Allow No Harm. Do No Harm.

My wife, Linda, came up with one of the best short descriptions of Aikido I've ever heard.

"Allow no harm. Do no harm."

Brilliant.

Take care of your yourself: Allow no harm.

And don't harm the other person: Do no harm.

O'Sensei said (or so it was said he said), "Aikido is the loving protection of all living things." All living things. Not just those things we already love. But the other things as well. The not so loveable things in our lives.

Jesus said (or so it was said he said), "Love your enemies." Loving your friends, and/or even close aquaintences is not so difficult. But your enemies? Now that's a practice.

I've created friends and I've created enemies. And I've turned friends into enemies. The hardest practice for me is the turning enemies into friends. That's worth trying. Again and again.

And while I'm practicing all that. I'll do my best to allow no harm and to do no harm.