Contact Us

Questions about the samurai sword instruction DVD series, about placing an order, or about training in the Japanese sword arts are all welcome here. This is a small operation run by practising instructors, and every message is read by somebody who trains with a blade rather than by a call centre. We do not publish a telephone number or a mailing address, so the contact form further down this page is the quickest and most reliable way to reach us. It also keeps your enquiry together with the details we need in order to answer it properly.

Use the form for anything connected with this site: a question about which volume of the series to begin with, a problem with an order that has already been placed, a request for information about grading and black belt certification, or a query about samurai sword training in Arizona. Dojo instructors who are looking for material to use with their own students should say so, and we will talk through how the volumes fit together and which of them suit a class at your level.

What to Put in Your Message

Sword questions are usually specific, and an answer is only as good as the detail behind the question. Tell us which art you practise — iaido, battodo, kenjutsu, kendo or something else — how long you have been training, and whether you work with a shinken, an iaito or a wooden bokken. If you already own part of the DVD series, say which volume you are working from, because the advice given to a beginner on volume one is different from the advice given to somebody who has already worked through the cutting forms.

For shipping questions, include your country and, if you know it, the region. Postage costs and delivery times vary a great deal, and we would rather answer accurately the first time than guess. For order enquiries, give the name the order was placed under and the date of purchase. We never ask for card numbers or any other payment details, and those should not be sent through a message in any case.

Ordering the DVDs

The full series can be ordered directly through this site, and discs are shipped immediately with the full menu of specials that comes with a complete set. If you are unsure whether to buy one volume or the whole course, write and ask: the honest answer depends on whether you are training alone, preparing for a grading, or building a library for a dojo. We can also tell you the order in which to watch the discs if you are studying without a teacher beside you.

Messages about a case that arrived damaged, a missing disc, or an order that has not turned up are treated as a priority. Send the name used on the order and the date it was placed, and we will sort it out. Please remember that orders are placed through the ordering page and not by message; the form is for questions, not for payment instructions.

Training, Grading and Dojo Enquiries

Many of the messages we receive come from people who train alone, or who live a long way from the nearest qualified instructor. If that describes you, write and tell us where you are and what you have studied so far. Where we can, we point people toward reputable groups in Arizona and elsewhere at which they can practise under supervision, and we explain what normally happens during a first visit to a sword class — what to bring, what to wear and how the etiquette works.

Students working toward black belt certification through our programme should write with their current rank, the forms they have been studying, and any video they are able to share. Rank is not awarded by post; it is assessed on the floor. What we can do by message is tell you what standard is expected at the next level and which parts of your technique need attention before you test.

Instructors, event organisers and anyone interested in the U.S. Batto-Do Open Championship and its seminars are welcome to write as well. Registration questions, seminar schedules and the requirements for entry are answered individually, and details are confirmed directly rather than published until they are settled.

How Quickly We Reply

We aim to answer every message within a few business days. Messages sent at weekends, over holidays or while we are away teaching at a seminar may take a little longer. If you have waited more than a week, please send your question again — a message occasionally goes astray, and we would rather receive it twice than not at all. It is also worth checking your spam folder, because replies to first-time enquiries sometimes land there.

Please Read These Pages First

A number of the questions that arrive through this form are already answered elsewhere on the site. The history of the samurai sword, the development of Batto-Do, Kendo and Iaido, the care and cleaning of a Japanese sword, sword safety, tatami and goza cutting targets, and the requirements for black belt rank all have their own pages. If your question is one of those, you will often find the answer faster by reading the relevant page than by waiting for a reply.

One subject we cannot advise on by message is how to cut with a live blade at home without supervision. Sword work is a physical discipline practised in a controlled environment, and no amount of written instruction takes the place of a teacher standing beside you. If you are just starting out, train with a wooden sword or an unsharpened iaito until there is somebody qualified to watch you.

Send a Message

Fill in the form below and it comes straight to us. Please write as clearly as you can about what you need, and give us an address we can reply to.

Your name

Your e-mail address

Subject — DVD order, training, grading, seminar or something else

Your message

If your question concerns a specific form, a particular kata or a blade you own, say so in the subject line. It helps us route your message to the instructor who knows that material best, and it usually shortens the wait for an answer.