3. The people. Aikido seems to attract and RETAIN an exceptionally precious, QUIRKY, fun, sound, safe, honorable, integrity-laden, genuine, sincere, kind, passionate, lighthearted yet grounded community of people. People with strong arms and smile, people who teach from the heart and embrace you even as they are throwing you ... people who bring gentleness to a potentially harsh discipline ... People I can trust and love and laugh with. Dedicated aikidoka --- the real students, the ones who are truly into it --- are an indescribably precious treasure for whom I thank God.

4. It makes me feel strong. It helps me hold my head up and my shoulders back. I can handle seemingly unrelated things so much better as a result of martial arts training, dumb stuff that used to absolutely stress me out . I can't explain it, but the more I'm training, the better I can handle life's wrinkles. I just feel stronger all around, muscles and mind. And braver. Because I try things on the mats I normally would never have pushed myself to attempt. Even something as simple as the fact that I can and do get up over and over again after getting thrown, pinned,and all around battered over and over again shows me that I'm tougher than I thought I was. Aikido helps me be stronger, braver, and tougher. Aikido is helping to grow me into, a woman with presence.