Aikido for Beginners: What I Wish I Knew in My First Year

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 everything feels exciting and new, but later the body needs time to integrate what it has learned before the next breakthrough can happen. I also explain why frustration is not a sign of failure. In many cases it means your comfort zone is expanding and your nervous system is being asked to operate in new territory. This doesn’t feel good, but it is often the doorway to real progress. We then explore why taking ukemi is one of the fastest and most powerful ways to learn. When you receive a technique in your body, you gather information far beyond what words can give you. Ukemi builds sensitivity, timing, and intuition, and helps your whole body understand how Aikido really works. I also talk about the importance of careful observation. Watching how your teacher moves, especially the feet, hips, and center, trains your intuition and helps your body learn even when you are not the one moving. Practice Prompt: In your next class, notice when frustration shows up. Instead of pulling back, take more ukemi than usual and choose one demonstration to watch closely, starting with the feet and then the hips. You can find my book The Teacher at https://lia-suzuki.com/book , where I share stories and lessons from my life in Aikido. You can also receive a new training video each week by joining my newsletter at https://www.lia-suzuki.com/newsletters/2147530761/subscribe . If you would like to train with me in person or remotely, you can find my seminar and training schedule at https://lia-suzuki.com/seminars