The Art of Peace

So I admit, I bought this book after watching an episode of the “Walking Dead” during the shows sixth season. However, I have also studied Aikido for 5 years under one of Morihei Ueshiba’s students in New York and was excited about reading this book. The Art of Peace is a short and small pocket sized book which contains various quotes, sayings, and proverbs from Morihei Ueshiba throughout his lifetime. Aikido is a unique art because it is defense focused and has a special spiritual connection between the person, the universe, and the opponent. There is a lot of useful life advice in this text. Although a lot of it is easier said than done, it takes time and mental practice to get a good grasp of the described concepts and use them in real life circumstances. I intend to read this book over and over throughout my life to practice its key elements. If you want to find inner peace in a difficult and broken world, this book is a good guide to help you get there.

Like many, I bought this book after seeing it on "The Walking Dead". It's a pretty good book though ... inspirational. Each message is short and can be used almost like a daily devotion. I'm surprised with how many times I pick this book up to read a bit. Small size, so it's easy to pack in a shirt on jean back pocket. Even it you're not going to study Aikido for an upcoming zombie apocalypse, this might still end up being an enjoyable read for you. It was for me!

I just got this little gem-of-a-book in the mail a few days ago from Amazon. This book is loaded with amazing aphorisms which I put on the same level or higher than "A Joseph Campbell Companion." I'm a serious student of the Gospel and find that the teachings of Morihei Ueshiba mirrors Jesus' teachings in a secular [and spiritual] way. As an example on page 141: [When someone stands in opposition to you, there is an even fifty-fifty split. Greet an opponent who comes forward, bid goodbye to an opponent who withdraws. Keep the original balance and your opponent will have nowhere to strike. In fact, your opponent is not really your opponent because you and your opponent become one. This is the beauty of The Art Of Peace.] And on page 97: [When your eyes engage those of another person, greet him or her with a smile and they will smile back. This is one of the essential techniques of The Art Of Peace.] Granted, this book probably isn't for everyone; however, if the two former quotes "sparks" something within your soul, then this book is for you!! I'm very sure that anyone whom buys and reads this book will be pleasantly comforted by its rich teachings!!

Philosophy of Aikido. I always like to understand the theory that goes with the movements. Small but powerful.

Awesome little book to carry with you anywhere you go.

I find myself returning often to this little book, capturing says by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. Except for the introduction by John Stevens, each page consists of a single quote. The Art of Peace is about an approach to living harmoniously in this world, recognizing that conflicts, which are a natural part of the world, can be approached through a different way of viewing one's opponent or the force that one has to deal with. Some of the quotes are more directly applicable to martial training, but most seem to apply more with how we interact with others in the world. I've bought several copies of this book to give away, and keep extras on hand for when I realize someone would enjoy these thoughts.

Taking up the practice of aikido has really changed my life for the better. The art of peace has shown me that life doesn't have to be hard. Maybe things could be better if I just tried a little. I like to read this book when I don't feel at peace, and this book helps guide me back to serenity. I know that I have anger management problems, and I always feel better after reading this and reflecting on the lessons. I had to buy another because I gave my old copy to a good friend of mine and it really helped him. I remember reading a passage about how big doesn't always beat small. Big can be defeated by being broken up into pieces, and little can defeat big by growing. As I read it for the first time, I witnessed an ant defeat a mosquito hawk by taking off the larger bug's legs. It had to be a sign from the universe. At the time I had only pondered the physical nature of this proverb. I only needed to disarm my opponents to be safe. Now, with a new set of eyes, perhaps it could be applied to life's immense problems. Sometimes it feels like a tsunami is crashing down on you. Why not try to break apart your struggles into smaller, bite sized pieces. Buy this book! It will change your life for the better.

The dead don’t entirely rest in peace; I’m a zombie junkie so stop me if you heard this one *ahem* I read this because I watched “The Walking Dead” Season Six, Episode 4 “Here’s Not Here” I mean when has The Walking Dead ever been wrong… Already I want to make excuses for "The Art of Peace” I read it on my Kindle, maybe I was having a hard time when I read it, so I was exhausted, or I could have been expecting some grand miracle, well I finished it, does that count some, not that it’s so terrible. Three stars without a doubt but for some reason I couldn’t stick with it, I took martial arts as a child, Karate not Aikido, so like back then do I blame the teacher or my “father” he indeed has better taste in books but I was looking for another man for guidance. I wonder why The Art of Peace became a prop for Lennie James a.k.a. Morgan Jones but shouldn’t I be blaming John Stevens who translated the book or more so Morihei Ueshiba who’s the author? Even now I wasn’t ready to read the paperback copy that I bought because I must be missing something, the urge to like this title is so strong within me, and it wasn’t the worst thing ever, but I was expecting so much. Don’t get me wrong with the Kindle version I read you do get a big backstory on Morihei Ueshiba and in some parts; I can understand why he would develop such a philosophy for life after everything that he experienced. Maybe that’s the problem that he became decorated as so godlike, and despite the superhuman feats it came off more like someone who was only spouting a phrase here or there that sounded deep, and nobody wanted to challenge him. A lot wiser than the Bible without all the things that people attempt to hide but still an ideology that I couldn’t exactly get behind despite everything I highlighted within. It could be that I was looking for that one moment from The Walking Dead and I might have found it but it didn’t resonate the same way with me; let me discover myself in a zombie apocalypse though and I might beg to reread this. As I said with the hope of proving myself and these three stars wrong and I wouldn’t mind learning Aikido maybe it’s the fact that I have no practical experience in the culture but then again I read erotica… Maybe I read it too fast which is saying something with the fact that I fell asleep sometimes, not because of the book hopefully but I was attempting to push through when perhaps I should have practiced meditation on what I read. Once I got past the biography of the man, the wisdom was seen to a certain extent, as he said The Art of Peace is continually evolving over time and from one person to another which I find entirely true without a doubt. If anything while reading this I wasn’t interested in fighting anyone, but I didn’t care to do much of anything else, maybe in a way I guess the book did its job though perhaps novel is the wrong word for this title as short as it was. What about that don’t judge a book by its cover because when I looked at the size of the book, I was already disappointed, and that’s why I snatched up my Kindle copy so quickly as well sadly. I don’t know whether peace is supposed to be so easy to have or so hard to understand, it’s there regardless of whichever you choose, and for me it was hard but wisdom is not to know acknowledgment in a day, and it took me quite a few to finish. Perhaps it wasn’t as motivating as I hoped, most of the motivational jargon I’ve listened to and watched and read gets me ready to do something but this more to the point, and I keep saying it is to find peace. The pacing I found slow and somewhat repetitive, but that’s because well I’m human and see even now I’m beginning to feel I missed the point of the book entirely but I was thrown off by the history of the man and not by his great words. What about the “word art” I can’t honestly say that I got it, other than the fact that when I was younger, I did go through a phase of finding beauty in the Asian culture and for once I don’t only mean the women; does that make me sexist, I do wonder? Again I return to The Walking Dead and the idea that I figured this book would change me but I was better off sticking with that moment of realization between Morgan and Eastman and while I continue to realize I need this peace, the practical application of it I have found daunting. Much like reading the book, yes when I get more time, I want to study it at least once more, and this time I will read the physical copy and see if that will help me understand better. The Art of Peace did reawaken a bit of “Asian Persuasion” again in all areas such as ideology, anime, and Martial Arts, though I don’t think Aikido is for me, though if I could combine it with something else, I might give it a chance. Speaking of giving this book a chance, three stars out of five and the fact that I do want to reread it at that is high praise. There are five-star books that leave me wrecked that I don’t think I could rehash because there would be nothing left of me and so much for reviews. With The Art of Peace, I know there is something more for me; if I only have the patience to find it which I suppose can be counted as a life lesson and wasn’t that the whole point, to learn something that will help me in my day to day life? In that regard, while I already mentioned the Bible, don’t expect this to help with your day to day life though it is easier to read honestly and isn’t likely to tell you, while you are divine that everybody is somehow trash. It doesn’t bring out the worst flaws of humanity but instead tells us there is a way to live however it does not tell me how not to punch-out my co-workers but rather why I shouldn’t truthfully. Which is also one of the problems I’ve gone over, it has somewhat of a deep mysticism to it and while I do believe that Morihei Ueshiba was a gifted human being, given that this title is his true teachings it still seems a bit too incredible too much. Also with these ideas of life and I would be the first one to admit that my life isn’t exactly something to write about, I felt as though I was slogging through this for the most part. I feel as though The Art of War would be more to my liking even though The Art of Peace states that this is more the way of the warrior, so maybe by reading the other I will understand what I have read all the more in time maybe. I can’t stress this enough but if not for The Walking Dead I probably wouldn’t have bothered with this, and I do feel somewhat the better for having read this and in trying to understand it, as best as I can. Though I wouldn’t suggest that you be at peace when you begin reading this; it will probably keep you from resting in because who has time to think about all the evils in the world when this is undoubtedly More Rest Than Art “Peace?”