#022 Katie Roche (Naginata) - USA

Katie Roche Sensei is from New York City, USA, and has been training for over 16 years, during which time she has earned a record 6x/U.S. Women’s National Champions, helped the Greater New York Naginata Team get 1st place 5x and maintain a top 3 ranking in the country She has represented the United States on the women’s national team 3x and achieved 2 silver medals Roche Sensei is currently the youngest 5-dan outside of Japan, teaches at the Ken Zen Institute in New York City As part of her research work at Columbia University, where she is also the head coach of the Naginata club, she has pioneered an adapted curriculum for teaching Naginata to children with Cerebral Palsy. This was one of my favourite interviews since starting this podcast, providing a brief glimpse into Roche Sensei’s drive and dedication to the art of Naginata. I feel very fortunate that there exists such an intelligent, resilient, and courageous young role model for the next generation of female budoka. To get the latest on what we’re up to at Tokushikai Canada, subscribe to our newsletter at https://subscribe.tokushikai.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @tokushikai.canada