U.S. Naginata Team Ties for 3rd

A newly formed U.S. naginata team coached by a Torrance resident has tied for third place in an international tournament held in Tokyo.

The tournament was the first of its kind held in naginata, a little-known Japanese martial art traditionally performed by women.

Japan took first place in the Dec. 9 tournament, followed by France. In third place, the U.S. team tied with the Netherlands, said the team’s coach-manager, Helen Nakano of Torrance. Members of teams in the three top-scoring spots received certificates and gift naginatas, the wooden staffs used in the martial art.

“I was extremely pleased with our group. I thought we did an extremely good job, especially since we’re so spread across the country,” Nakano said.

The 11 members of the U.S. team came from Southern and Northern California; Denver; Lincoln, Neb., and Washington, D.C. They competed with teams from nine other countries: Japan, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, England, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Naginata is a type of fencing performed with long, bamboo-tipped oak staffs. Practitioners are scored according to their form and success in striking specific spots on their opponents’ bodies.

Japan had been expected to excel in the tournament, which was organized by the All-Japan Naginata Federation. But Nakano said she is confident the U.S. team will do well in the next tournament, which she said will probably be held in 1995 in Japan.

“I told them, ‘Watch out, Japan, for the next one,’ ” Nakano said.