The Mark

The mark used on this site is a traditional hanko, made for me and given to me in Japan by an artisan who produced them in the traditional way, carved by hand in wood.

It was presented in a small box with red ink, as they often are.

In everyday use, a hanko functions as a personal seal, used in place of a signature. In martial arts circles, it can carry a little more weight depending on when and where it was received.

The characters form my name in Japanese. Beyond that, I have never felt the need to turn it into anything more than what it is.

It is not a logo in the modern sense, and it was never designed for a website or for branding.

I use it here in the same way I have kept it over the years - not as decoration, but as a quiet marker of part of my training.