About
CatherineStenzel lives in a small log cabin in Beltrami Island Forest in far Northern Minnesota. She has published several books with John Wiley & Sons. Her academic credentials include MST, MBA, and CPA from the University of Wisconsin and the University of San Diego. She is a practicing Buddhist in the Theravada tradition. Stenzel Sensei's martial arts experience includes a third degree black belt in Aikido; she is ranked in Iaido, a Japanese long-sword art. She has been a chief instructor for fifteen years. Her teacher is Rev. Zenko N. Okimura Shihan with whom she has practiced for over twenty years. He is a seventh degree black belt in Aikido, a Shingon Buddhist priest, and a samurai descendant. Stenzel and Okimura are coauthors of "Tears for the Samurai."
Featured Work
Tears for the Samurai
The year is 2014. The time is both auspicious and fragile as writing Tears for the Samurai begins. Auspicious because this year, Zenko Okimura Shihan celebrates his Golden Aikido Year – fifty years of continuous practice of this martial art. Six years later, Okimura celebrates his ordination as a Buddhist priest. Like the blossoms, time is fragile, and there is so little of it to cover nearly seven decades of his life and his teachings. Eight years later, Zenko Okimura, descendant of generations of samurai, sheathes his sword and takes his final breath.
