Personalised Plaque - 7 Virtues of Bushido

It was nice surprise to see some very positive feedback regarding one of our recent commissions on Facebook, when it popped up on my browser. 

The products had been purchased as gifts and were customised with a club logo to make them extra special.

To find out more about these plaques and our range, click on the links in the sidebar, please take a look and drop us a mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com with details of your project.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Plaques and Name Board section shop page

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New Semi DIY nafudakake (dojo nameboard)

 We were recently approached by Newark Shotokan Karate Club regarding making them a nafudakake.

A nafudakake is a name ranking board for a dojo. A new member would have their name added at the bottom of the board in the "mukyu" (ungraded) section and they would progress through the Kyu grades and onto the Dan ranks. At the head of the board there may be Association or Club details and on some nafudakake officials or patrons may also be recorded.

Most of our clients elect to include dan ranks only on their nafudakake, but Newark wanted to explore if  Kyu grades could also be included. Kyu grades are typically more transient in their membership and it can lead to a wasted expense for a dojo.

What we proposed in the end was to manufacture all the grade ranking nafuda along with the yudansha members of the club. We would then produce a 2 sided blank where the club could write kyu grade members names in English for themselves. If that member leaves they can flip it over and use the other side, there is also the option of sanding the nafuda down and writing a new name.

The club had identified a wall to hang the nafuda and we worked on a layout to match that space. We ended up with 5 frames each having twenty-two nafuda spaces, so a total of a hundred and ten spaces altogether. This allows for around their seventy members, the ranking nafuda and quite a few slots for expansion. When a member reaches shodan the club will order a manufactured nafuda with their name in katakana. For each nafudakake we make we over manufacture the number of blanks and keep them in shoe boxes marked with the dojos name. So when a new nafuda is ordered it will match with the ones already in the nafudakake.

The club liked the look of the ash nafuda we had used nearly ten years ago on a previous project along with cherry for the grade nafuda. We have not used ash for a while. There is quite a large variance in colour and grain. We used the lighter straight grained timber for the yudansha nafuda and the remaining for the kyu grades and spread the variation around the nafudakake. We really like the end result and it reminded me of the variety in colour of the walling on many of the Japanese dojo I have trained in.

If you have a project in mind just drop us a mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Nafuda section shop page

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A3 Dan Certificates - the three options explained

証明書 - Shomeisho - Certificates

We are now offering three different base layout options for A3 Dan Certificates all of which can be customised to your requirements.

Option A - A3 Dan grade certificates - pdfs (Soto Sabisu completes Reg. No. + name + date in kana and script when individual certificates are ordered)
Size	Cost
A3 Template - 420 x 297 mm	From £75.00
A3 Custom Certificates - pdf's
1 to 3	£14.50 each
4 to 10	£13.00 each
10+	£11.00 each
"Click" to go to - A3 Dan Certificates page
Additional "fully custom" items as costed on table below
Payments by BACS or Pay Pal at 5% Premium

Option B - A3 Dan grade certificates - pdfs (Soto Sabisu completes Reg. No. + date in kana and script when individual certificates are ordered)
Size	Cost
A3 Template - 420 x 297 mm	From £85.00
A3 Custom Certificates - pdf's
1 to 3	£10.50 each
4 to 10	£9.00 each
10+	£7.00 each
"Click" to go to - A3 Dan Certificates page
Additional "fully custom" items as costed on table below
Payments by BACS or Pay Pal at 5% Premium

Option C - A3 Dan grade certificates - pdfs (Association completes Dan level and script) Option C+ - As above with Dan grade  kanji and text
Size	Cost
A3 Template - 420 x 297 mm	£95.00
"Click" to go to - A3 Dan Certificates page
Additional "fully custom" items as costed on table below
Payments by BACS or Pay Pal at 5% Premium

Certificate Additional "options" list
Item	Cost
Custom authentication hanko	£5.00
Custom association hanko	£8.00
Logo conversion from your image / file (if possible)	£5.00
Custom logo - 25% discount	£30.00
Phoenix border to certificate	£5.00
Title of official hanko	£5.00
Watermark	£8.00
Option C+ - Additional templates with grade in kanji and English text	£8.00

There is also the option to leave the space for hanko blank and ordering self inking stamps to apply to the printed certificate, these can be purchased at a 20% discount

So if you are thinking of updating your certificates just drop us a e Mail and we can start developing a graphic for your approval.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Certificates section shop page

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Hapkido Nafudakake for Dojang

Well this was a first for us and we love doing custom projects so this was very much an adventure.

Hapkido Nafudakake

We were asked by Dojang Master Mike Dunchok 7th Dan of the Kuk Sool Kwan US Headquarters if we could produce a nafudakae for him for his Hapkido dojang.

We are used to translating names etc for Japanese nafuda, but unfortunately we don't offer a translation service for Korean into Hangul fonts.

Master Mike was able to provide all the translations for us and also sent us a font file of the exact Hangul font that he wished to use. We were able to upload the font file and translations into our graphics package.

After quite a few E Mails back and forth across the pond we produced a graphic design for approval, which included three reworked logos for the Korea Hapkido Federation, Ancient Arts Dojang and the Kuk Sool.

Master Mike selected American Cherry and Canadian Maple as the hardwoods used and it was wrapped in our standard black frame.

Please see below a couple more photos of the finished nafudakake.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Nafuda section shop page

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A3 Dan Certificate for Nishikan Martial Arts

We were recently asked by Nishikan Martial arts to produce a Dan certificate for one of their members who was promoted to Godan.

We produced a custom Hanko for them and used a font very similar to their existing logo throughout.

Our congratulations to Pat Gawler on his promotion to Godan.

NMA were so pleased with the certificate they have decided to use it for all their Dan grades and have even ordered some replacement certificates for members that have passed grading in the last few years.

So if you are thinking of updating your certificates just drop us a e Mail and we can start developing a graphic for your approval.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Certificates section shop page

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Making Nafuda and Kake

 A couple of short montages on making nafuda and the kake (frames).

All our hardwood nafuda are made from timber from sustainable sources.

 

The frames for dojo nafudakake are made so the nafuda can be removed and their positions changed as members move up the grading structure.

 

Simone's stamp to Sweden

 We recently made an examiner's stamp and sent over to Sweden.

We offer Worldwide postage and delivery is usually about 10 to 14 days from order, hopefully we will beat the Xmas rush.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Hanko and Inkan section shop page

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A4 Kyu Cert for Nishikan Martial Arts

 We were recently asked by Nishikan Martial Arts to work with them on a new Kyu Certificate.

We incorporated their logo, an Association hanko, phoenix border and adopted a neutral gender text.

A lot of the Japanese name markers are also non-gender specific, but historically were always translated as He/She which was always a bit wordy and clunky. We really like the wording as presented on the certificate and I think this will be our new "standard".

The font selected was a brush font that closely matched the kanji used in the club logo.

So if you are thinking of updating your certificates with either a full or semi custom version just drop us a e Mail and we can start developing a graphic for your approval.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Certificates section shop page

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Club Hanko - Block or Brush font?

 We have recently produced hanko in both block and brush fonts and I think it is personal preference which you choose.

The block font is the "standard" but where clubs use a brush style font for their names and logo they also choose to adopt this style for their stamps.

For comparison The Kaigun Karate Dojo stamp is in the block font and Seishin Karate in the Brush font.

Block font

Brush font

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Hanko and Inkan section shop page

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An Instructor's gift

 We were recently asked to make a Nafudakake for a visiting instructor, the club chose oak nafuda in our standard black frame. 

We understand that the recipient was really pleased with the gift, always nice to receive positive feedback.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Nafuda section shop page

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The Shotokan Tiger Plaque - New Product

We are excited to announce a new product in our plaque range - The Shotokan Tiger

The example above was a large custom plaque in Oak with script font in our standard black frame.

The back story to the Shotokan tiger.

The drawing was originally created by a Japanese man named Hoan Kusugi who was a friend and student of Funakoshi. Hoan Kosugi, a famous artist and president of the Tabata Poplar Club, an artist’ guild, was a little known but very important figure in the development of Shotokan Karate-do in Japan.

To entice Funakoshi, to write a book about Karate, Hoan Kosugi told Funakoshi that if he would write the book, Kosugi would design it and provide a painting for the cover. When Gichin Funakoshi produced the book, Hoan Kosugi produced the now famous Shotokan tiger. 

His idea for the tiger came from the expression “Tora no maki.” Tora no maki, in Japanese tradition, is usually translated as “master scroll” or “master text.” It is the official written document on long scrolls of an art or system, which is used as the definitive reference source for that particular art. The picture of the tiger in the circle is a pun on the words “Tora no Maki”. Since “tora” also means “tiger”, … “Scroll of the Tiger”. Already by Funokoshi’s time, this practice had been long abandoned, but the name stuck.

Note - We also produce Mokuroku and Makki please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Mokuroku and Makki page

Since no books had ever been written about Karate, Hoan Kosugi told Funakoshi that his book was the Tora no maki, of Karate. He designed the tiger as a representation of Funakoshi’s art. The tiger in the traditional circular image is a traditional Chinese design that implies “the tiger never sleeps.” It symbolizes, therefore, the keen alertness of the wakeful tiger and serenity of the peaceful mind. Also the tiger drawn within a circle could be meant to show that the power of the tiger, like the power of Shotokan, is contained. It indicates that this power should never be used on a whim. The power is only unleashed, or broken from the circle, in order to defend ourselves or others who can’t defend themselves from a violent attack. 

The kanji character up in the upper right corner of the circle is part of the artist’s name, Hoan Kusugi, Presently, the Shotokan Karate is is synonymous with the tiger symbol and many Shotokan Karate clubs use as a symbol or logo for their dojo or association. 

The Product.

The Plaques will be available in some of our standard sizes and also available, custom sized to your requirements.

You will be able to select from oak or maple boards and block or script fonts.

You will also be able to add text to either side of the tiger, we can translate club and association names as "added value"

If you are interested in commissioning a tiger just drop us an E Mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com with details of what size you require and text and we can develop a draft graphic for your approval.

The Shotokan Tiger
Size	Cost
Small - 342 x 201 mm	£99.00
Medium - 475 x 315 mm	£199.00
Large - 786 x 636 mm	£289.00
Custom - TBC mm	£TBC
Available in "Brush or Block" font
Oak or Maple board with Black kake (frame)
"Click" to go to - The Shotokn Tiger page
Free Postage to UK Non-premium Post Codes for Small and Medium Only - Large and Specials £TBC
Europe / Worldwide Postage Small/£15 - Medium/£25 - Large & Specials / £TBC
Payments by BACS or Pay Pal at 5% Premium

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Plaques and Name Board section shop page

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Custom - Nana Korobi Ya Oki and 7 Virtues plaques

Custom is what we do best.

In the main everything we do is custom made when ordered, so it is easy for us to adapt a standard item to your specific requirements.

Below is a couple of examples that were completed a little while ago as presentation pieces.

To find out more about these plaques and our range, click on the links in the sidebar, please take a look and drop us a mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com with details of your project.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Plaques and Name Board section shop page

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Shotokan Tiger - Custom Plaque

We have recently completed a large (1200 x 800mm) custom plaque. 

A 16mm veneered oak MDF board with balancer was used and it was framed in our standard black stock and fitted with mirror plates for hanging. 

There were a few challenges with this one, but we are very pleased with the end result. 

So pleased in fact that we intend to add the Shotokan tiger to our range of plaques shortly. 

The plaques will be available in Oak or Maple in our standard stock sizes. 

Customers will also be able to add custom text each side either in block or script fonts. 

We hope to have full details up on the website in early October. 

What do you think of our 'tastic tiger and could there be room for one in your home / dojo?

Semi Custom A3 Dan Grade Certificates

We recently worked with Black Scorpion Karate on a Semi-Custom A3 Dan grade certificate.

This is an alternative to the fully custom certificate. The full option includes a custom serial number, name of recipient and date in imperial calendar format translated in kana. 

The Semi Custom version selected by Black Scorpion Karate includes the name of the issuing Club / Association in kanji and the position and name of the examiner in kanji / katakana. 

We also include a club / association hanko above the kanji for "Sho", the issuer will complete the rest of the details in English text. 

Whereas the full Custom version is a similar format to a JKA style certificate the Semi-Custom version is more of a half way house of "East meets West", it is all down to personal preference.

We also took the original logo and converted it to a vector image for the certificate and supplied a pdf version of this separately for them as "added value".

So if you are thinking of updating your certificates with either a full or semi custom version just drop us a e Mail and we can start developing a graphic for your approval.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Certificates section shop page

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Dan grade certificates for The Karate Dojo

Recently we worked with Sensei Ady Gray from The Karate Dojo, this time re-modelling their Dan grade certificates.

We together reviewed elements of previous certificates and looked at options to try and make the certificate a little bit special. BSKA asked us to use a custom text for the English part of the certificate that they had composed and we added a custom watermark behind with three rings of the BSKA logo, the rising sun and the shotokan tiger.

Congratulations to Sensei Colin Smith and Sensei John Gardiner who were awarded 6th and 4th Dan respectively earlier today.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Certificates section shop page

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Club Hanko

 We were recently asked to produce a Hanko for Portsmouth Shotokan Karate Club. 

The club is part of the HDKI organisation and opted for the wording to be Hombu dojo karate Portsmouth. Kanji is used for the first three words and katakana is used for the foreign word "Portsmouth"

All our stamps are self inking  and incorporate their own inboard inkpad. The embossed part of the stamps rests on the pad and inverts through 180 degrees as you push down making the impression. Most pads usually don't need replacing and with even heavy use are likely to last 3 to 5 years.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Hanko and Inkan section shop page

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Wedding Gift

 We were recently were asked to produce a "Mutal Love" nafudakake as a wedding gift from a dojo to a club instructor. To make it special we made it a little different from previous commissions.

The couple both had short Christian names so we elected to use Christian names only instead of their full names. This allows for the font to be larger and fill the nafuda, we also used a "brush" style script for the katakana for Sarah's and Eddie's names.

Although Maple, Sycamore and Oak are the most popular hardwoods selected across our full range we went with an American Cherry for this particular project.  Point to note - As you would expect all our hardwood stocks come from sustainable sources.

The cherry was sawn, planned and sanded, it received a couple of coats of sanding sealer and then the nafuda were French polished to bring out the gorgeous grain patterns.

We used the every popular black framing and I am sure you will agree this is a striking contrast to the Cherry.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Nafuda section shop page

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Legend of Zelda - Custom Plaque

Well, we always like a bit of custom, but we have never done anything like this before.

We were asked if we could produce a plaque for a home dojo with a "Legend of Zelda" twist.

Our client sent us some artwork with a rough layout using the triangular theme and kanji from Legend of Zelda and wanted to add Fuji San in the centre triangle.

Legend of Zelda custom plaque

The layout in the graphics package was a bit of a challenge as items look better placed by eye rather than what would be central to their individual triangle. Again we used the maple backing board with black frame which allows a strong contrast for the graphic.

We don't often post pictures of the reverse side, but thought you might be interested in how the frames are finished. All our frames are glued and underpinned in the corners, the maple board is retained by flat tabs and a framers tape is used to seal the frame. Smaller plaques like this are prepared as for picture hanging. Bigger plaques and dojo name boards are usually supplied with mirror plates.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

Custom plaques are charged at a rate depending on size and amount of graphic design required.

"Click" to go to - Plaques and Name Board section shop page

If you are accessing this site on your phone you may wish to view the "Web version" and access the menu in the side-bar to navigate. Just scroll down for the link.

A custom Plaque for dojo opening

We were asked if we could produce a plaque for the opening of a new dojo.

Our client sent us some artwork with a special font that they wanted to use.

A maple backing board with black frame allows a strong contrast for logos that benefit from a lighter coloured background and was produced at approx. A3 size.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

Custom plaques are charged at a rate depending on size and amount of graphic design required.

"Click" to go to - Plaques and Name Board section shop page

If you are accessing this site on your phone you may wish to view the "Web version" and access the menu in the side-bar to navigate. Just scroll down for the link.

Karate kata syllabus boards - Mokuroku

We were excited to launch our range of  karate syllabus boards in Shotokan and Wado ryu formats. We worked with senior instructors in each style to develop the boards to represent an accurate mainstream list of each ryu's kata. We are aware that there are many variants within each ryu and so each board can be customised for a particular Association.

We are happy to produce totally custom mokuroku if required, but we are also interested in expanding the range into further styles. 

If you practice a mainstream style that is not currently covered, we will review if we can pick up all of the initial development design and costs. Hopefully it will lead to further sales in your style in the future.

In this layout we have the 15 Wado ryu kata, the overall size is 865 x 266mm.

Chosen kana / kanji

We extensively research and selected what we believe to be recognised kana / kanji for each kata. Many kata borrow the name from the Okinawan name, which also might use a weapons name, the Fuzhou language, Southern Min (Fujian) language or go further back and use the Chinese standard language.

We use translations that are verified over a number of sources, but there are many other translations used. So if your group uses a different set of kanji for a name or uses the katakana we are happy to customise to your requirements.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

Top Tip

"Click" to go to - Kun and Mokuroku section shop page

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Wado ryu kata Mokuroku

We are excited to launch our range of  karate syllabus boards and for Wado ryu we have available a couple of formats;

The Wado ryu Mokuroku - Maple in black wooden frame

In this layout we have the 15 Wado ryu kata, the overall size is 865 x 266mm.

Not all organisations will practice exactly the same kata and call them by the same name, so you will have the option to e.g. change Wadoryu to your dojo or association, add a logo or change / remove a kata etc.

The Wado ryu Mokuroku / Makki in black Aluminium frame

So this is our version of a scroll (Makki) mounted in a curved black aluminium frame with a clear plastic protective face. The frames are drilled for fixing to the wall and the scroll and the plastic film is just clipped back into the frame. This is the same framing material we used for the modular curved nafudakake (members name boards).

15 Wado Ryu kata on buff parchment background, overall size is 665 x 150mm

15 Wado Ryu kata on grey parchment background, overall size is 665 x 150mm

Buff parchment background - Right side in detail

Grey parchment background - Right side in detail

Again - Not all organisations will practice exactly the same kata and call them by the same name, so you will have the option to e.g. change Wadoryu to your dojo or association, add a logo or change / remove a kata etc.

Chosen kana / kanji

We have extensively researched and selected what we believe to be recognised kana / kanji for each kata. Many kata borrow the name from the Okinawan name, which also might use a weapons name, the Fuzhou language, Southern Min (Fujian) language or go further back and use the Chinese standard language.

We have used translations that are verified over a number of sources, but there are many other translations used. So if your group uses a different set of kanji for a name or uses the katakana we are happy to customise to your requirements.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

Top Tip

"Click" to go to - Kun and Mokuroku section shop page

If you are accessing this site on your phone you may wish to view the "Web version" and access the menu in the side-bar to navigate. Just scroll down for the link.

Shotokan kata Mokuroku

We are excited to launch our range of  karate syllabus boards and for Shotokan we have available a number of formats;

The Shotokan Mokuroku - Traditional layout - Maple in black wooden frame

Above is the traditional format board with an overall size of 785 x 415mm.

We have used the title Shotokan karate-do, but you have the option to change this to a dojo or association name and / or add a logo.

The kata name only appears once with the levels / variants below

If your group for example does not practice Ji'in the kata can be removed.

The Shotokan Mokuroku - Long layout - Maple in black wooden frame

In the long layout we have placed the 26 Shotokan kata the overall size is 1435 x 266mm.

Not all organisations will practice all of them so you will have the option to e.g. change Shotokan to your dojo or association, add a logo or remove a kata etc.

This image shows the left side of the board.

This image shows the centre of the board.

This image shows the Right side of the board with Shotokan as a title.

The Shotokan Mokuroku / Makki in black Aluminium frame

So this is our version of a scroll (Makki) mounted in a curved black aluminium frame with a clear plastic protective face. The frames are drilled for fixing to the wall and the scroll and the plastic film is just clipped back into the frame. This is the same framing material we used for the modular curved nafudakake (members name boards).

Available with a buff or grey parchment background - overall size 1100 x 150mm

Close ups of the buff background mokuroku

Close ups of the grey background mokuroku

Again - Not all organisations will practice all of them so you will have the option to e.g. change Shotokan to your dojo or association, add a logo or remove a kata etc.

Chosen kana / kanji

We have extensively researched and selected what we believe to be recognised kana / kanji for each kata. Many kata borrow the name from the Okinawan name, which also might use a weapons name, the Fuzhou language, Southern Min (Fujian) language or go further back and use the Chinese standard language.

We have used translations that are verified over a number of sources, but there are many other translations used. So if your group uses a different set of kanji for a name or uses the katakana we are happy to customise to your requirements.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

Top Tip

"Click" to go to - Kun and Mokuroku section shop page

If you are accessing this site on your phone you may wish to view the "Web version" and access the menu in the side-bar to navigate. Just scroll down for the link.