A California karate dojo is reeling after a rock-throwing vandal on a bicycle smashed through their window to snatch a priceless piece of Japanese history.
The brazen burglary went down around 3 a.m. last Saturday, at the Zen Martial Arts Center in East Sacramento. Surveillance footage from a neighboring business shows the two-wheeled thief scoping out the J Street studio before lobbing rocks through the front glass to create a makeshift entrance on March 28.
The perpetrator didn’t go for the cash register or the electronics — he had his eyes on the prize: a 17th-century wakizashi samurai sword that has been in the same family for over 400 years.
“It actually belonged to a student, a long-time student,” Mike Oliver, the dojo’s owner, told local outlets. “It was in their family for a long time and they allowed us to display it. In Japan, you can’t export a wakizashi anymore. It’s kind of a cultural heritage, so it’s a special thing.”
The blade — a shorter companion to the traditional katana — was more than just steel to the George family; it was a holy grail. The heirloom belonged to their ancestor, Chitoshi Yanaga, and the family had been waiting for the perfect moment to hand it down to their son: the day he earned his black belt. The sword is reportedly worth between $4,000 and $6,000.
The dojo has been a neighborhood staple since 2009.
Oliver and the George family are now pleading with local pawn shops, antique dealers, and the Sacramento community to keep their eyes peeled for the ancient artifact.
They have also teamed up with the Sacramento Valley Crimestoppers, offering up a $1,000 reward for anyone who can help track down the steel and the dishonorable thief who took it.