by Daria Litunenko,
Astana… I really like this city; it’s young, bright, and spacious. But the main attraction is the people who
live there. So, I was delighted when Adil Tleubayev, head of the Naginata of Kazakhstan, invited me to
come again and give a seminar.
This was my second naginata seminar in Kazakhstan. The first was just over two years ago. Some of the group members changed, and I enjoyed meeting new people. Since the seminar only lasted two days, and I had a fairly extensive training plan, we all had to work hard. The main focus was on basic kihon: kamae, steps, suburi, and shikake-oji. It might not sound very interesting or exciting to some, but the guys were passionate about what was happening and did the best they could. Of course, there was also
a part with bogu training. For some of the seminar participants, it was their first experience practicing naginata in the bougu! For me, it was a very special and touchfull moment.
The shinsa was also held. All the participants tried very hard, but perhaps the nerves were too great.
Well, they will have another chance to demonstrate their skills. I’m sure Adil will help them with this.
Nevertheless, we had one successful candidate. And I’m happy to congratulate the Fubukikai club
(Naginata Kazakhstan) on their new kyu-holder! Great job.
