Woman-to-Woman Combat : Martial Arts: <i> Naginata </i> is a little-known form of stylized individual warfare. The practitioners, primarily women, consider it more of an art form for discipline and character-building.

The barefoot combatants face each other from a few feet away, their long, bamboo-tipped oak staffs gripped tightly in gloved hands. Clad in heavy body armor, their faces concealed by protective masks, they slide gracefully across the floor, each looking for an opening.

Suddenly one combatant shrieks and strikes out with the staff. The opponent blocks the blow, producing a sharp crack of wood against wood.

The combat is called naginata , and even by the often esoteric standards of the martial arts it is an obscure, little-known form of stylized individual warfare.

What makes it even more unusual is that its practitioners are primarily women.

This weekend, for the first time, devotees of naginata from around the world will convene in the United States--in Carson, to be exact--for an International Naginata Federation Goodwill Tournament. Seminars also will spread the word about naginata to American audiences.

“It’s an ancient martial art,” said Helen Nakano of Torrance, a driving force behind the sport in America. “It originated in Japan about 1,000 years ago and reached its peak of popularity in the 12th to 14th centuries. Later, it was handed over to women of the samurai class as a self-defense form, and it evolved into a women’s martial art. It became more of an art form for discipline and character-building.”

Nakano, 54, who is married to Torrance City Councilman George Nakano, has been involved with naginata since 1966. She had gone to Japan with her husband, who was participating in a kendo tournament--kendo is a form of Japanese wooden sword fighting--and happened to see a demonstration of naginata . She was invited to try it. With some reluctance, she did.

And she became hooked.

“I just had a wonderful feeling about it,” Nakano said. “And after we came back home I continued with it.”

Now, almost three decades later, Nakano holds a fifth-degree black belt in naginata , which is named after the seven-foot-long staffs the combatants use. She generally is acknowledged as the premier teacher of the sport in the United States and is president of the U.S. Naginata Federation, a small but growing organization. Currently fewer than 100 Americans belong to the U.S. federation.

As in most Asian-based martial arts, the essence of naginata is technique, not physical strength. Poise and grace are essential, which may explain why the sport is dominated by women. Most naginata instructors are women.

“It’s kind of a Zen thing,” said Jean Yien, 40, an Aurora, Colo. architect and a member of the U.S. team. “In naginata your mind is more important than your body. You really have to be aware of your form and technique. It really enhances your concentration.”

Because of the padded armor the combatants wear, injuries are rare. The armor is expensive--about $500 minimum--but anyone who has seen a naginata slicing through the air and hitting a shinguard would not want to try the sport without it.

Although dominated by women, men also are welcomed into the sport. The 10-member teams competing in the tournament this weekend--from Brazil, France, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the U.S.--are allowed to have up to four male competitors, who compete against other males. Team members participate in both individual and team competitions.

Kevin Saxton, 23, of Torrance, a member of the U.S. team, said he has no problem being a man in a female-dominated sport.

“At first I felt a little out of place,” the Harbor College student said. “But they made me feel at home.” He added: “Women have a definite advantage in naginata, because they are naturally more graceful than men.”

Saxton, who has studied kendo for five years, said he originally took up naginata to improve his kendo skills.

“Kendo is my first love,” he said. “I started studying naginata to become more calm, more relaxed. It’s been very enlightening, and very rewarding.”

Not surprisingly, the Japanese team is the one to beat in this weekend’s tournament. In the two previous goodwill tournaments, in Japan and France, the Japanese team took first place both times. They are to naginata what Americans are to Olympic basketball.

“We’re hoping to see a change in that this time,” Nakano said. “I feel very good about our team.”

The public is welcome at the Third International Naginata Federation Goodwill Tournament, free of charge, on Saturday at the gymnasium at Cal State Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St. in Carson.

Opening ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. A beginner’s seminar on naginata will be offered at the same location on Sunday, at a cost of $25. Other seminars are scheduled for today and Monday. Information: 310-530-6288.