“Aikido makes strong people.”

So says Lee Lavi Ramirez Sensei, former Israeli judo champion and military officer turned aikido instructor and founder of North Valley Aikikai in Northridge, California. The pupil of Ichiro Shibata Shihan (8thdan) – who was himself a direct disciple of Kisshomaru Ueshiba – is now marshaling all of her training to face the greatest challenge of her life: her teenage daughter Aria's bone cancer.

Please excuse any background noise you hear during the podcast as Lee was speaking with us from the hospital while Aria was undergoing treatment.  

Photo © Gary Payne

Aria's GoFundMe campaign