Here is a collection of professional reviews of our work. They highlight our dedication to promoting the growth and understanding of the art of Japanese swordsmanship.
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“The cooperation and contribution of organizations such as Tokumeikan, are an essential part of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre’s Haru Matsuri (Spring Festival) and Road to Asia Festival martial arts demonstrations. Their support is part of the strength of the relationships that are developed through the JCCC’s motto of ‘Friendship through Culture.’“
Christine Takasaki
Cultural Events and Volunteer Coordinator
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
Toronto, Canada
“I am a long time student of kendo and iaido. Recently, I participated in a workshop on the basics of Katori Shinto Ryu kenjutsu with Douglas Tong. I was especially impressed with the pleasant and capable manner with which Tong Sensei led the large and diverse group. It was an energizing and fun experience.
I am sure that anyone involved in traditional Japanese martial arts or swordsmanship in general will find much of interest in this style which is possibly the oldest koryu (classical school) still in existence.”
James Broadwell
Head Instructor
Oshawa Eishin Ryu Iaido Kai
Oshawa, Canada
“Each year we strive to include traditional martial arts seminars in the Mixed Martial Arts Expo program and it is always a pleasure to have Sensei Tong’s Japanese swordsmanship as part of the curriculum. Sensei Tong can be counted on to deliver insightful and compelling seminars and each year participants rave about the opportunity to experience this unique martial art.”
Gerald Chopik
President
Mixed Martial Arts Expo
Toronto, Canada
“We found the workshop simply fantastic. The amount of material we were able to cover was incredible, especially considering the diversity of the group’s past experience. It was clear that it was thanks to your generosity of spirit, clarity in explanation, and patience as a teacher that the seminar was such a success. We definitely want you to return to work with Rapier Wit again. Once again I wish to thank you personally for such a rewarding experience.”
Daniel Levinson
President & Fight Director, Rapier Wit
Former President, Fight Directors Canada
Toronto, Canada
“Douglas Tong Sensei’s introductory seminar in Kenjutsu was just excellent. His generosity and particularly the very warm and human quality which he showed us in his instruction was really important and meaningful to us. We were fortunate to have him in our city and in our Dojo. Tong Sensei has given us a clear picture of the concepts and principles underlying Japanese swordsmanship and he has shown us what Kenjutsu truly is. He is without a doubt a true teacher, and it goes without saying that we will be looking forward to bringing Sensei back again.”
Esteban Voto
Head Instructor
Meishinkan
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
“Dragon Fencing Academy and Tokumeikan have an integral partnership since 2006. Dragon Fencing Academy is one of the only sword schools in Toronto that offer both Western and Eastern swordsmanship. Our mutual partnership with Tokumeikan, makes the Dragon Fencing Academy synonymous with excellence and expert instruction in sword fighting and the sword arts.”
Stanley Yee
Principal
Dragon Fencing Academy
Richmond Hill, Canada
“Thank you for participating in Northern Anime Festival as a presenter. It is the devotion from guests such as you that help create successful events such as Northern Anime Festival. Your participation in showing Japanese sword techniques helped aid Northern Anime Festival in achieving its goal to present to our community Japanese Culture and Arts, this we are grateful to have had you at our event.”
Mark W. Hamilton
Organizing Committee
Northern Anime Festival
Oshawa, Canada
“Thank you for the opportunity to share your knowledge of kenjutsu with us. It has been a couple days since the seminar and I find myself thinking about how much information we received in a relatively short timeframe! It was a wonderful introduction to Katori Shinto Ryu and your teaching style. I also really appreciated your discussion and showing of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu and other styles as well. It was really nice to get first hand exposure to different theories of movement and technique in such a friendly setting. I greatly enjoyed the seminar and speak for all the students in saying that we would love to have you back again.”
Jeremy Deman
Head Instructor
Ottawa Kenjutsu
Ottawa, Canada
“Douglas Tong’s demonstration and workshops are a big hit with our convention attendees, and are a welcome addition to Anime North.”
Donald Simmons
Head of Operations
Anime North
Toronto, Canada
“Tokumeikan’s ancient Japanese swordsmanship demonstrations and workshops were a highlight at our event. Your friendliness and professionalism surpassed our expectations and we would definitely recommend you for future performances. Thank you once again for your support of the Museums of Burlington. We look forward to working with you again.”
Valerie Amaral
Special Events Assistant
Museums of Burlington
Burlington, Canada
“Working with Douglas was a great experience. He was more than helpful while I embarked on understanding the essence of Shintoism. Douglas and Tokumeikan embody the true mastery of Japanese Swordsmanship. Not only did he help in the research, by pointing me in the right direction to tell the story of the Japanese culture and Shintoism; the perfection of his art transcended the fundamental principles of Shintoism so we could ‘show’ them to our youth audience. They were ingrained flawlessly into his practice. Thank you again Douglas for all of your time and dedication! We would be delighted to work with you again.”
Danelene O’Flynn
Producer-OMG
Stornoway Productions
Toronto, Canada
“It was a pleasure and a privilege having Sensei Tong introduce our students to the art of Kenjutsu. His knowledge and instruction of both the technical and philosophical aspects, as well as the history of the art, made the seminars incredibly enjoyable and educational. Sensei Tong’s dedication and genuine passion for Japanese swordsmanship was obvious from the beginning, and created an open and positive learning atmosphere. Having the opportunity to experience such a rare art form was a privilege that any martial artist would be lucky to have.”
Michael Fisher
Owner/ Head Instructor
Kushindokai Karate and Fitness
Orangeville, Canada
“I am very grateful to Sensei Douglas Tong for travelling from so far away to come and share his extensive knowledge in Kenjutsu with our group. For us, it is an honor to follow the guidance of such a gentle and capable teacher. Over the week, our group received a great deal of information, techniques, and insights on this most famous of Japanese sword styles, Yagyu Shinkage Ryu. In teaching us, Sensei Tong was patient and yet he was very thorough and precise. He transformed every moment of the training, enriching us not only technically but also spiritually. At different moments throughout our seminar, he gave us insights that were helpful in developing our understanding of technique, discussed the philosophy and spirit of the style, and shared anecdotes from his own training experiences in Japan which made this seminar something truly unforgettable. But most memorable of all, he shared with us his passion and his love for this art. I believe that I speak for everyone here at Muso Dojo when I say that I hope that this first trip will become the start of something wonderful, a great tradition.”
Héctor Bravo
Head Instructor
Muso Dojo
Tijuana, Mexico
“Our recent seminar in Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, that was instructed by Douglas Tong Sensei, is difficult to summarize in a paragraph. It is easy to see that Sensei Tong has a diverse and experienced background in Japanese sword arts, very much a living history. There was a great balance of the practical applications of Kenjutsu and also philosophical components that complimented each other towards a greater understanding of the art overall. Sensei Tong has a continuous teaching energy and is very focused on every student’s level of training. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this lineage of training and am very much looking forward to the next event.”
Kyle Kolodij
Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido
Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Jodo
Rai Un Kai Dojo (Canadian Kendo Federation)
Thunder Bay, Canada
“Our introduction to Yagyu Shinkage Ryu turned into a fantastic day with Sensei Douglas Tong. He moved our group through various techniques, modes of training, and kata. It was far beyond what we expected. Sensei Tong grounded the actual katana techniques with the Yagyu philosophy, leaving the students with a deep insight into the next phase of our martial arts journey. The Yagyu philosophy of the Life-Giving Sword is a perfect fit for our dojo. Our students finished the day excited to continue on this new path, with more than enough curriculum to keep us training for a long time.
Sensei Tong has proven to be an exceptional teacher, very skilled, very personable and very thorough. If you are just starting out in martial arts or considering adding a new program to your dojo, I highly recommend Sensei Douglas Tong.
We will definitely be inviting Sensei Tong back to our dojo to further our understanding of Japanese swordsmanship and are looking forward to his next visit.”
Robert Humphrey
Sensei
Dokan Karate Black Belt Academy
Huntsville, Canada
“Our school invited Tong-sensei for a 5-day seminar to study the basics of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu. All seminar days were very intense, but Tong-Sensei kept us going and engaged. His approach to leading a seminar is serious with much detail to the level of development of each participant, yet we had many opportunities for a good laugh. After each training day of more than 6 hours, we spent many hours philosophizing about the content in the book “The Sword & the Mind”. This seminar was one of the best seminars organized at our martial arts school. Now I am looking forward to continue the excellent relationship with Tong-sensei as our school continues to study Yagyu Shinkage-ryu as a Keikokai of Tokumeikan.”
Dr. Chris de Feijter
Lead Instructor
Taka Budo Dokokai Martial Arts, Inc.
La Ronge, Saskatchewan
“Having the opportunity to train with Sensei Doug Tong was a great and informative experience. Besides being an excellent practitioner and teacher of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, Sensei Tong also has extensive experience and knowledge of the koryu arts in general having studied Ono-ha Itto Ryu and Katori Shinto Ryu. His outstanding knowledge of the history and philosophy of these koryu arts brings Sensei Tong’s teaching to another level – a level not generally seen.
Sensei Tong is a thoughtful, patient, respectful, and very competent teacher emphasizing precision, accuracy, and detail. He is focused on transmitting his knowledge to you and is more than willing to share that knowledge with anyone who is interested in learning.
Whether a novice or experienced practitioner of the koryu arts, it would be a mistake to pass up the opportunity to train with Sensei Tong.”
Tony Sgherzi
Toku Sword Arts
Los Angeles, California
“I am so very grateful and cannot be more thankful for having the honour of hosting an introductory seminar led by Tong Sensei on the beautiful and peaceful school of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu. It was an inspiring day to remember and was the first time this art was brought to Canada’s capital. We had a great turnout of people from many different martial arts backgrounds and different sword schools. Tong Sensei showed us his incredible skill and control through numerous demonstrations and taught us all some very valuable lessons in character by teaching us kata in a calm, welcoming and encouraging manner. He and his students that helped oversee the exercises were excellent examples of the lessons that Yagyu Shinkage Ryu offers in integrity. With their patience and understanding, they were able to guide us through some thought provoking exercises and learning some pretty advanced techniques.
Through his readings of different texts and philosophies we were able to open our minds to different ways of practicing and a different approach to how we use our swords. By learning the history of this lineage we were able to understand how useful this new life-giving sword approach was in a time of conflict and how we can apply the same philosophy to our everyday practice and life.
This was truly an enlightening experience for many of us, and instilled new hope in the ability to unite and create peace within different groups, different mindsets and within ourselves. We look forward to future seminars and the continuation of learning from Tong Sensei as it is truly an enriching experience.
The underlying principle of the day was ‘Don’t be afraid and keep an open mind’-
Words to live by.”
Erika Gaal
Study Group Leader
Meishinkan
(Tokumeikan Ontario East Study Group)
Ottawa, Canada
“It is with great pleasure that we were able to host Sensei Tong on Saturday, July 13th, 2019 for a seminar in Yagyu Shinkage Ryu kenjutsu. Sensei Tong’s devotion to teaching, and enthusiasm for his art inspired the attendees to work towards personal excellence, as well as opened their minds by challenging their perceptions of kenjutsu. We are so grateful to Sensei Tong for coming down and we look forward to inviting him again in the future!”
Derek Lo
Study Group Leader
Keishinkai
(Tokumeikan Quebec Study Group)
Montreal, Canada
“Getsumei no Michi Dojo had the pleasure of hosting an introductory seminar in Yagyu Shinkage Ryu with Tong Sensei. It was an excellent opportunity for a small group of individuals, many with little or no experience, to learn about Japanese swordsmanship for the first time. Tong Sensei shared with the participants the history and fundamental philosophy of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu and guided them in the practical application of these principles through the practice of the kata of the style.
With Tong Sensei’s balance of physical practice with meaningful discussion, as a more experienced practitioner, I found the experience extremely worthwhile and a great opportunity to better understand and appreciate the beauty of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu.”
Dayman Perry
Study Group Leader
Getsumei no Michi Dojo
(Tokumeikan Ontario South Study Group)
Niagara Falls, Ontario
“The Tokumeikan Online Gasshuku 2020 was a great opportunity to expand my personal understanding of budo culture. I am already a practitioner of Sekiguchi Ryu Battojutsu and I have decided to practice also Yagyu Shinkage Ryu under the guidance of Tong Sensei in the Tokumeikan organization. In addition to his extensive experience and culture, Tong Sensei certainly has the wonderful gift of exposing any topic, historical or technical, in a clear and easily understood way for those who are listening to him. During the Gasshuku, I was able to follow some lessons dedicated to the Iaijutsu of Katori Shinto Ryu and to the bojutsu of Yagyu Shingan Ryu. I am also very satisfied with the instructors who have given these lessons.”
Maurizio Colonna
Study Group Leader
Shoshin Kenjutsu Bari
(Tokumeikan Italy Branch)
Bari, Italy
“The Tokumeikan Online Gasshuku 2020 was an incredible experience and a technical opportunity not to be underestimated. The perfect organization of the event is the result of a fantastic united group, always available and smiling, of which we immediately felt a part of. I knew the quality of Tong Sensei’s teaching, but now I was able to attend a lesson from another teacher Derek Lo Sensei, and I must say it was truly exceptional! Quality and courtesy are the foundations of this group, exactly as Budo culture should be. I will definitely participate in future events if I have the opportunity.”
Denis Ongaro
Head Instructor
Ikazuchi Dojo Caorle
Venice, Italy