. May not be combined with other promotional offerings.
Registration closes in...
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Course Options
*Limited to one option per person. May not be combined with other promotional offerings.
Registration closes in...
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Course Options
*Limited to one option per person. May not be combined with other promotional offerings.
Registration closes in...
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Course Options
*Limited to one option per person. May not be combined with other promotional offerings.
Registration closes in...
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DAYS
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What people are saying...
What people are saying...
"This 4-week intro course has been incredibly nourishing and challenging and I'm really grateful for the opportunity to have had the introduction to Aikido principles both on and off the mat.
One of my favorite parts of the practice (in addition to the pure physical joy and buoyancy of the movement itself) has been the ways that the classes interweave somatic learning with mindfulness principles that feel applicable to other areas of life as well. I'm finding myself more centered, grounded and focused emotionally and socially as well as physically.
I'm really interested to continue training and see the ways it impacts my music practice - part of the reason I had time for Aikido is that this time of year is a quieter season professionally, but starting in March I'll be performing for events and concerts most weekends and I'm interested to see Aikido's impact on my focus, precision and musicality in live performance.
While I knew that a sense of community within the dojo was part of Aikido from the introductory videos/literature I reviewed before signing up for the course, I was not prepared for how warm, kind and authentically welcoming each member of the dojo has been. In addition to friendly conversation and tips off the mat, the amount of compassion, kindness and great lessons I've received from every member of the dojo on the mat has deepened my understanding of the physical aspects of Aikido and helped make training click in lots of different and helpful ways.
I've struggled quite a bit against my own shyness/self-consciousness on the mat (and struggles differentiating right and left which always get worse when I'm stressed) but I'm finding a freedom in being new at something and being ok with not being the best (hard for a classically trained musician!). There are so many layers of physicality - footwork, core strength, focus, gaze, hand/arm grip, etc. - that I often feel like my brain is melting, but I think there's also a path towards growth and regeneration that comes from completely surrendering to not knowing anything, trying to study and learn when it's working and also letting go and trying to move intuitively at time as well.
The most fun part? FALLING!!! So grateful to have found this time of fully circular movement - looking forward to continuing!
Warmly,
Lily"
Lily Press
Harpist
Where are you located?
What's the schedule?
Can I get a make-up class if I miss one of the ones on the schedule?
How much does it cost if I want to continue after I've completed the Intro Package?
Join The Waitlist Now
Join the Waitlist now and become the best version of yourself.
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Join The Waitlist Now
Join the Waitlist now and become the best version of yourself.
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Join The Waitlist Now
Join the Waitlist now and become the best version of yourself in 2025!
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