My First Naginata Encounter
My Naginata Budo experience is a colorful and ongoing journey and while Naginata was a minor part of my martial arts training it had a huge impact on my Budo awareness.
I was at the International Budo University when I first encountered Naginata and it immediately intrigued me as the participants were all women. They were both graceful and deadly and to a long-time martial artist like myself, I was captivated.
There was also another, very Canadian reason I became interested in trying Naginata and it was when I walked into the Naginata portion of the seminar I was attending. I noticed a couple of Naginata lying on the floor and my associate and I proceeded to pick them up and use them as hockey sticks (which is how we saw them).
First met Kimura Soke
My first encounter with Yasuko Kimura Soke was at the Nippon Budokan’s Kenshu Centre, in Katsuura Japan. She is by far, one of the finest Sensei I’ve ever been associated with and wholeheartedly confirmed to me that the title of martial arts Sensei is a gender-neutral one!
As my discipline of Shotokan Karate is an unarmed martial art, when I saw how Naginata uses the body’s full range of motion to both wield the weapon and generate power, I saw how it could enhance my training.
Fortunately, my Karate training provided me with an excellent foundation, especially as it pertained to balance and movement. Nevertheless, even after my many years of both Karate and Kobudo, learning Naginata was an adventure from the start.
Similarities to Hockey Stick
While I used the Hockey Stick analogy to describe why I first picked up a Naginata, a semi-pro hockey player friend of mine also saw similarities with the hockey stick. In fact, my friend mentioned some “stick fighting” that was a normal part of the (hockey) game, so of course we saw some immediate benefits to learning how to use this new weapon.
Having practiced Karate for so long and extensively, I have always wanted to get involved with another Martial art/budo, but something quite separate from my karate training. Naginata seemed to fit the bill for me and for practicality purposes, back in the early ’90s (when I started Naginata), I could honestly say that almost 80% of all Canadian households would have a hockey stick in it. This made it a readily available weapon if used correctly and what I thought was a good reason to learn how to use the Naginata!
Naginata History and New Purpose
Even though I was looking at the Naginata through my very Canadian eyes, I was made quickly aware during my studies that Naginata has a long and rich history. It has always been an integral part of the Japanese martial arts and interestingly enough is now considered (in Japan) a women’s martial art, although attitudes are undeniably changing.
Naginata can be traced back to the early Heian era, around 1000 CE, and was the period where Japan was developing into a distinct and unique culture. It was also a time of internal strife and the Naginata was an integral weapon of the early foot soldiers.
The Naginata was used in place of the spear largely due to its ability to cut down mounted warriors, striking either at the mounted soldier or at the horse itself. Fast forward a few hundred years whereby the Naginata became primarily a women’s weapon with the katana (sword) becoming the preferred weapon by men.
One of the reasons for this difference of preference was that after many years, the Naginata became more ceremonial and even decorative as they were regularly displayed near the entrance of the Samurai’s home. As the Samurai would often be away from home battling enemy forces somewhere, it fell to the Samurai women to defend the home. As the Naginata was readily available in most households, it was the first weapon the women would grab to defend their family and home.
Naginata training evolved over the years primarily in conjunction with Kendo and for the most part was just another avenue of practice within the Kendo syllabus. This meant that the Naginata was only used against a Kendo sword (bokken) and only occasionally. This all changed after WWII and by 1955 an all-Naginata syllabus was developed. This new Naginata vs. Naginata style was named Atarashii Naginata or New/Modern Naginata and while several styles were involved in the development of Atarashii Naginata, most of the techniques were derived from two main styles, namely Tendo-Ryu and Jikishinkage-ryu.
Today, Naginata is practiced internationally with affiliate clubs in dozens of countries around the world. I have personally joined fellow Naginata practitioners in Japan, Seattle, San Jose, Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal and while my involvement in organized Naginata is nominal at best, the community feel of the various Naginata associations I dealt with greatly enhanced my perspective on Budo.
Kimura Yasuko Soke and Dr. Alexander Bennett
One of my favorite aspects of martial arts is meeting some incredible people, whether they are amazing instructors or talented peers and every so often someone special enters your life. In my Japanese Naginata experience, I had the honor of meeting 3 remarkable Budoka, each of whom I can still call a friend after almost 30 years.
Kimura Yasuko Soke, Dr. Alexander Bennett, and Shihan Baptiste Tavernier are three of the most impressive individuals I have ever had the honor to know and befriend. They are all not only extremely talented Budoka, they are all respected intellectuals and artists as well. Each is a leader in their respective communities and I am hoping to interview each for upcoming articles.
As noted above, my first interaction with Kimura Soke was when my associate and I picked up a Naginata at the International Budo Seminar and were using them like hockey sticks. Kimura Soke really made an impression when she entered the Dojo. There were a few of the Naginata students who were assisting us, but they immediately disappeared when they saw Kimura Soke enter the room.
What surprised me the most was that although I am over 6’1” tall and almost 200 lbs. (at that time), nevertheless when Kimura Soke issued a command, I was actually intimidated. Soke looked directly at me and my associate and told us that if we wanted to know how to use the Naginata, then “we must learn it correctly!!” … I became her lifelong student immediately thereafter.
Another interesting point is that Kimura Soke spoke very little English so a lot of our conversations over the years were through the translation efforts of Dr. Alexander Bennett. I wrote extensively about Dr. Bennett in my “Evolution of a Tea Master” Martial Journal Article and was someone who helped me become a devoted friend of Kimura Yasuko.
Meeting Baptiste Sensei
Another outstanding martial artist I had the honor of befriending while training in Naginata, has become what I consider a true Renaissance Man. Baptiste Tavernier is originally from the south of France and came to Japan to fully immerse himself in the Japanese culture. I first met Baptiste during one of my trips to Japan which was fully dedicated to my Naginata training. I stayed at the International Budo University’s Student Dorm (in a 23-tatami mat room) and where I trained regularly with the university’s Naginata group.
Seeing my Japanese language skills were marginal at best and the fact that Baptiste had only recently been accepted into the IBU’s Naginata Program, he was asked by the University to assist me with my logistics and any training requirements I may have. We spent a lot of time together as Baptiste took his responsibilities seriously, so in the end I had a wonderful time learning and socializing with the University’s Naginata team.
Each time I returned to Japan, I made a point of visiting Baptiste and I watched him mature into a complete Budoka. In fact, not only is Baptiste a high-ranking Budoka (Naginata, Jukendo, Tankendo, Battodo, Koryu), but he is also an accomplished artist, with exhibitions around the world. I am hoping to also interview Baptiste for a future Martial Journal submission.
Exclusive Naginata Japan Trip
During this particular trip, I was introduced to the University’s Naginata club and while I was truly trying to adhere to all the many protocols of Naginata training, I proceeded to break them all in one session while trying to film everyone. Not a good start, but fortunately Baptiste and his magnificent handle on the Japanese language saved me several times!
While I had been studying and training diligently when in Canada, unfortunately, there were not many Naginata schools in Canada, with the closest being a few thousand miles east of me. For this reason, I had to rely on the superb teachings I received while in Japan. I was extremely fortunate to have such an inclusive group of Naginata students who embraced my efforts to learn such a unique martial art.
As I had a basic understanding of traditional Japanese weaponry (Kobudo), I was able to pick up the basics of Naginata, but it was intricate nuances that required the personal instruction of a true Naginata sensei. It was for this reason that I continued to seek out Kimura Soke each time I traveled to Japan.
Naginata did become moderately popular for a few years, especially when it was discovered that this particular martial art was primarily focused on and taught by women. This allowed a number of the senior Naginata instructors, like Kimura Soke, to visit North America. I had the personal honor of hosting a seminar for Kimura Soke where we invited the local Kendo club to join us and many did!
The training was of high caliber and seeing that a number of traditional Naginata styles work with a Kendo sword, Kimura Soke was able to demonstrate a wide-ranging syllabus. In turn, after the seminar, almost the entire group went off to dinner together, which in my opinion can be the best part of any martial arts seminar. The stories, the history, not to mention the laughs is why many of us have become lifelong martial artists.
North American Naginata experience
I continued to train at Naginata while in North America, traveling to a number of seminars and schools both in Canada and parts of the U.S. I was actually able to attend the Naginata World Championships a number of years ago but even there, the attendance was sparse.
The people I met while training in Naginata here in North America were more than qualified to teach the various styles of Naginata and while the effort was there (at propagating the art) unfortunately and ultimately, the interest was not! Even in Japan, there are now more women practicing Kendo than Naginata, with the worldwide enrollment still less than 100,00 in total (evenly split between men and women practitioners).
Kimura Sensei becomes Kimura Soke
Kimura Yasuko Sensei was the leading proponent of Atarashii Naginata and would travel the world on behalf of both the International Naginata Federation as well as on the behalf of the Japanese Government via the Nippon Budokan. What I hadn’t realized was that Kimura Sensei was also the most senior Instructor of the predecessor of Atarashii Naginata, namely Tendo-Ryu. Tendo-Ryu encompasses weapons over and above the Naginata, with Kimura sensei’s knowledge and abilities affording her the opportunity to lead one of the more traditional Japanese martial arts.
I continued to stay in contact with Kimura “Soke”, which is the title she was given when she took over the reins of the worldwide Tendo-Ryo organization. Her new leadership responsibilities take her all over Japan and she has recently been honored by the prestigious Nippon Budokan in Japan for her lifelong contribution to the Martial Arts.
Naginata Going Forward
It is difficult to train in Naginata on a regular basis, due to a variety of reasons including the somewhat cumbersome equipment necessary for each session, the scarcity of quality local instruction as well as the overall lack of interest amongst my fellow martial artists. In reviewing the state of today’s Naginata community, I found a vibrant and dedicated group of talented participants who continue to propagate Naginata to an ever-changing society.
Naginata can be considered archaic and redundant in today’s martial arts scene, nevertheless, my experience with this wonderful art form allowed me to learn more about full-body dynamics in conjunction with wielding a sizable weapon. I also found the Naginata community to be a lively, engaging group with ages ranging from young children to seniors, thanks to the wide-ranging and diverse curriculum.
From those who thrive on competition (Shiai Naginata) to the many who see the artistic side (Rhythm Naginata), the inclusive nature of Naginata offers so much for all ages and something to consider when deciding on a martial art …. and while it is hard to imagine having to use a Naginata in today’s world, being a Canadian and a hockey fan, I readily have access to a hockey stick, so I can actually see how Naginata training could still come in handy!
Pruim Shihan has regularly travelled to Japan in order to train with one of the world's foremost Karate masters, the late Kanazawa Hirokazu Soke (10th Dan Shotokan Karate) and his present instructor Shuseki Shihan Manabu Murakami (8th Dan).
Pruim Shihan also attended the International Budo University, located in Katsuura, Japan on several occasions for advanced Budo training where he was introduced to Atarashii Naginata.
Andries Pruim has written several articles over the past 30 years, with his most recent work focusing on the business side of the Martial Arts Industry.
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