ABSTRACT
We begin with a story by Terry Dobson (1983) about an American Aikido student in Japan. We summarize the story in our own words with the addition of seven short quotations from the original dialogue. Readers can find the story it in its entirety by googling “Aikido in Action.” A consideration of how words alone replace the need to use force sets the stage for understanding how to build an ethical community. A discussion follows of the role that family values play, the power of community projects, and the meaning of ethics in light of an evolving junior high community.
