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Jamie Leno Zimon - a martial artist making a difference
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Jamie Leno Zimron, a 5th degree black belt in Aikido, is successfully working to bring Israelis and Arabs together across national and ideological borders through the Japanese “Martial Art of Peace," Aikido.
Jamie, a dual American-Israeli citizen, co-founded the “Middle East Aikido Project” (MAP) through Aiki Extensions, an American non-profit applying the universal principles of Aikido in many areas of life around the world. The project was born from Jamie’s dream of “Salaam-Shalom Aikido” (the words for “Peace” in Arabic and Hebrew). Living in Israel at the time of the Olso Accords and the Israeli-Jordan peace treaty, she envisioned “Arabs and Jews meeting on the mat, grabbing wrists, harmonizing and having fun together.” Today she is leading MAP in building bridges of friendship and hope throughout Israel, Palestine and the Middle East.
Jamie realized the role Aikido could play in what she terms “citizen’s diplomacy work” when she traveled to the former Soviet Union during the “glasnost” years. Helping to introduce Aikido to the Soviet people, she found stereotypes and fears dissolving. She felt changed herself as she noted “how new relationships develop when perceived enemies decide to meet.”
Jamie has been an Advisory Board Member of the “Compassionate Listening Project” since the mid-1990’s when she joined several two-week delegations to the West Bank and Gaza. These provided rare opportunities for a Jewish-American-Israeli woman to be with Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. As she writes, “These experiences greatly opened my mind and heart. I was able to gain close-up, in-depth understanding of the mideast conflict from both sides.”
The Middle East Aikido Project now sponsors or partners with a number of people and projects who share a common vision. These include Robert Kent’s “PeaceCamp Initiative” (profiled in last week’s examiner.com feature); Danny Hakim’s “Budo for Peace;” Miles Kessler’s “Aikido Without Borders” and the “Ethiopian Awassa Youth Center.” Joint trainings have already been held with Iraqis and Jordanians, and Jamie hopes that more Arab and Jewish Aikidoists will become willing to “meet on the mat.”
Last summer, a young Muslim martial artist from Nazareth selected for PeaceCamp could not get a visa from the US State Department due to his name. With the aid of her brother, California State Senator Mark Leno, and US Senator Diane Feinstein, Jamie saw to it that the visa was granted, quickly raised needed funds, and the boy made it to camp.
In Israel this March, Jamie helped select Christian, Muslim and Jewish boys and girls involved in “Martial Arts for Peace” for this summer’s PeaceCamp program in Pennsylvania. She has also introduced Aikido at a “Seeds of Peace” gathering in Ramallah, and taught at a school, an orphanage and the main dojo in the West Bank. Together with Miles Kessler and his Middle East-based “Aikido Without Borders” non-profit, MAP is supporting the development of Palestinian Aikido practitioners and instructors.
Jamie is also an LPGA Golf Professional, Sports Psychologist and Body-Mind Fitness Expert. She is the creator of “The Centered Way” and “KiAi Golf” and is an internationally recognized leader in holistic sports and life education. An all-round exceptional athlete and instructor, Jamie is known for her dynamic teaching style and infectious energy. She works with individuals and organizations to, as she puts it, “play and be their best!”
Jamie writes that she takes her mission from “Morihei Ueshiba O’ Sensei, the Founder of Aikido, who saw the art as ‘a great Way to reconcile the world and make all human beings one family’.” She knows that the Mideast conflict will not end overnight, but has seen through her own experiences that “each step towards mutual understanding and trust is a big one, with important ripple effects in every direction.
You can visit Jamie at www.aikidomideastpeace.info or www.kiaigolf.com to find out more about her exceptional work and learn ways you can get involved or contribute financially. The site also provides information on how to bring this vital work to churches, mosques, synagogues and other organizations.
Jamie Leno Zimron is an inspiring and tireless advocate for peaceful co-existence and is a martial artist truly making a difference!
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