01 Women Kendo Luminaries: Anna Betley-Uchańska (Poland).

Women Kendo Luminaries:

There are a number of women in kendo that continue to strive achieving personal goals and supporting the growth of kendo in their countries post their national team careers and amidst family/work commitments. This is the first (01) article under the category “Women Kendo Luminaries” that acknowledges the perspectives, achievements, and contributions of women in kendo from around the world.

01 Anna Betley-Uchańska (Poland)

(Introduction by Kate Sylvester)

The Polish kendo women that I have met have been very approachable, determined, genuine, and very good at and passionate about kendo. I have received much positive energy after conversing with them and watching their kendo performances. The memory that has left the innermost impression of the Polish National Women’s Kendo Team is from when the team defeated the formidable Brazilian women’s team with conviction at the 2018 World Kendo Championships in Korea. Considering that the competitive history of the Polish women’s national  team is relatively shorter than other countries, and there are approximately 100 female kendo members (about a fifth of the total kendo population), I have since wondered why the Polish women’s team is consistently successful and unshakably determined to reach the top.

I approached Anna Betley-Uchańska sensei, member of the first Polish National Women’s Team to gather some insight to the success and determined mindset of Polish kendo women. I first met Anna Betley-Uchańska sensei at the European Kendo Championships in Germany 2022. We spoke about her inspirational kendo history and her role as Head Coach of the Polish National Kendo Junior Team. I was left with a deep impression and felt inspired that there are women like Betley-Uchańska sensei who are still very much enthusiastically engaged in kendo.

Anna Betley-Uchańska sensei is kendo 5 dan, Head Coach of the Polish National Junior Team, and a kendo instructor at Warsaw Kendo Club. She has had a stellar competitive career winning several gold medals (and other colours) in the individual and team categories at the Polish national championships. Betley-Uchańska sensei was a member of the first women’s national team and as a member of the team between 2003 and 2011, her team received silver and bronze medals at the European Kendo Championships (EKC). She also received the highly contended kantosho at the EKC.

Anna Betley-Uchańska sensei defines herself as an interior designer, kendo teacher and trainer. She is married with two children, two cats and a dog. She owns her own interior design company, Pracownia ABU Wnętrza, and has an academic background in the arts, physical education and personal training. The following sections are in Betley-Uchańska sensei’s own words and detail her kendo experiences, perspectives, and current kendo related projects.

About Anna Betley-Uchańska (Poland)

The Beginning…

I started kendo when I was 18 in 2001. I was in a high school specialising in the arts, and I was interested in Japanese culture, style, and aesthetic. I had always been an athletic person. When I was 16, I started to practice Aikido, and my aikido teacher was also a kendoka. He took me to my first kendo practice, and I loved it from the first moment. I had to wait half a year to join the group because it was full. It was the time of the movies “Kill Bill” and “The Last Samurai,” and everyone wanted to be a samurai! So, I bought Ozawa Sensei’s book and looked from the side while the others trained.

After the first training, I immediately knew that this was right for me. I really loved it and had a bit of talent, so I started to win in tournaments quite soon. I joined the national team in 2003 and was in the first Polish Ladies’ Team at the European Championships. I have been on the team until 2011 (my last championships were EKC Gdynia, Poland). In the meantime, I had graduated from the Academy of Fine Art and Pedagogical studies. I had always wanted to work with kids, but after all, I started to work as a designer and started my own company. I have a 7-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son. When my son turned 3-years-of-age, I decided to go back to kendo for real again. I became an assistant of the Ladies’ Team Coach Wieslaw Biel and started planning to open a kids kendo club in Warsaw that my son could join.

Photo: Anna Betley-Uchańska and Family

Both of my kids are practicing, and now in Warsaw we have the biggest kendo club for kids in Poland. We teach children from ages 5 to 13-years-of-age. In 2018, it became clear to me that I wanted to work only with kids. I love kids, love working with them, and I have some ideas on how to make kendo interesting, especially for the youngest.

About the “Kids_Kendo_It” Project

In 2018, Krzysiek Kaczorowski, a sports teacher who has his kendo kids club in Wisla city, had an idea to make a gasshuku exclusively for kids and their trainers. I loved the idea, joined it, and we began to build it together. Three times a year, we organize kendo camps for kids. Usually, they last 4-5 days in spring, 4-5 days in autumn, and 7-10 days in summer. Every kid can join, regardless of age (younger than 8 should come with a parent) or their kendo level.

Photo: “Kids_Kendo_It” project

We have a few main goals: The practice should be fun and attractive for kids, taking place in beautiful natural surroundings. The facility should be comfortable and serve good quality food. We also try to keep the costs as low as possible. There must be a lot of fun, outdoor activities, education, and integration. Kendo takes up about 60% of the time and the rest we spend on other activities like swimming, trips, playing other sports (football, climbing), and competitions. Every evening we have kendo workshops on equipment, competition, and refereeing. The most important idea for us is the comprehensive development of children, not only in kendo.

Our main motto is that we create the best memories that they want to come back to. We raise them in the spirit of sportsmanship and respect for other cultures. We invite participants from other countries to teach our kids tolerance and openness to the world. Each time we invite an expert teacher from abroad. This way both we and our kids can learn kendo from the best. So far, we have hosted Tibor Barany, Koichi Nakabayashi, Jana Ziegelheimova, and Indra Ziggelheim. Usually, the classes are conducted in English, and we translate only for the youngest children.

We attach great importance to the relationship with our kids’ parents. We have kids from all walks of life with different levels of education and wealth. Our goal is that everyone can join us and feel comfortable. For example, we prohibit junk food, and everyone is asked to eat the provided meals. We try to fill the day with attractive activities, but we also give them some free time. And if anyone causes any trouble, we engage them to help the trainers.

Since 2018, I have been appointed as the National Junior Team Coach, with Krzysiek as the second trainer. Our project, “Kids_Kendo_It” is the basis for preparation for the European Championships. We also try to attend foreign tournaments as much as possible.

Photo: Bronze medal Polish Junior Team EKC 2022

I work with kendo kids the same way as I raise my own kids. I believe that the most important thing is good communication, not forcing them to do anything, making things attractive, giving options, supporting them when they fail, and talking a lot. I try to be their teacher and also a friend. I want the kids to trust us and to feel safe and comfortable at our camps. I remember the time when I was a teenager myself; I quarrelled with my parents, ran away from home, and went to the kendo gasshuku.

How have you maintained the motivation to continue training for many years?

It was easy for the first few years; I was pretty good at kendo. It was easy for me, and I often won tournaments. In 2007, I went to Japan, and it was one of the best times in my life. Between 2003 and 2011, I was in the national team and had a clear goal of championship to championship.

Photo: Team Poland EKC 2005

In 2011, kendo took a back seat somewhat. First was the family; I got married and in 2013, my son was born, followed by my daughter in 2015. During the years 2011-2015, I practiced from time to time, even when I was pregnant. Of course, I only practiced kata, kihon and suburi. It was really fun when I took my little kids with me, although I know some of my friends were not happy about it. In 2015, I joined the team of trainers and became an assistant to Wiesław Biel, the coach of the Women’s National Team.

Photo: Anna Betley-Uchańska and Wiesław Biel

It was a big challenge for me and another motivation. In 2017, I started to teach kids and my own kids in the Warsaw Kendo Club. From then on, I knew this was the next way for me; I love teaching kids. In 2018, I became a junior national coach in kendo.

Do you think there are problems with gender inequality in kendo? If so, do you have any thoughts on how to raise the level of women’s kendo and maintain long-term participation?

Yes, unfortunately, I have encountered this many times and I encounter it on a daily basis. At first, not everyone was happy when I showed up to my training with small, crying children. It was also hard for me to leave on gasshuku. I remember how during the breaks between exercises I expressed milk with a breast pump. I try to take my kids everywhere and involve them in training. Most of my old friends don’t train anymore. Only a few are left. The biggest problems arise when we want to start a family. It’s hard to find time for training and trips.

I believe that the main support should be directed at women returning from motherhood. We should be more open to the babies in the dojo. If mom can only exercise for 20-minutes, that’s great! We also started to set up kendo sections for small children from 4 to 5-years-of-age. These are usually the children of the kendokas. I think that it is especially difficult for women in Europe to prepare for high degrees of dans. We don’t have many 6th and 7th dan women here. We are also older, the body can’t stand it, injuries happen, we have families and it’s hard to find time for regular training.

I have noticed that some Polish women kendoka have returned soon to kendo after childbirth. Is there special support to encourage women’s return to kendo?

Let’s say there is more support now, but for the first few years it was like hitting the wall with your head. Nothing was easy and I had to organize everything myself! The federation has committed to children in kendo because they are starting to see that it works. From these little screaming toddlers in the gym, fantastic kendo players begin to grow! Personally, I love our junior camps where children and, often, their parents can practice together. Our junior team manager is a mother who, after three years of watching her child train, started kendo herself! Even though she’s 40-years-old, she’s doing great. Soon both of them will pass the exam for 1st dan, she wins competitions and, most importantly, she spends time actively with her son.

The Polish Women’s National Kendo Team has been consistently successful for a long period of time. Why do you think this is the case?

Our female team consists of players who have been training for many years and have been involved in kendo for a long time. Their success is the result of professional experience, skills developed over the years, teamwork, and the work of the coaching staff. In addition, I think the girls simply like each other a lot. We spend a lot of time together, both inside and outside of kendo.

Polish National Women Kendo Team Results (EKC and WKC)

2004   19th European Championships Budapest (Hungary)

Polish Ladies team’s debut

2005   20th European Championships Bern (Switzerland)

3rd place team 

2007   21st European Championships Lisbon (Portugal) 

2nd place team

Kantosho Karolina Grosiak

2008 22nd European Championships Helsinki (Finland)

Kantosho Natalia Maj

2009   14th World Championships Sao Paulo (Brazil).

Top 16 Karolina Grosiak

2010   23rd European Championships Debrecen (Hungary).

3rd place individually Karolina Grosiak

2011   24th European Championships Gdynia (Poland).

Kantosho Anna Betley-Uchanska

2016   27 European Championships Skopje (Macedonia).

2 Kantosho for Alina Gdeczyk (team and individual category)

2017   28th European Championships Budapest (Hungary).

2nd place team 

2018   17th World Championships Incheon (South Korea)

Kantosho for Maria Bober

Top 8 team

2019   29th European Championships Belgrade (Serbia).

3rd place team

Kantosho for Maria Bober

2022 – 31st European Championships Frankfurt (Germany)

3rd place team

3rd place Alina Gdeczyk

About women’s seminars organised in Poland.

For many years, we have organised special seminars and tournaments for women. It was initiated by our wonderful sensei, Shizuka Takahashi (7 dan). Now, I think it is no longer necessary. Our community is very close, and both ladies and men want to train together. At training camps, however, we still run separate training modules. Women train with each other, men with each other, and only part of the training is combined. This is what works best for us. In tournaments, we try to organise many women’s categories: individual and team.

A special kendo experience that you would like to share.

When I first ran away from home after an argument with my parents, I went to a kendo training camp. For me, training with my own children is definitely a great adventure. It’s great to pass on my knowledge and love for kendo to them. I share in their joy when they win and cry with them when something goes wrong. Our biggest family dream is to go to Japan together. My children have their own little piggybank, and they are collecting money for the trip. It’s heart-warming!

What motivates you to stay in kendo and what do you love about kendo?

My greatest support is my family and friends. I love kendo, especially Jana Ziegelheimova her crew. Jana is my friend and role model in kendo. I am very happy that we have been friends for years; our children get along very well and are growing up together, and I can still learn a lot from her. I met her at my first tournament in 2002 and then again in Japan in 2007. Now we run all the children’s camps in Poland together.

Photo: Anna Betley-Uchańska and Jana Ziegelheimova

My husband and mother-in-law support me, although it is not always easy for them. I have infected a large part of the family with kendo. My nieces also train in the children’s group, and they really enjoy it!

I love that kendo is the way. And you’re never too young or too old for kendo! At any age, you can pursue it, win, and take exams. The world-wide kendo community means that wherever I am in the world, I have access to a dojo for training. I know that I will be well-received, which unfortunately I have not experienced with aikido. 

I have a lot of great memories with kendo. Unfortunately, many people have already passed away. My great, great friend and sensei, Witek Nowakowski, will always be in my heart. He helped me a lot in the beginning of my kendo journey. He supported me mentally, I stayed with his family, and he lent money for kendo trips.

Can you provide words of wisdom that may inspire people to keep improving in kendo?

My biggest discovery in kendo is that the more I train, the less I know and grow! It’s sad, but on the other hand very motivating to develop more and more. The biggest challenge for me is constantly finding my purpose. Something that motivates me and allows me to grow. I am currently preparing for the 6 dan exam. It is very hard! Especially since my body is telling me to stop more and more often. There are injuries. My children are still small, and it is not easy to train regularly. I think about it all the time, how can I become stronger in kendo when I am physically weaker. This is my biggest challenge, to stop fighting my physical limitations. I need to talk about it with my kendo girl friends; Jana Ziegelheimova, Agnieszka Nakabayashi, Lisa Van Lacken Koga, and Dance Yokoo.

All photographs in this article were provided by Anna Betley-Uchańska.

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