by Em Jay
It was a very brisk Friday afternoon when 41 people from around the world gathered for the opening of the 2026 INF seminar, all very keen to be able to start training and drive the chill from our bones. As such, I did not make an opening speech but the one I had planned (should it have been needed) did begin with a very specific phrase.
Wominjeka.
It’s a welcome, a greeting from the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people, the traditional owners of the land around Melbourne. And while many think of it as just a generic welcome, it’s deeper than that. It’s a specific invitation to come join us, here, on this land, to gather with specific purpose and be welcome. And to me, it’s a particularly wonderful phrase that mirrors the mentality we take when we turn up to train, attend seminars. Disparate people who all choose to come together, for a particular purpose – not just to train, but to grow as people, as a community. Creating bonds that stretch across the globe and transcend culture, age, background and hopefully teach us more patience, kindness and understanding even as we drive a naginata toward each other.
The 2026 seminar was held in the Victoria University Community Sports Centre at Whitten Oval, about 25 minutes outside of central Melbourne. The seminar instructors comprised of Takahashi-, Nakadan- and Imaura-sensei’s from Japan, David D’hose-sensei of Belgium and Daniel Strenger-sensei of Australia with participants from the Australian, New Zealand, Canada, Sweden, Japan and Hong Kong federations. The Sports Centre consists of a large four-court sports centre with very high ceilings; it’s a wonderful space in summer but just after the winter solstice there was a definite frostiness, encouraging everyone to keep moving!
The official start was Friday afternoon, giving people time to arrive, register, reconnect and do a little free-training, followed by the Welcome Dinner that evening which was held at the Royal Standard Hotel, a family-run Italian pub close to the Victorian members’ home dojo; it’s been a popular go-to for the kendo and iaido members of our dojo for a number of years and is known for delicious and very generous portions in a warm, homely atmosphere. There was a special delight in hearing the hum of conversation, people connecting with each other, telling stories of their own budo journeys as we wrapped up the first day of training.
Saturday and Sunday ran much as any INF seminar – written exams on the Saturday evening, shinsa on the Sunday with the afternoon set out for a mini-taikai, giving opportunities for both participation and shinpan practice. At each stage, we saw participants giving their fullest attention and effort to the training and challenges in front of them; learning not just about naginata, but also about themselves, their own growth and potential.
Post-seminar consisted of many fond farewells and the usual exchanging of omiyage but I did have one last gift in store for the Japan sensei’s, Vice President D’hose-sensei and Oceania Director, Tasha. Back in 2018, we hosted our first AJNF seminar courtesy of the Ikishima fund in Melbourne. And at the end of that seminar, I arranged a visit from a rather special private zoo, Wild Action; part sanctuary, educational facility, zoo and home based in Mt Macedon, about an hour out of Melbourne. All participants (that did not have to run off to the airport) were able to share in the experience, creating some unique and fond memories. This year, we had enough time on the Monday to take this small group out to the zoo itself, nestled in a quiet, misty valley. When I had first offered this to the INF sensei’s and board, I’m quite sure they picked up on the ‘zoo’ part of it, but did not realise what they were actually in for!
A private zoo tour in this instance means being invited into the owners actual home from where they do all their rescue. Driving into the property, we were greeted by an emu wandering across the rough track, completely unperturbed by our presence, a sign of the kind of experience to come. Cockatoos were crying greetings as they flew overhead and the smell of woodsmoke was a welcome one as we were ushered inside of their spacious home around a toasty firepit. Over the next two hours, we were treated to what is for many, a rare once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; getting up close and personal with baby kangaroos and wallaroos, pygmy possums, koalas, tawny frogmouths, echidnas, wombats, constrictors, wallabies, parrots and even hand-feeding a cassowary. With only a few expectations (koala, cassowary) the sensei’s were able to hold and experience Australian wildlife up close (although it took longer to warm up to some of the reptiles). It was a privilege and joy to be able to offer such a unique opportunity and I’m very grateful that Chris and the team at Wild Action were able to accommodate our visit. The sensei’s were then able to round out their stay in Australia with a visit to the Hanging Rock Winery for lunch and wine-tasting before making their way back to the airport.
We did still have a few attendees staying longer in Melbourne and so there was an open invitation to our usual Monday night training where D’hose-sensei shared with us some excellent and innovative exercises for improving various techniques. It was well attended by a number of different countries and a reminder that no matter how far from home we may be, there is always a welcome waiting for us at a local dojo.
The Australian Naginata Federation is still a relatively small community – Australia’s size makes it difficult for different states to train together and given its reputation as ‘sports mad’, naginata has a lot of competition for gaining members. Still, there has been a steady slow growth over the last several years, even hampered as we all were by the impacts of Covid-19. I have a great deal of appreciation for the dedication of those who enabled the INF seminar – from the INF board, to the national and state committees, to the volunteer day-to-day work by Melbourne locals; no seminar is possible without that generosity in terms of time and resources. For those who made the trip from overseas, thank you – we know how remote we are here and your presence was truly a pleasure and a gift. To everyone else, please know that Australia will always have its doors open to you – wominjeka.