Martial art offers conflict-resolution lessons

In business conflict rarely means life or death; it usually means stress and tension.

While today's battlefields are apt to be boardrooms, conflict is part of business, and many businesspeople are turning to ancient methods of conflict resolution that teach self control, self confidence and balance the martial arts.

Martial arts may come from a lifeor- death background, but they're all about conflict resolution, says Vince Salvatore, owner of Aikido of Reno, and practitioners are discovering Aikido enhances both their personal and professional lives.

Aikido translates roughly to a way of being in harmony with energy.

The founder of the Japanese martial art, Morihei Ueshiba, created an art whose tenets hold conflict is wrong, and teaches practitioners to neutralize aggression.

Aikido teaches practitioners to control their energy and become centered, and it applies just as much to verbal attacks in the office as physical attacks in the proverbial dark alley.

"Aikido teaches people different options so they can apply the appropriate response," says Salvatore, who's studied the art for more than 23 years, including 13 years in Japan.

In Aikido as in business you look for a win-win situation.

The business owner who wins a confrontation with a disgruntled customer without defusing the situation loses that customer and others from word of mouth.

Aikido's philosophy says there are no winners or losers- everybody wins.

"That's the definition of conflict resolution," says Salvatore.

"We resolve conflict and situations in a way so everybody can win and quite frankly, that works for business, too."

For Tim Waldren, part owner in the family-owned Paramount Auto Body, Aikido's non-confrontational, non-competitive nature appealed.

He was drawn by the ideas of partners working together rather than competing.

Fifteen years later, he holds a thirddegree black belt and sees the impact of Aikido on both business and family life.

His business may be repairing vehicles, but it's still working with people and conflict happens.

Aikido taught Waldren his options of blending, stepping back and receiving during conflict, or being positive and entering in to guide the energy in a positive way.

"Then the energy resolves to where we can come to a resolution," says Waldren.

"It's hard to come to a resolution when there's a lot of energy in an emotionally charged situation."

Dr. Suzy Ramos became interested after her boyfriend started Aikido.

After four years she finds that the use of Aikido verbally frequently deflects confrontation.

"Instead of saying, 'You idiot, you have personally done this to me,' I can move on to 'We're having a problem here, what can we do to fix this, I'd like your feedback.'" says Ramos, who is one step below black belt.

"If you have irate patients, you say 'I hear you're saying that you're having this and that problem; what can we do?' It's a completely different way of handling people and it works."

Rick Clark, owner of Signature Landscapes, was interested in martial arts but not the violence.

He went to watch his son test and immediately wanted to join.

"It's a beautiful art of finesse and balance and grace," he says.

Aikido is not competitive.

There are no matches or trophies.

"You learn everybody is there to teach you and help you learn," says Clark.

"It carries over into my business life and helps me to understand other people."

It's brought balance and confidence into Clark's life, taught him to be a better leader and to remain calm in confrontational situations.

Philosophy is important in Aikido, but it's not the whole art, and the physical side is more than just holds and throws.

"The physical techniques are a manifestation of the philosophy," says Salvatore.

"It's to transcend conflict."

So when an attacker comes at Salvatore and grabs his wrist, Salvatore turns 180 degrees to stand beside the attacker, breaking the grip and presenting both with the same point of view.

Rather than opposing the energy, he's moved with it.