Peace on Tatami, Peace in the World

It is beyond doubt that one would consider that this phrase should have an original. Correct! Beloved leader of Turkish Nation, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, first pronounced it as “Peace at home, peace in the world” to the public in April 20, 1931, which is accepted as the policy of Turkey in foreign relations.
We witness that wisdom, though follows different paths and speaks different languages, heads a unique direction. This can be observed directly in the words of Ō-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba “True Budo is done for the sake of “building peace”. Train every day so as to make peace between this spirit [Budo] and all things manifested on the face of the Earth”. So do the advices of Nobuyoshi Tamura, our dearest teacher in Aikido, who occasionally explained his reasons to practice Aikido as feeling good, having a long life, good health, and to attain harmony, therefore peace. He achieved this through movements in a martial way, a razor sharp blade, using which he managed to carve out a figurine of Kwannon throughout his entire life.
It is certain that bearing the knowledge of something is totally different from becoming it.Therefore, tatami is the gate opening to this path, i.e. Budo, which is followed to transcend oneself. Never ceasing training and practicing on tatami is the key to internalize this tacit knowledge, which cannot be expressed in words. Instead of shutting oneself inside doors of the dojo, practicing with as much as individuals we can is the sole way to unveil every single part of this gem with thousand facades.
Seminars are those events where we can see the varieties in techniques, make friendships, and above all, never to forget to maintain our “beginner’s mind”. Under the influence of the speech given by Tamura Shian in his 2009 seminar in Turkey, an international seminar was decided to be organized, where every single person can participate to follow his/her own path by practicing with many different practitioners from all over the world.
You are invited to the 12th Aikido Festival, organized annually since 2011 and directed by a successor of Tamura, Nebi Vural Sensei, in Turkey, the physical bridge between Asia and Europe, to experience this wisdom on tatami, with sisters and brothers from all over the world.

Let us join together to experience:

Peace on tatami, Peace in the world.

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