London Naginata Club

On Saturday 8th August gone, the London Naginata Dojo had its last summer practice before taking a well deserved three weeks break.

This means the club is CLOSED 🚫 for three weekends (15th, 22nd + 29th Aug), so that we folk can go on Summer 🌤️ vacations 🏖️ 🏄‍♂️ 😎 and take a well earned rest.

We re-open for Autumn 🍂 when 👨🏻‍🏫 schools return (Fall) on *Saturday 5th September* at 11:00am 🕚

We look forward to everyone including guests or the curious 👀 hopefully refreshed and ready to hit the last four months of 2026.

Ps. the photo is some of our club armour that we loan students, piled up - that’s been taken home from the sports centre lockers - to be cleaned 🧼 disinfected, dried and where relevant, even the cotton ties ironed flat.

See you in September folks ! 👋🏻

Today the dojo ran a mid-point kyu (coloured belt) exam opportunity and we were delighted with the efforts of all students as numbers swelled to x19 with visiting Midlands and Cambridge students.

Congratulations 🥳 🙌🏼 to all the candidates that passed - here with the panel, which included our own Ray and Richard for 5kyu 💪🏼.

Also one of our London dojo students, is moving to Japan 🇯🇵 for a year at least with his Japanese girlfriend 🥰 at beginning of August… so we’re both sad for us loosing a great guy from our club but pleased for him personally and hope 🤞🏻he finds Budo in Tokyo and more for his new life abroad.

Congratulations 🥂 everyone again.

(And thank you to the panelists 👏🏼who supported, plus students taught low kyu too ⭐️)

Yesterday, three of our dojo students, Gale (5kyu), Ray (6kyu) and Richard (who’ll take his first test end of this month 🤞🏻 we hope) received their London dojo zekken 🥳🙌🏼💪🏼- cue applause 👏🏼

Always brings smiles to have grown-ups really happy 😃 about having their own surname on themselves.

Congratulations you three Musketeers - you’ve all been dedicated so far with practices, traveling distance notwithstanding…

Ps in case you’re wondering why one is GB 🇬🇧 (… and others are London) the student was up front with us when he joined our dojo from another Koryu (old school) Naginata style (hence him picking up Atarashii Naginata style pretty fast) - at some point in the nearish future, he and his lovely French 🇫🇷 wife intend to emigrate and settle overseas. He wanted to be proud to have British screaming from his Bogu 😎

We know most of Europe 🇪🇺 is melting 🫠 so hope everyone is staying safe, practicing in the heat.

As ever excited our students with new stuff (1. Nagi-Kote for Georgi and 2. a new name badge for Richard) and one of our dojo sempai today - Roy, trying out ishuu-jiai and leading the class “exam style” for himself and students following commands.

Our Sports-hall dojo was just about cooler inside than outdoors - but only just 🥴

Stay safe, stay hydrated 💦 - and repeating 🚨any visitor or student to our dojo can always borrow Bogu or parts or a naginata if coming on public transport especially in this heat 🌡️🥵. Happy to loan and help out !!

With much warmth this weekend, our dojo welcomed back after a few years break, Stephen who was one of the original early students in the dojo. And passed Shodan way back in 2014… and has returned at sporadic times.

One pandemic 😷 later… via working hard serving his community for the NHS and now supporting in an academia role, Stephen caught the train all the way from Stevenage to return to his dojo, and it wasn’t a bad memory-recall effort … even taking on board practicing ShikakeOji roppon-me (kata number 6) after rotations practicing 1-5.

No matter how long the gap since life’s challenges intervened - former London dojo students who may have had a protracted break - no matter how many years away you’ve had, our dojo and hearts will always welcome you back with open arms and smiles.

We’ll show patience and friendship to get back into the Naginata “grove”.

As ever a Valentines 💘 Day practice competed for students’ loved 🥰 ones…

But those of who made it today - saw Sophia, one of students who joined in 2019 a good time before the pandemic 😷 then we lost her until she returned in late 2022 when the world 🌍opened up.

As with any students who needs to borrow club armour, Sophia bought what she could when she could, and finally secured the rest of it following a recent January trip to Japan 🇯🇵 to buy and try in person 🙌🏼.

She loves 💕 her complete new bogu set and so do we 🫶🏻 Sophia!
Remember any student can borrow any club item, for as long as they need - short visit or long term - we just love you attending our practices✌🏻

So our London dojo closed with an extended last bash to round off an incredible 2025 🎄

A student had his Zekken - and five more students made the now traditional Japanese Tonkotsu ramen meal 🥟🍜 (who missed the bash due to: jet lag ✈️ , baby 👶🏼 lag, shift work 🔧 , flu 😷 etc to attend practice 💪🏼🫶🏻 🥴).

Here’s to prepping a good handful of students for Dan exams in 2026 🤞🏻🙏🏻

We’re restarting our mid-week practice on Thursdays 18:00-19:20hrs (8th January+) that supplements our established main Saturdays 11:00am-13:15hrs (10th January+).

Watch this space for a Newbie Beginners (only x10 spaces) Taster Session on Thursday 8th January 2026.

Enjoy the Festive holidays 🎄

Today was both Day 1 of the seminar and Nidan exam day for Cambridge dojo leader and much loved student who is part of our London dojo, Oliver - he passed with flying colours 👏🏼🙌🏼🫶🏻💪🏼.

We’re so proud of your hard work Olly, a deserved pass especially as you were the last one at the written ✍🏼 exam tables, worried you were writing War & Peace.

Shout out to Roy who looked like having his first master class of Zen Nihon kata with Takahashi sensei, kyoshi. And Gheorghe who stayed on to complete the quad from TeamGB.

Rachel was in the senior group with Yoshii sensei, Hanshi and finally picked up both her Godan menjo and 2019 Shimpan (referee) qualification badge …

A huge applause all round for the Sweden 🇸🇪 ENC, Goodwill and seminar with a Nidan pass for Great Britain 🇬🇧

Would great to have a bigger TeamGB for ENC 2026, Paris 🇫🇷… October 2026 folks 🙏🏻

Today was the Dan and Kyu Goodwill tournaments 🏆 (& ladies day …)

Roy for our dojo, came out of his pool and unfortunately met Gheorge so that was two GB 🇬🇧 flags on the court 🫣.

Olly of Cambridge dojo won 💪🏼 and lost matches and fought really well. He’s gunning fit for ENC 2026 🤞🏻.

Gheorghe and Aaron - it was their first tournament and did so very well. Gheorge placed 3rd 🥉 in the Kyu 🙌🏼 competition

Congratulations everyone for strong TeamGB fighting spirit

Today Roy was the senior for TeamGB as Taisho for the team matches at the European Naginata Championship in Sweden 🇸🇪 2025.

As Men’s TeamGB, Roy was joined by Olly of Cambridge dojo and Gheorge & Aaron of Aspire dojo.

Our Men’s TeamGB had tough pool draws with European 🇪🇺 champions in theirs but gave so much fighting spirit. Then the individuals with equally tough pools and draws but no decline in our fighting spirit 🙌🏼.

Rachel our dojo teacher was on Shimpan (referee) duties completing the effort of our dojo, in joining with two other dojo for TeamGB 🇬🇧.

Bring on 💪🏼day 2, which will include individuals for our guys entering the Good Will tournament matches, thankfully split into Dan and Kyu