Aikido to Zanshin – 26 Essays on the Martial Art of Peace

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.

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…

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…

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…

PHOTO – Yudansha Books

Aikido yudansha - black belt - passbooks

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…

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