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| "Onna-begeisha", collage, old photos & digital |
I am way too old to have delusions of grandeur,
but secretly, until now, I do.
Whether it makes sense to anyone else, or not ...
I have a Japanese connection.
Secretly, I feel I am Onna-bugeisha.
And I do realize that it is a huge stretch.
Onna-bugeisha was a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility.
Many
women engaged in battle, alongside samurai.
They were members of
the bushi (samurai) class
in
feudal Japan.
They were trained in the use of weapons
to protect their household, family, & honor in times of war.
Tomoe Gozen, Nakano
Takeko, andHōjō Masako
are famous are examples of onna bugeisha.
Women learned to use naginata,
kaiken,
and the art of tanto Jutsu in battle.
This ensured
protection in communities that lacked male fighters.
In
contrast to the katana used universally by male samurai,
the most popular weapon-of-choice of onna-bugeishas
was the naginata, a versatile, conventional pole-arm
with a curved blade at the tip.
This
weapon favored for its length, to compensate
for the
strength & body size advantage of males.
In 1984, one of my five trips to Japan,
WonderWoman (age 11) & I were lucky to train in naginata
with Yoshio Sugino Sensei of Katori Shinto Ryu.
10th Dan & deemed a National Treasure of Japan,
Sugino Sensei was a very kind & patient instructor.
We had & still have no skills, but wonderful memories.
. . .
A few years ago, former student Henry,
gave me this photo for my birthday.
I thanked him saying that he didn't know it,
but she was me, on the inside.
I can pretend.
TMI?
87 degrees, Santa Ana, CA (no a/c, 3 fans)
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| (killer class, no kata) |
For FB Throwback Thursday ...
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| Sugino Sensei, Kawasaki, Japan, 1984 |
A smile for Thursday ...
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