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Aikido is a different form of martial art. Aikido does not meet force with force, but instead teaches harmonizing and blending with an opponent. More than just a method of self-defense, it is an exactiong and exciting art which has attracted many women to its discipline and practice. Women in Aikido is a collection of interviews with twelve women black belts. It is about women and power, women in their relationships with others and themselves, and women realizing the internal power that will enable them to change their lives.

I think that he had never imagined that a woman could throw him as strongly as I was throwing. I'm not saying that I was so amazing, but to him, a woman should be weak. He never imagined that his fall might not be adequate to handle a woman's throw. It scared him to his roots.--Lorraine DiAnne

In aikido, I feel my feet on the ground. I put my attention down in my feet, and feel that there is real solid support there. The suggestion, if you have a good teacher; is 'Feel your feet. You are here. There is no place else to go. There is Mother Earth supporting you right in this instant.'...And in that connection to the earth, you feel connection to the body and beyond.--Sue Ann McKean

The last thing we need right now is warriors. 'Spiritual warrior' is a contradiction in terms. What people are trying to reach for is the essence of a certain kind of commitment, presence, and prerseverance in the face of hardship. So let's talk about that. Let's not talk about 'warrior.'--Cress Forester

Andrea Siegel graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. She is an aikidoist and a fabric artist.

Contents

Introduction
Some Aikido Background Information, and an In-depth Introduction to Names and Terms
The Interviews
Catherine Tornbom
Lorraine DiAnne
Carol Sanoff
Cress Forester
Sue Ann McKean
Kathy Park
Diana Daffner
Cyndy Hayashi-Clark
Beth Hall
Sarah Wada
Peggy Berger
Cheryl Reinhardt
Glossary
Dojo Directories
Acknowledgments