I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to my early Aikido teachers: Ueshiba Morihei, O-Sensei (“Great Teacher”); Ueshiba Kisshomaru, who was Waka Sensei when I was at Hombu; Tohei Koichi, friend and chief instructor at Hombu; Shimizu Kenji, who was very kind and helpful when I first arrived at the Hombu Dojo; and Takahashi Isao Sensei, my mentor. Thanks also to Dr. R. Frager, who is a good friend and provided a lot of help and support at Hombu and beyond. In addition, thank you to Ken McCaskill for his assistance in putting this book together. Last but not least, special thanks to my wife, Hana, who stood by me through all those years of Aikido and Budo training. There are many other teachers who influenced my thinking in Zen and art, which in turn influenced my Aikido; their teachings live on in my art and my life - WALTHER G. VON KRENNER

I would like to acknowledge the great teachers who passed along the wisdom found in Japanese martial traditions to future generations. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Nakazono Mikoto Masahilo (1918–94), my first Aikido teacher. Without his influence, I would not have had the opportunity to discover the true meaning of Budo and fulfill at least part of my capacity as a human being. The potential he saw in a fourteen-year-old boy from Santa Fe, New Mexico, has fueled my entire life. I hope to continue to progress in understanding and discovering my own potential. In addition, I sincerely desire to help humankind to understand its greater capacity toward humaneness and compassion - DAMON APODACA