About 10 years ago I had a profound realization. One that LITERALLY changed the way I would view martial arts in general, and weapons in particular with a whole new light.

You see in occurred to me that all my weapons training was in a sense WITHOUT VALUE in the REAL WORLD! Not without personal value, after all, my training made me what I am, but real world application.

When would I actually HAVE a staff or broadsword or rapier WITH me?? When would I actually have a staff or katana or dao on my person?!

I thought to myself "CRAP! What can I actually carry? What is effective, legal, common, readily adapted to my skill set, and above all will go UN-NOTICED? This last criteria was because I wanted real world application and, of course I did not want to visually scream "HEY! I'm ARMED!"

Then it hit me, I was quite literally looking right at it, MY CANE. Just sitting over there in the corner waiting to be re discovered by me.

I walked up to it, KNOWING I'd found my answer, picked it up, and almost lost the moment, for you see it was COMPLETELY wrong, too thin, too light, wrong handle, but I looked past it's shortcomings and saw the WEAPON it COULD BE, and so began my training with the cane.

That was a long time ago, since that moment I have made canes for Eastern Masters, Western Maestros. Now men and women on FOUR CONTINENTS carry my work.

That moment, all those years ago, was important for more than just me.

To all my customers over the years... Thank you!