I enjoyed reading all the posts. When I first saw the "SQLSERVER" email, I thought I was seeing things when I saw O'Sensei in it. I have the same picture.

I have been doing martial arts my entire life. Started with TKD and some others in my younger years. I started Aikido about 20 years ago. It's a very interesting martial art. It is entirely defensive and used to end the incident without doing harm to anyone. Don't be fooled it is a very powerfull art. My sensei is 2 from the founder (took from Tohei).

Relating this to IT and the business world. Aikido and any art is a great way to relax and blend with others. Many IT people have a hard time dealing with others. I know many IT programmers that just code all day and don't really know how to relate to others. We are geeks. It's good to relate and get some exercise for stress reliever. Plus, you learn how to protect yourself.

What make Aikido different is the "ki" side of it... Some schools don't teach it. I was lucky my sensei learned it from the original students (Tohei) of O'Sensei. Being relaxed and learning how to focus have helped me in the business. How many times does a meeting get heated or people start to argue. Having good "ki" is very important in life. You are at your strongest when you are relaxed. One other point of "ki"... As we age, our mind and body seperate. A young baby has great "ki". Try taking a rattle away from a 10lb baby. It's hard. I have heard stories about women lifting a car to save their child. When the mind and body come together, we are very powerfull.

The bottom line is to take care of yourself (exercise your body and mind). Relax.........