One of the articles was by an Aikidoka, and it relates an occasion when he was training in Aikido in Japan. Travelling home from a late-night training session, he was sharing a train carriage with a young woman, an old man, and a rather loud and belligerent drunk man. The drunk man was, of course, causing hassle for the young woman, and the Aikidoka, in his chivalry, stepped forward to help the young woman. He stood ready to face the drunk, who was enraged by the audicity of the Aikidoka to challenge him, and combat was about to ensue when the old man suddenly spoke up to the drunk.

“Is that saké you’ve been drinking? My wife and I love saké. We like to drink it in the evening as we sit in the garden, admiring the spring cherry blossom. Cherry blossom is lovely, isn’t it?”

The drunk, perplexed by this friendly display, simply nodded and grunted along with the old gentleman’s winding conversation and, calmed and stopped better by that than any attack, simply sat down. The Aikidoka returned to his seat, shamed by this display that had demonstrated the core of Aikido better than any fancy wristlock.