Karate school pleads for help after theft of priceless family heirloom
By Cecil Hannibal
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SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — Zen Martial Arts in East Sacramento was broken into over the weekend, resulting in the theft of a valuable Japanese sword and family heirloom.
Sacramento police responded to 48th and J streets around 9 a.m. Saturday morning.
The sword is an heirloom of the George family, whose son has been a student at the dojo for years.
The item, which dates back to the 1600s, was passed down from his great-grandfather, Chitoshi Yanaga, who was one of the first Asian Americans to receive tenure at an Ivy League school and helped the U.S. intercept messages from Japan during World War II. Yanaga bought the sword in Japan at an antique shop in a subway station in the 1950s.
The family said the plan was for Sensei Mike Oliver to present the sword to their son once he becomes a black belt.
The dojo has a security system, but it didn’t capture the suspect’s face. Mike Oliver, the owner, said he didn’t get any notifications from the system until police were already at the scene.
He’s now pleading with the public to find the person responsible, saying, “We’re trying everything we’ve contacted, of course, pawn shops, antique dealers, sword groups, anywhere where it might turn up, ” said Mike Oliver.
The sword is appraised to be worth $4,000 to $6,000, but the George family emphasized that it’s not about the money, saying it’s about what the sword means to their family.
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