Canadian Naginata Federation

Sam Zhou (3-dan, CNF Media and Communications Officer) had the chance to practice at several different dojos across Japan. Here are the highlights:

I had the opportunity to spend several months in Japan and to visit 4 different dojos from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and it was interesting to see how different kinds of practices were done.

Sapporo

I went to a couple of dojos in Sapporo (there are essentially only 2 dojos in Hokkaido, and both are in Sapporo). The Chuo-ku Kitagas Arena dojo is a community dojo mostly attended by elderly women. Practices there focus primarily on datotsu (basics) and shikake-oji, with some kata occasionally. I also went to the high school practices at Hokkaido Sapporo Intercultural and Technological High School with UTNC alum Andi Li. High school practices are a different pace: around 3/4 of it is bogu practice. The club is mainly run by older students and university students who are alumni of the high school. They were preparing for Interhigh, so they were doing many repetitions of drills. Practices were 4 hours on the weekends, with water breaks every half hour for 10 minutes or so, then back at it again with more datotsu, short strikes, nuki-waza, and enjin-geiko (circle keiko). They also made up fun exercises to practice the timing of strikes.

Kobe

I also travelled to Kobe to practice at the Oji Sports Center dojo with Lutan Liu (UTNC alum). This was again a community dojo, but with a different range of participants. Here, people are of all ages, from middle school girls and their dads to older adults in their 40s-50s and up. There’s something for everyone.

They were actually doing Jikishinkage-ryu practice before naginata, so I tried it out and learned the first 3 katas. It was a very unique and interesting experience, and I highly recommend trying it, even though it is pretty difficult to pick up (essentially everything about it is different from atarashii naginata!).

Bogu practice was led by Lutan, and I got to keiko with students from a nearby university who want to start a new naginata club.

Kumamoto

The following week, I went to Kumamoto. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck there the day before my flight, but since my flight wasn’t cancelled, I went anyway. Kumamoto itself was still in functional shape overall; it was hit much harder further south in the city of Uki, which was the epicentre. Life went on after the earthquake, though there were small aftershocks rolling through in the evenings.

I went to visit Reigando Cave, where the famous Miyamoto Musashi spent the last years of his life writing The Book of Five Rings, among other works. I thought I’d pay my respects and do a little hike through the mountain highways, among kumquat trees and bamboo forests.

My main goal in Kumamoto, though, was to attend a naginata practice. The Interhigh competition was coming up, and to prepare, Kumamoto Daiichi High School held a special training practice on the weekend. A friend I met through the INF, who worked in the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program, practices regularly at that high school, so I got to attend this practice.

Kumamoto used to be a powerhouse for high school naginata, with Kumamoto Nishi High School winning 5 consecutive team championships back in 2001. They were supposed to come to this special training too, but with the earthquake, they weren’t able to make it. I got to keiko a bit with the students. They were very fast, and you could tell that they are a very strong team.

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I hope by sharing these experiences and stories that naginata practitioners outside of Japan can get a better idea of what practices at dojos are like around different parts of Japan. If you are travelling to Japan and want to practice naginata there (and are a member of the CNF), make sure to contact the CNF (ideally a couple months beforehand) and we could potentially help connect you!

This spring, Kaori Kubo, along with Mary Phan and Marija Landekic travelled to Japan to train in Okayama and Himeji. Congratulations to Kaori-sensei for taking the Renshi exam and on achieving the title of Renshi! Here are some highlights from the trip:

“We had 30 Renshi candidates this year, and we took the exam by age. 9 of us had successful results.”

The Canadian Naginata Federation was thrilled to host its annual Seminar in Toronto this October. Members from across the country attended three days of intense seminars which culminated in Shinsa of up to 3rd Dan. Thank you to Kaori Kubo and Jordan Macklem for coordinating the seminar.

We are grateful to our guest instructors for taking the time to visit Canada and teach us, and we hope to see you again soon! Thank you:
Ryoko Tanimoto-sensei (Kyoshi, AJNF)
Naoko Okura-sensei (Renshi, AJNF)
David D’hose-sensei (Renshi, ENF)

The Canadian Naginata Federation held its Annual General Meeting on April 28th, 2024. The representatives from each dojo of the Federation were presented with updates from the Board’s officers, and an update on the status of the Federation, including membership numbers and finances. As part of this meeting, two new members of the Board of Directors were elected by the voting members.

The CNF Board of Directors welcomes Dan Bouchard (Alberta) and Jordan Macklem (Ontario) to the team! This brings the total member count of the Board to 5. In alphabetical order, your current Directors are:

• Alan McDougall  (Alberta)
• Dan Bouchard  (Alberta)
• Jordan Macklem  (Ontario)
• Kaori Kubo  (Ontario)
• Marija Landekic  (Quebec)

The Board is always here to serve.  If you have question, concerns, comments, or ideas that you would like put to the leadership of the Federation, please speak with your dojo leader.  They can in turn inform us, and the Board of Directors is happy to discuss!