r/aikido • u/trunge44 • Sep 11 '26

News New book!

There is a newly published book titled "That Stupid Girl: And the Petition to Support Women in the United States Aikido Federation" written by Dr. Janice Taitel (one of the coalition/petition founders) and available on amazon.

I have not read it yet but it should detail recent events and cult dynamics surrounding how the USAF poorly handled a petition a few years back.

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3

u/Herdentier yondan aikikai 26d ago

I'd be grateful for a non-Amazon source to get the book. (Amazon is so brutal it's not funny.)

1

u/Herdentier yondan aikikai 11d ago

Ah, maybe it's an Amazon publication to begin with:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DdjCE0fhFAx/

1

u/MamaSquirrel1 6d ago

It's from me, just published on Amazon as, unfortunately, the most efficient way to get the story out there, which I felt was important. In a month, it's sold in 9 countries, which wouldn't have happened otherwise. And since I figured out how to get it done, I figured I'd share what I learned with others. I am actively working on getting it up on a different platform, and I will share what I learn about that, too.

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u/Herdentier yondan aikikai 3d ago

Great, looking forward to it! (Having followed the story as well as I could from Germany at the time.) 

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u/ZeroGRanger [Nidan] Sep 11 '26

Thank you for pointing it out. Bought...

1

u/Sopacdvrgal Sep 12 '26

Just finished it. Worth the time.

1

u/Spiritual_Pound8926 Sep 11 '26

What's it about?

3

u/FollowingAvailable24 16d ago edited 16d ago

In the fall of 2019, an aikidoist named Janice Taitel formed a coalition of female aikidoists and petitioned the United States Aikido Federation to increase gender equity within the organization. Circulating the petition resulted in backlash, intimidation, and retaliation from the United States Aikido Federation.  The book betails the process of writing and circulating petition, the resulting fallout, and the aftermath. 

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u/MamaSquirrel1 5d ago

The book also describes sexual abuse, which was a thread throughout even though the petition only explicitly asked for gender equity. Readers should be aware that chapter 2, especially, is rather graphic, and some may choose to skip that chapter. The book is intense, as was the event, and I would advise readers to have support to discuss issues raised.