Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara - Latest Comments

Re: Kids’ Gasshuku (Summer Camp)

ralph lauren polo shirts — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 08:04:00 -0000

happy kids and good activity for them I think

Re: Archive: Santa Barbara Gang Violence Summit

Eco900307 — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:50:44 -0000

Reducing the violence in Santa Barbara is really awesome!! I think santa barbara really needs this!

Re: Archive: Santa Barbara Gang Violence Summit

Eco900307 — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:50:43 -0000

Reducing the violence in Santa Barbara is really awesome!! I think santa barbara really needs this!

Re: Press Release: Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara Finds New Home

aksb — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:54:09 -0000

When we shared there before, we used to walk over to the beach with the kids for the afternoon sessions of their summer camp...

Re: Press Release: Aikido Kenkyukai Santa Barbara Finds New Home

Asim — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:17:45 -0000

A block from the beach sounds real good:-)

Re: Patty DeDominic’s Fundraiser for AKSB

aksb — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 17:46:44 -0000

Thank you so much for your support, Patty!

Re: Arizona Aikido’s Prescott Seminar with Guest Instructor Lia Suzuki Sensei

Yuki Togawa — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 14:34:03 -0000

Stephen Jeckel says it well. I zoom into his statement;
ステフェンジェケル氏のお言葉に目がとどまります。

"To give special recognition to Suzuki Sensei, I have to mention that she is, without a doubt, one of the most caring, generous and humble teachers..."
特に鈴木リア先生の貢献に敬意をはらいたいと存じます。鈴木先生は実に親身で、気配り細かく人と接し、奥行きある人格者であると拝見致しております。

I have never met Suzuki Lia Dono in person but I am at no risk to say that she is an excellent material for 21st century global Aikido leadership. Being a person carrying layers of scars myself, I look for extremely gentle, delicate and considerate personality in an Aikido black belt as my potential instructor and also for leadership to take Aikido to its next step into this century. I would imagine that those that survive in conflict zones or in turmoil of daily friction that have yet to know or touch peace and harmony through Aikido would find someone like Suzuki Dono ideal. On top of that I witness her to be most eloquent in social networking via the Internet and elegantly spreading Aikido around the world. What do you think?
直接お目にかかったことはございませんが、鈴木先生は21世紀特有な国際的合気道指導に適した素材であると自信を持って提言致します。小生自身何層もの傷を負っている事もあって、合気道の先生、および、合気道を未来に推進させる指導者として最も優しく、気配り細かく、考慮深い性格を求めがちです。おそらく紛争地や揉め事が多い生活の渦の中で生き残っていらっしゃる皆様、合気道を通じて平和や調和に接するチャンスを待っていらっしゃる皆様が理想とされるお方なのではないかと拝見致しております。その上、ネット社交界を上手に利用し、合気道を世界中の皆様に広める鮮やかな人生を歩んでいらっしゃるように思いますが、、、どうでしょう。

Re: Arizona Aikido’s Prescott Seminar with Guest Instructor Lia Suzuki Sensei

Lia Suzuki — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 04:16:52 -0000

Thank you so much for your kind words, Stephen. I'm glad you had a good time at the seminar. I had a wonderful time and it was an honor to "share the stage" with Ikeda Sensei and Heiny Sensei.

I'm looking forward to training with the Arizona members again soon!

Re: Interview with Lia Suzuki Sensei (Aiki Extensions)

Lia Suzuki — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:48:55 -0000

Wow, Yuki! Thank you so much for your encouragement, kindness, support, and confirmation/validation! I'm new at "this nonprofit stuff" so I approached it the same way I approach Aikido and before that, horseback riding - I found good teachers and then did what they told me to do. Wax on, wax off! We have a great organization here in Santa Barbara called the Nonprofit Support Center. I spent a lot of time there when I first transitioned the dojo to nonprofit. I also listen to the folks at givezooks and do what they tell me. My nonprofit "sempai" have taken care of me nicely. A big thank you to them and also to folks like you and Robert for helping spread the word.

Looking forward to training together soon!

Re: Interview with Lia Suzuki Sensei (Aiki Extensions)

Yuki Togawa — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:02:20 -0000

Lia Suzuki shows through her dozens of emails she sends me the entire picture of the story. In no timne, I feel like I am there with her on the mat, off the mat with a pounding heart. Sharing stories are a powerful way she engages people in what her nonprofit does and helps me understand the meaning of her work. She is sharing her stories to people that are not necessarily from Aikido nor martial arts, nor peace leadership, she is sharing it with people that can make use of that inspiration into their lives and tangibly make a difference from that. She does not limit her social networking. She flows through people and places. The stories she sahre help me gain perspective on her work and impact.
I see that too many of the web sites I visit, the strongest component is missing; stories. Stories should be the tool to raising awareness and fundraising effort. The videos and emails Lia sends me work like stories that move me into the action and her heart. She shares her life work with me that allows me to experience the challenges and heartaches, as well as the love and hopes of the people she is involved with. I think the motherly touch she has in sharing us the stories leads the inspiration for organizers to organize and donors to donate. Whether inviting volunteers to invite volunteers or using social media tools to raise funds, she moves me not by statistics, logic but by heart pounds, tears and sighs. She appeals to my emotions, not the rational aspects. Lia is becoming an expert in that. There are typical ways to do it and there are fun progressive ways to do it and Lia is experimenting with all of them.
Money tends to lean towards positive stories, those of success and transformation. When the money spent is clearly posted and when the outcome of the fund is shared in full in a constant flow instead of an abrupt one, it makes me feel a part of the project all year around. O often see dojo owners collect moneyt and fail to keep the funding party well informed throughout the year and then only going bacvk to them when they are out of money again. From my experience, that does not work. Defeat and an open end with no conclusion, solution or a cap, seem to discourage money to move. So, fund rasising for Lia's dojo is much much easier than funding raising for STOP human trafficking... Her work provids a sunnier side and are filled with hope and vision for the future and being a part of it makes me feel warm. The positive stories she shares lift my spirit and touches me to wonder what I can do to help further. I am also noticing that Lia lives a very well rounded life and the way she uses money and time makes sense to me and thus making her very trust worthy of introducing her to money sources. If she is found not putting her hours in the fund raising and if she was expecting every penny to come from a fund raiser which she was not present, I would start having second thoughts.

Refined and establioshed people are engaging in great causes sometimes feel too pure and sanctified to sink to something as manipulative as marketing> I see a laot of dojo owners hesitate to part take in organizaed marketing and fund raising. The result of such non -profit sector leaders that do not take fund raising seriously, has been that women have been raped when it could have been avoided and children have died of pneumonia unnecessarily, or been sold off as a commodity simply because those stories haven’t resonated with the public.
Stop being so stubbern about martial art not being a business, learn how you can connect people to important causes and galvanize a robust global reaction. So, what does it take to tell a story successfully?
Lia looks for heroes and success stories not victims and shoratages.
She is trying to lean to focusing on an individual, not a group... almost there.
Make donors feel good - oh yes she does.
The secret to successful fundraising is securing gifts that donors enjoy.Don't you ever make this economy a reason why you can not get to funding. Money did not go any where. We now have 800 billionares when there were only 480 of them 3 years ago. Money is there. Grab it. Be storng in asking. If you do not believe that your social cause is the world most important cause, who is going to? Get off that attitude or assumption that people may not take interest. Become a good story teller.
I have told everyone that asked to follow Lia's path. It was exactly an year ago that I have mentioned to several non profit executives that she is almost perfect in fund raising. No one listening... Well, I hope my message got across. Lia has wonderful steps to take from where she is at and I see her fund raising will get bigger very shortly and in no time, she will have build her dojo.

Just watch and see.

Re: For all the wrong reasons

Lia Suzuki — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:10:13 -0000

Very nice. Thanks, Dejan.

Re: For all the wrong reasons

Eric Schneider — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:27:25 -0000

Dan, Nicely put, although I don't think there are any "wrong reasons". I'm not sure I can explain why I have become interested in Aikido. When I first went to watch some classes at another dojo, I came back and told my wife there was something magical about it. When I studied Kung Fu, there was a pretty obvious relationship between physical strength, size, conditioning, and force. Aikido is so much more subtle and for me that's what makes it compelling. As for where to train, within a short time of stepping on the mat for the first time, I knew that I wanted to train with Steve Sensei, and now, after gasshuku, with Lia Sensei. Their love for Aikido comes through in a very genuine way, without any veneer of ego and to me this is wonderful. When I studied Kung Fu, our teacher would periodically berate us and tell us it was our privilege to study with him because of his lineage. Here, Steve Sensei tells us how much he enjoys training with us. For me this instills real devotion to the art and to the dojo.

My first real gasshuku was a great experience, tired as I was by the end. I went through several phases - excitement, frustration (I felt like I was starting over sometimes), amazement at Lia Sensei's energy and mastery, fatigue, and exhillaration. Even though I was only testing for 5th kyu, I felt like I had accomplished something. By the way, congratulations again. And thanks again to Lia Sensei, Steve Sensei, and all AKI dojo members for such great training.

Re: Traditional Martial Arts and At-Risk Youth

Lia Suzuki — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:18:24 -0000

Well said, Caroline.

Re: Traditional Martial Arts and At-Risk Youth

caroline — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 06:12:44 -0000

Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat.

Self awareness, self defence, health benefits, self confidence, fitness, discipline, flexibility and breathing control are some reasons to name but a few. Any martial art, irrespective of its name and origin, if taught correctly of course, is based on teaching students these benefits to help them as a human being and that is why people still want to learn the martial arts hundreds of years on.

Re: Intern Spotlight: Kira Glynn

Lia Suzuki — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:54:35 -0000

Great to have you on board, Kira!

Re: Instructor

Lia Suzuki — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:18:55 -0000

Thank you so much, Paul! Victor seemed to me to be a little shy so he reminded me of myself when I was his age - I was PAINFULLY shy! I really had fun training with him and wished that we had more time for that technique. Looking forward to training with him again somewhere, someday... :-)

Re: Instructor

Paul Yang — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:08:14 -0000

Hi Suzuki Sensei, welcome to Victoria. My son, Victor, had the pleasure to practice with you on Friday, Aikido for Children class. We are still talking about how lucky he is.

Re: Give A Day, Get A Disney Day Program

aksb — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:54:27 -0000

Ah... Very nice insight, Leta...

Re: Give A Day, Get A Disney Day Program

LLambert — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:16:08 -0000

What a great experience it was to volunteer yesterday! Doing something to help others is always a good way to establish kindness and compassion towards yourself!

Re: Give A Day, Get A Disney Day Program

aksb — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:51:54 -0000

Glad to hear it, Richard!

Re: Give A Day, Get A Disney Day Program

rbrill — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:47:31 -0000

Had fun volunteering and helped a worthwhile cause. You can too!!

Re: Galleries

aksb — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:05:20 -0000

Glad you like it, Rebecca!

Re: Give A Day, Get A Disney Day Program

aksb — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:48:01 -0000

So great that you guys drove all the way from Santa Paula, Dominic! It was quite a productive day, what with posting fliers, creating online fundraiser pages, making follow-up calls, etc. Thanks again!

Re: Give A Day, Get A Disney Day Program

aksb — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:46:41 -0000

Great having you and your crew on board, Rebecca! I like what you did on the Givezooks fundraising site!

Re: Paying it Forward

Rebecca — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:04:08 -0000

Congrats, thanks for helping out our community.