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The Art of Peace: Aikido & Zombies
John Stevens, Author & Aikido Teacher
Original Date: Wednesday, September 26th, 2018
Thirty years ago, world-renowned Aikido expert John Stevens published The Art of Peace, a collection of teachings by Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of Aikido. A few years back, The Art of Peace was featured on the popular TV series "The Walking Dead." Although Stevens had some misgivings about the book being used in a zombie series, he thought, "Hell is the best place to practice Aikido, so, why not?" To everyone's surprise, the little book became a best seller. The book has since appeared in a fresh edition, and Stevens will talk about the story behind the appearance of The Art of Peace on "The Walking Dead", and then read at random from its pages, in an open discussion.
John Stevens lived in Japan for 35 years, were he was Professor of Buddhist Studies and Aikido Instructor in Sendai. He has written 30 books on all manner of subjects--Buddhism, Asian calligraphy, Zen art, poetry, sex, and one novel. Stevens retired from the university ten years ago, and now lives in Honolulu. He continues to work as a curator, authenticating Zenga, and organizing art exhibitions at major museums all over the world.
