In the course of learning or teaching aikido, people often speak truth. Here are some of my favorites. The transcriptions may not be perfectly accurate, since I heard them in class, but I hope I preserved the message.

“If you’ve been wrongly perceiving what is happening for a long time, it’s difficult to truly see what is really happening.” – Shihan Chuck Weber, at Baltimore Aikido, 7/25/2015

“Use the point of your sword as your shield.” – Shihan William Gleason

“Draw energy from the earth.” – Shihan Mary Heiny

Hawk perched high,
hunting,
surveying his kingdom
casual as any monarch.
Evil splits the land.
They poisoned the pool,
lay insecticide beside it.
The dragonflies were dead.                                                                                                                                                              They called us
insubordinate,
unruly,
but we fought for truth
and burned in fire.