Naginata: A Link to the Past DVD by Helen Nakano

This 45-minute DVD, presented by Helen Nakano Sensei, was created to give the viewer a sense of Budo utilizing the mediums of Naginata and Kendo. Scenes are blocked and presented in an attempt to get the viewer to link the emotional/metaphysical and technical. Once again, this is NOT a training video. Presentations of Zen Nihon Kata and Tendo Ryu are included to demonstrate form, concentration and spirit. At NO time should the live blade action be attempted; its inclusion is extraordinary and used only as an allegory. As with any learning process, the guidance of qualified instructors is strongly recommended.

About the Instructor:

Helen Michiyo Nakano is the chief instructor and President of the Southern California Naginata Federation (SCNF) and co-founder and Past-President of the United States Naginata Federation (USNF). She was nominated and elected by the International Naginata Federation (INF) to serve as a Vice-President and is a member of the INF Technical Committee. Additionally, she became the first Director of the Pan American Zone for the INF, which was formed in Japan in 1990. Nakano Sensei has studied the art of Naginata since 1966 under Chiyoko Tokunaga Sensei, Yoko Yamao Sensei, and Sachiko Wada Sensei. She also trained in Naginata, Kendo, and Iaido under the guidance of Torao Mori Sensei until his passing. Instrumental in the development of Naginata across the United States, she oversees five dojo in southern California and additional dojo in Lincoln, NE, and Phoenix, AZ. Nakano Sensei has conducted numerous seminars throughout the United States, Canada, and internationally for the INF. Since 1998, she has taught Naginata at El Camino College, offering the only college-accredited Naginata course in the United States.

Nakano Sensei was born in Seattle, Washington. At the age of three, she and her family were incarcerated in Minidoka, Idaho for 3.5 years during World War II. After their release, they moved to Oregon for approximately four years before settling in California, where she has lived ever since. Her husband, George Nakano, is a Kendo 5-Dan Renshi and a former member of the California State Assembly and Torrance City Council. Nakano Sensei holds the rank of Kyoshi.

Run time: 45 min.

Language: English