OC Aikido Dojo

What a wonderful evening of training! 🥋💜

We were honored to welcome our friends from Tenshinkai Aikido in Westminster to OC Aikido for a joint training tonight!

It was so much fun sharing the mat, training together, working with new partners, and enjoying the great energy that comes from bringing Aikido friends together. We’re already looking forward to more opportunities to train together in the future!

We’re especially grateful to Bao Sensei for reaching out and bringing our dojos together. We hope this is the beginning of a wonderful connection between our Aikido families. 🙏

Thank you to everyone who came out and made tonight such a memorable evening!

More training together soon! 🥋💜

What a week! 🥋💜

Last Saturday 8/8/26, Kimi and Aria tested for and earned their *Shodan (1st Degree Black Belt)!* 🎉

We couldn't be more proud of these two. Their Shodan represents years of dedication, perseverance, hard work, and growth - both on and off the mat. It was an honor to watch them reach this incredible milestone surrounded by their Sensei, family, friends, and dojo family.

🖤🥋💜🥋🖤🥋💜🥋🖤🥋💜🥋🖤🥋💜🥋🖤🥋💜🥋🖤

And tonight, we said "see you later" to Aria as she heads off to the East Coast tomorrow. Her last class at OC Aikido was extra special, as she taught the class herself and got one more chance to share the mat with her dojo family.

Aria, we are so proud of you and excited to see where this next chapter takes you. Chase your dreams, embrace the adventure, and remember that you'll always have a home here at OC Aikido.

Congratulations, Kimi and Aria - and safe travels, Aria! We’ll be cheering you on! 💜

A belated but very proud congratulations to Brandon and Sylvia on their testing this weekend! 🥋🙌🏻

Both students have grown so much since joining OC Aikido, and it’s been wonderful watching their progress through consistent practice, hard work, and dedication.

Brandon worked through his nerves and did a great job, while Sylvia tested beautifully and did fantastic. We’re incredibly proud of both of them!

A special shoutout for the time and effort they’ve been putting in, joining Sora Sensei’s Sunday classes and continuing to build their skills and confidence on the mat.

At our *family dojo*, one of the greatest joys is watching students grow not only in technique, but in confidence, perseverance, and spirit. Congratulations, Brandon and Sylvia - we’re excited to see what comes next! 💙

Big congratulations to Ray on his promotion today! 🥋👏🏻

After a strong test, Ray advanced from *green belt to blue belt*, skipping green stripe through hard work and great effort on the mat. We’re incredibly proud of what he accomplished today!

One of the best parts of being “the family dojo” is getting to watch our students grow - not just in technique, but in confidence too. It’s been such a pleasure seeing Ray become more confident in himself and his training over time.

Congratulations, Ray - we can’t wait to see what you accomplish next! 🙌🏻

Some photos from our Thursday night BJJ class 😊

🥋 Special Guest Instructor – Friday, March 27 🥋

OC Aikido is absolutely thrilled to welcome back Cinzia Paviot Shihan (6th Dan) ~ ~ as our guest instructor!

Cinzia Shihan brings such a warm, uplifting presence to the mat - sweet but strong, inspiring, and like a breath of fresh air. As a high-ranking female practitioner, she’s an amazing role model and a wonderful example of women in martial arts.

Training with a visiting Shihan is a great opportunity to gain new insight and deepen your practice!

📅 Class Schedule:
• Kids Class: 5:30–6:30 PM
• Adult / Advanced Kids Class: 6:45–8:30 PM

🔗 Learn more about Cinzia Paviot Shihan:
https://aikido-kobayashi.org/shihankai/paviot-cinzia/

What a fantastic seminar weekend at OC Aikido!

We were thrilled to welcome Lia Suzuki Shihan (7th Dan) for three days of training, learning, and connection on the mat. Her teaching always brings incredible insight, clarity, and energy, and it’s truly a joy to learn from her each time she visits. 🙏🏻

It also felt especially meaningful that the final day of the seminar fell on International Women’s Day. Having such an accomplished female Shihan leading the mat was a wonderful reminder that Aikido is truly for everyone.

One of the things that made this weekend special was seeing our community together - women, men, and kids all training side by side. At OC Aikido we’re proud to be The Family Dojo, where families and students of all ages can grow together through practice.

Thank you to everyone who came out to train and helped make the seminar such a wonderful experience!

📣 Follow Lia Suzuki Shihan:
📸 Instagram:
📘 Facebook: Lia Suzuki — https://www.facebook.com/LiaSuzuki2

OC Aikido is looking forward to welcoming Lia Suzuki Shihan (7th Dan, Aikikai) for a 3-day seminar, March 6–8, 2026.

This weekend of training is a great chance to explore technique, connection, and movement with a well-known and respected instructor - whether you attend one day or the full weekend.

📅 March 6–8, 2026
📍 Orange County Aikido
👉 details here: www.ocaikido.com/suzukishihanseminar

📣 Follow Lia Suzuki Shihan:
📸 (Instagram)
📘 Lia Suzuki: https://www.facebook.com/LiaSuzuki2

🥋 Special Guest Instructor – Friday, February 20 🥋

OC Aikido is thrilled to welcome Cinzia Paviot Shihan (6th Dan) ~ ~ as our guest instructor on Friday, February 20!

Training with a visiting Shihan is a special opportunity to gain new insights and deepen your practice.

📅 Class Schedule:
• Kids Class: 5:30–6:30 PM
• Adult / Advanced Kids Class: 6:45–8:30 PM

We encourage all of our students to attend and take advantage of this special training opportunity.

🔗 Learn more about Cinzia Paviot Shihan:
https://aikido-kobayashi.org/shihankai/paviot-cinzia/

Friday night training with a small but dedicated group 🥋
Classes like this allow for focused practice, thoughtful instruction, and meaningful connection on the mat.

We were also honored to have Ishigaki Sensei join us as a guest instructor tonight. His presence, experience, and perspective always add something extra to class. 🙏🏻