This past Saturday, in the yard of the Hombu Dojo of Bujinkan Macedonia, we held our regular seminar for the study of the art of the Naginata – a traditional Japanese weapon that has been used for centuries as an integral part of the samurai martial traditions.
During the seminar we worked through the bodily stances, basic principles of movement, distance management, and several kata’s together with their practical application. After several hours of training, the participants had the opportunity to further enhance their knowledge of the techniques and quirks of this weapon.
When all the training was done, the participants had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful zen garden that is part of the Hombu Dojo. The pleasant atmosphere was further enhanced by the people, conversions and board games that took place upon our new wooden platform, under the shade of our growing trees, where everybody seemed to be talking about and sharing experiences from the training sessions they just had.
This seminar confirmed to us what we already knew, that besides the vast amounts of knowledge and skills that are gathered by participating in them, these kinds of gatherings allow us to build upon the friendships and values that make up the soul of traditional Japanese Budo.