by David D’hose
The East Coast Naginata Federation (ECNF) celebrated its 29th anniversary this year, and as is tradition, it organized a seminar and a small tournament to mark the occasion. I had the honor of being invited to lead the seminar alongside Raymond Sosnowski, Ellery Engalla, and Rebecca Pomeroy. This year, the beautiful event was held in Dulles, near Washington, D.C.
I have invite Engalla sensei to give us a little explanation of the origin of the local logo of ECNF :
Quitte simply, it pertains to the maritime heritage of the east coast of the United States.
The original design was inspired from an earlier Japanese mon designed by another artist.
The design embodies a threefold meaning:
- A Shared Voyage: As a federation, we embark together on a common journey (like a ship with all hands on deck) united in our commitment to support and advance the art of naginata.
- Personal Journey: It also reflects the path of individual growth, symbolizing each practitioner’s voyage toward distant horizons, ever learning and discovering along the way.
- A Spirit of Resilience: The unfurled sails and the ship’s bow (represented by the naginata) moving steadily across calm seas beneath clear skies express optimism, perseverance and the enduring spirit to navigate life’s challenges with grace and strength.
The original design was of a traditional Japanese motif of a Japanese ship’s sail
Although familiar in a regional sense for Japan, it was not appropriate for the regional federation’s local history.
Coming back to my little trip, I was warmly welcomed by Ziomara Medero-Vargas, a practitioner from the local dojo, who kindly guided me through a tour of Washington on Friday, the day before the seminar.
On Saturday, we led a seminar mainly focused on technical work, including shikake-ōji and zen nihon kata for the more advanced participants. At the end of the day, a Dan and Kyu grading took place in two groups. In the evening, a lovely dinner was held at a local restaurant, where we celebrated with stories and memories of naginata.
On Sunday, an engi shiai and team shiai tournament took place, full of surprises and exciting matches.Dangai Engi
1st Place: Hur/Nickerson
2nd Place: Jackson/Fae
3rd Place: Detwiler/Xia
Yudansha Engi:
1st Place: Pomeroy/Espinosa
2nd Place: Scharff/Vargas
3rd Place: Fisher/Evans
Dangai Shiai:
1st Place: Jason Hur
2nd Place: Caitlin Fisher
3rd Place: Elizabeth Jackson
Yudansha Shiai:
1st Place: Raphael Djinn
2nd Place: Rebecca Pomeroy
3rd Place: Lydia Scharff
Team Shiai:
1st Place: Ziomara Medero-Vargas/Trevor Won/Raphael Djinn
2nd Place: Caitlin Fisher/Elizabeth Jackson/Rebecca Pomeroy
3rd Place: Lydia Scharff/Nikki Bernstein/Jessica Espinosa
