Established in 2007, the University of Toronto Naginata Club (UTNC) is a martial arts group dedicated to the development of the mind and body through the practicing of Atarashii (Modern) Naginata. This martial art focuses on the wielding of a Japanese wooden glaive, called a naginata, through two arts: kata (forms) and free-form sparring. Within kata, practitioners learn basic strikes, blocks, footwork, and choreographed movements performed in unison with a partner. In sparring, armored participants learn how to strike others in a way which ultimately maintains the art’s emphasis on safety, etiquette, form, respect, spirit, community, and traditional Japanese culture.