A review by Shihan Roger Young
Torakan dojo
Keishi ryu / Batto ju
Kentucky, USA
March 2005

JM

The bokken arrived on Friday. On site I was very pleased with the superb craftmanship of the custom tailoring I requested. The wood felt as if it were polished marble, I was amazed at just how hard and dense the iron wood was. It is my custom to right away submit a new tool to its test before falling in love with it appearence. I instructed one of my students to attack with full power as if trying to smash thru my bokken. Over and over he launched crushing blows until I saw his bokken begin to splinter... which was a traditional red oak. Then I handed him one of our suburi made of white oak and told him to continue the attack. I purposely at this point never looked at my bokken. And once my student began to wear and I saw visible damage now to the oak suburi. I went straight to striking a heavy sand bag at full force and then to a rope wrap makiwara. I stopped, then examined the bokken with a close eye... it was completely unmarred... with only a few smudges on its wax finish.

Your weapons are worthy to be handed down through generations, and I am sure that this bokken will be pasted on to my senior student once I have left this earth. Many of my students are already requesting a Sandata Crafts bokken.

Thank you JM For your attention to detail and professional courtesy. I have been searching a very long time for a superior made weapon such as this. I can tell this may be the last bokken I ever need to buy for my self. Iam looking forward to doing much more busniess with you.

- Shihan Roger Young
Torakan dojo
Keishi ryu / Batto ju
Kentucky, USA
[March 2005]