by Loic Vargoz
On February 8 and 9, the Nanterre gymnasium hosted a Naginata competition on a remarkable scale in France. With 46 participants from four countries, representing eight dojos, the event marked a milestone in the development of this discipline in Europe. More than just a competition, the two days were a true celebration of Naginata, combining commitment, technique and an exemplary spirit of camaraderie. One of the great successes of this edition was undoubtedly a return to the roots of the Tokunaga Cup format. For a number of years, this individual combat event had been single-sex, but in view of the decline in the number of female participants, the national commission decided to return to a mixed format. This choice not only offers more opportunities for female fighters, but also allows them to challenge the men, adding a new challenge and an enriching dynamic to the confrontations…
This change brought a new dynamic and fights of a high technical level, appreciated by the referees. The confrontation between practitioners of different ranks and experience enabled us to showcase a variety of styles and demonstrate the richness of Naginata. Another highlight of this year’s event was the growing number of young competitors. Among the 46 competitors, two minors were in the running, a first for the Tokunaga Cup in my memory. The young yudansha did not disappoint, rising to the level of their elders and demonstrating impressive progress. Their fighting spirit and dedication surprised many a spectator, proving that the next generation is well and truly assured. To illustrate this turnaround, Guillaume Dufeil stole the cup from François Dermine. When students surpass their masters!
I have to admit that I also had difficulties with my students. This progress and the success of our students are very encouraging for the future of Naginata. The Jacques Mercier Cup, a competition involving teams drawn by lot, reinforced the spirit of cohesion and adaptability. Seeing fighters from different clubs, sometimes even of different nationalities, join forces and learn to support each other in a limited timeframe helped to create a warm and friendly atmosphere throughout the event. The fact of mixing fighters who don’t know each other helped to create a common history between young and old, between practitioners from different dojos or countries. This event also enabled fighters who had been eliminated individually – which was my case – to bounce back, get motivated and give their best, which they did brilliantly. The second day was devoted to the technical events of the Simone Charton Cup, segmented into three levels of practice, enabling everyone to compete at their own level and demonstrate their know-how.
As usual, two additional technical tests saw couples drawn at random perform together, highlighting their ability to adapt to a sometimes unfamiliar partner. Once again, the judges praised the commitment of the participants and their technical level, even if some recurrent errors were noted by the referees. The competition was followed by a technical training course to review Shikake-Ooji waza and zen nihon kata in depth. The course began with joint exercises, creating a collective learning dynamic. Then, thanks to the presence of numerous sensei, participants were divided into dedicated level groups.
It was an excellent opportunity to correct the mistakes identified during the morning competition, and to make progress under the watchful eye of experienced teachers. The competition not only broke records in terms of participation – almost double that of the previous year – but also demonstrated a fine international mix. With participants coming from France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, European Naginata is showing a dynamic progression. The 16 women and 30 men present honored their discipline with determination and respect, confirming that Naginata is a martial art where diversity and rigor meet in harmony. All in all, this 2025 edition of the Tokunaga and Simone Charton Cup will be remembered as a success that was far from written in advance.
An organizational success, despite the difficulties faced by the newly elected Naginata committee last October. A success in terms of the technical level demonstrated and the emergence of young talent. All the ingredients were in place to make this event a highlight of the European martial arts calendar. See you next year, hopefully with even more participants and surprises!
