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Lawrence Novick, PhD
Lawrence Novick, Ph.D., lives in Los Angeles where he teaches Aikido, works as an educational consultant, writes, and explores music. An accomplished musician, composer, and author, he has been teaching Aikido for over 30 years. Lawrence also does Shamanic work, which embodies a grounded spirituality that informs his personal, professional, and creative endeavors.
After studying creative writing at the University of Colorado and working as a lead guitar player in and around Boulder, Lawrence moved to Los Angeles and completed doctoral studies in Psychology at International College in 1986, studying with Drs. Hal and Sidra Stone, creators of Voice Dialogue and the Psychology of Selves, powerful tools that enable people to awaken the process of self-awareness within them.
After his move to Los Angeles, Lawrence's journey also lead him to the Japanese martial art of Aikido, an embodiment of the philosophy of non-violence and conscious, compassionate self-empowerment, which he has been practicing and teaching since 1982. He is head instructor and director of the independent ACE Aikido style and dojo in Santa Monica, California, which he co-founded with the late Don O'Bell. ACE Aikido is distinctive in it's depth of Ki energy training and concepts of Kinesthetic Invisibility that Don O'Bell formulated and Lawrence has developed further, along with the deeper philosophical and spiritual elements of the art. Lawrence has experience in Hapkido and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as well.
A self-taught electric lead and acoustic finger-style guitarist with a childhood background in piano and drums, Lawrence added the synthesizer to his repetoire and began to compose his own music. Over the next several years, he emersed himself in psychology, Aikido, and music, broadening his perspective beyond rock and piano music, deepening his connection with classical, jazz, big band, avant garde, new age, and blues. More recently, he has concentrated on composing in various styles, including orchestral music, all reflected in the music available on this web site.
Lawrence continues to work as an educational consultant in the Los Angeles area, composing, writing, developing his style of Aikido, pursuing his Shamanic practice, and teaching courses in women's self-defense and Energetic Awareness Training.
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