Richard Strozzi-Heckler (born in 1944) is an American author,

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

, and consultant on "embodied leadership and mastery."Marshall, L. ''Speak the Truth and Point to Hope: The Leader's Guide to Maturity'', Kendall Hunt (2004) p. 53 He is the founder of the Strozzi Institute, headquartered in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

Biography

Early life and education

Strozzi-Heckler spent his early life in a

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

family, periodically moving to different

naval base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usu ...

s. In early adolescence, he began studying

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

, beginning with

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

, then

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

, and

jiujitsu Jujutsu ( , or ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu (both ), is a Japanese martial art and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponent ...

. He excelled in athletics while in high school and was awarded a scholarship to

San Diego State College San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1897, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system. SDSU is ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

where he was named

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

. After a

Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...

tour of duty in the mid-1960s, Strozzi-Heckler traveled throughout Asia studying

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

and

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...

. He returned to the United States, eventually earning a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from

Saybrook University Saybrook University is a private university in Pasadena, California. It was founded in 1971 by Eleanor Camp Criswell and others. It offers postgraduate education with a focus on humanistic psychology. It features low residency, master's, and ...

with an emphasis on mind-body connection.Stone, J., Meyer R. ''Aikido in America'', Frog Books (1995) p. 240 Strozzi-Heckler holds the rank of seventh-degree black belt in

Aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art which is split into many different styles including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai, and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practic ...

.Warneka, T. ''Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today'', Asogomi Publishing International (2006) p. 30 In January 2020, he was awarded

Shihan is a Japanese term that is used in many Japanese martial arts as an honorific title for expert or senior instructors. It can be translated as "master instructor". The use of the term is specific to a school or organization, as is the process o ...

by the International Aikido Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.

Career

Strozzi-Heckler co-founded the Lomi School in 1970 with Robert K. Hall, Alyssa Hall, and Catherine Flaxman, integrating aikido and bodywork principles into a body-oriented psychotherapy called Lomi Work. In 1976, Strozzi-Heckler, together with

George Leonard George Burr Leonard (August 9, 1923 – January 6, 2010) was an American writer, editor, and educator who wrote extensively about education and human potential. He served as President Emeritus of the Esalen Institute, past-president of the ...

and Wendy Palmer, established the Aikido of Tamalpais

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Tao, Way" in Japanese language, Japanese. History The word ''d� ...

Mill Valley, California Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Mill Valley is lo ...

. In 1985, he was invited to contribute to a US Army Special Forces project designed to test the effectiveness of integrating various practices into its training program. During the six-month program, he taught aikido and meditation techniques. In 1986, he moved to rural

Sonoma County, California Sonoma County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 488,863. Its seat of government and largest city is Santa Rosa. Sonoma County comprises the Santa Rosa-Petaluma ...

outside of

Petaluma Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its population was 59,776 according to the 2020 census. Petaluma's name comes from the Miwok village named ''Péta ...

, and developed a methodology, Strozzi Somatics, aimed at reproducing the outcomes of the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

project with individuals and civilian organizations. Strozzi-Heckler helped design and implement the

Marine Corps Martial Arts Program The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP, ) is a combat system developed by the United States Marine Corps to combine existing and new hand-to-hand combat, hand-to-hand and Close combat, close quarters combat techniques with morale and team ...

.Jaffe, G
A Few Good Men Try the Marine Martial Art, and Take on 2 Gurus
''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'', October 9, 2000 Retrieved 11/26/2011

Beliefs

Pointing out the relationship of thoughts and mood to an individual's body (e.g., posture, facial expression, tone of voice),McLeod, L.E. ''The Triangle of Truth: The Surprisingly Simple Secret to Resolving Conflicts Large and Small'', Penguin (2010) Strozzi-Heckler has said that congruency between these elements and a person's words is a primary characteristic of effective leaders. He asserts that this characteristic can be practiced and improved as reliably as practicing and improving one's skill in a martial art or with a musical instrument. The Strozzi Somatics methodology involves eliciting an individual or organization's defining values and introducing practices that combine conceptual understanding with physical activity in a way that is intended to produce an increase in behavioral traits that are in accordance with those values. Many of these practices are based on aikido movements or principles. In addition to corporate and military leadership, Strozzi Somatics have been applied to

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...

corrections In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies, and involving the punishment, treatment, and s ...

, professional and Olympic athletics,Helgesen, S. "The Dance of Power" ''Strategy+Business'', Winter 2007/Issue 49

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

, politics,

social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...

, and health.

Books

*''The Mind/Body Interface''. Freeperson Press (1975) ASIN B0006YH3I2 *''Aikido and the New Warrior''. North Atlantic Books (1993) *''In Search of the Warrior Spirit''. North Atlantic Books (1997) *''The Anatomy of Change''. North Atlantic Books (1997) *''Holding the Center''. Frog Books (1997) *''Being Human At Work: Bringing Somatic Intelligence Into Your Professional Life''. North Atlantic Books (2003) *''The Leadership Dojo''. Frog Books (2007) *''The Art of Somatic Coaching: Embodying Skillful Action, Wisdom, and Compassion''. North Atlantic Books (2014)

References

External links

Strozzi Institute Website

Two Rock Aikido Dojo
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strozzi-Heckler, Richard Saybrook University alumni American aikidoka Life coaches Martial arts writers 21st-century American psychologists 1944 births Living people San Diego State University alumni 20th-century American psychologists