During April 2016 I participated in the seventh annual Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Each day (except for Sundays) I posted thoughts on a topic beginning with that day’s letter of the alphabet. These are the essays from that month of writing.
The peaceful martial art of Aikido goes deep. Training is an embodied physical activity with opportunities to challenge one’s limits and beliefs. We develop awareness and practice being present. Aikido can provide a lifelong opportunities for learning and growth as part of a positive, supportive community.
Aikido is especially relevant with regards to staying centered, managing conflict, and working together for a better outcome in these contentious times. Many people simple aren’t aware of Aikido, or have only a vague understanding of the practice. This series of essays is appropriate for anyone with even a casual interest – practicing on the mat, or applying Aikido principles in life. That is, they are not technical, how-to, or minutiae about the art. They are highly accessible and inclusive.
My intent is to revise and elaborate on each essay, and publish “Aikido to Zanshin – 26 Essays on the Martial Art of Peace” as the first book in my planned collection of books about the art of Aikido.
Aikido from A to Z:
A – Aikido – Practicing Harmony – A Good Idea for Bad Times
B – Beginner’s Mind – The Power of the Empty Teacup
— PHOTO – Aikido is Active Fun for Kids
C – Community – Evolving Together
D – Dojo – The Place of The Way
E – Elephants and Blind Men – Aikido Is An Elephant
F – Fun – Vibrant and Joyful Training
G – Grounded – Being Stable, and Settled
H – History – How Aikido Came Into Being
— PHOTO – We’re All on the Same Side
I – Inclusion – Aikido is for All People
J – Japan – Language, Etiquette, and Culture in Aikido
K – Kihon Waza – Practicing Basic Technique
L – Life Lessons – Taking Your Aikido into the World
M – Mastery – The Endless Path
N – Nage and Uke – The Relationship Between Partners
— PHOTO – The Dojo – Because Some Things Can’t be Found on the Internet
O – O Sensei – Morihei Ueshiba
P – Presence – Being In The Moment
Q – Qualities – Discovering and Developing Our Better Selves
R – Ruthless Compassion – Resolution Without Apology
S – Sensei – What It Means to Have a Teacher
T – Testing – Taking It to The Next Level
— PHOTO – Yudansha Books
U – Ukemi – Learning to Roll with the Punches
V – Violence – Controlling Our Own Violence
W – Weapons – Refining Technique, Forging Spirit
X – X Chromosomes – Being a Woman in Aikido
Y – Yin-Yang – Inseparable Halves of a Whole
Z – Zanshin – Ongoing Awareness and Connection
— PHOTO – Nadeau Shihan – Ask Who You Need To Be
Thank you for reading, commenting, and sharing!
Prefer to browse? Check out the original Aikido to Zanshin posts, below.
Aikido – Practicing Harmony – A Good Idea for Bad Times
This is the first in a series of posts about Aikido that will continue right through the month of April – twenty-six posts, one for each letter of the alphabet. Most…
Beginner’s Mind – The Power of the Empty Teacup
This is the second in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
PHOTO – Aikido is Active Fun for Kids
This month’s posts are part of a series of 26 posts, Aikido from A to Z, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to…
Community – Evolving Together
This is the third in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Dojo -The Place of The Way
This is the fourth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Elephants and Blind Men – Aikido Is An Elephant
This is the fifth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Fun – Vibrant and Joyful Training
This is the sixth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Grounded – Being Stable and Settled
This is the seventh in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
History – How Aikido Came Into Being
This is the eighth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
PHOTO – We’re All On The Same Side
This month’s posts are part of a series of 26 posts, Aikido from A to Z, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z…
Inclusion – Aikido is for All People
This is the ninth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Japan – Language, Etiquette, and Culture in Aikido
This is the tenth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Kihon Waza – Practicing Basic Technique
This is the eleventh in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016….
Life Lessons – Taking Your Aikido into the World
This is the twelfth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You can…
Mastery – The Endless Path
This is the thirteenth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Nage and Uke – The Relationship Between Partners
This is the fourteenth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You can…
PHOTO – The Dojo – Because Some Things Can’t be Found on the Internet
This month’s posts are part of a series of 26 posts, Aikido from A to Z, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z…
O Sensei – Morihei Ueshiba
This is the fifteenth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Presence – Being In The Moment
This is the sixteenth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Qualities – Discovering and Developing Our Better Selves
This is the seventeenth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Ruthless Compassion – Resolution Without Apology
This is the eighteenth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You can…
Sensei – What It Means to Have a Teacher
This is the nineteenth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Testing – Taking It to The Next Level
This is the twentieth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
PHOTO – Yudansha Books
This month’s posts are part of a series of 26 posts, Aikido from A to Z, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z…
Ukemi – Learning to Roll with the Punches
This is the twenty-first in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016….
Violence – Controlling Our Own Violence
This is the twenty-second in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Weapons – Refining Technique, Forging Spirit
This is the twenty-third in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016….
X Chromosomes – Being a Woman in Aikido
This is the twenty-fourth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Yin-Yang – Inseparable Halves of a Whole
This is the twenty-fifth in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. You…
Zanshin – Ongoing Awareness and Connection
This is the twenty-sixth, and last, in this series of 26 posts, one for each letter of the alphabet, that I am writing during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April…
PHOTO – Nadeau: Ask Who You Need to Be
Last month I wrote a series of 26 posts, Aikido from A to Z, one for each letter of the alphabet, as part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, April 2016. It was, indeed,…
Presence — Being in the Moment
This is the current draft of the chapter “Presence” from my upcoming book Aikido to Zanshin —26 Essays on the Martial Art of Peace, based on a series of posts…
