I did this experience with my 11 year old son and we both really enjoyed it. As well as learning a bit about the history of samurai and katana, you get the opportunity to learn to handle a katana, learning how to unsheath and sheath it (harder than it looks!), and then moving on to the basic moves, finishing with a change to try cutting a rolled up tatami using a 400 year-old sword. It was one of our more memorable experiences in Japan and we also got some great photos to remember it by.

There are lots of places in Kyoto where tourists can take a Samurai lesson and chop a tatami matt in half. But this Samurai Juku the real deal. The sensei is a Samurai Master, with a lineage half a millennium long. I used a sword that was 400 years old. I learned how to sheathe and unsheathe my sword without cutting my hand off (not as easy as it looks), and the importance of technique over brute force. Moreover, I was taught something about Samurai tradition and culture. And yes, at the end, I cut a tatami matt in half. All in all, it was the highlight of my trip to Kyoto.

My experience was an excellent introduction to japanese history,particularly that of bushido. I was able to ask many questions,and got to handle an authentic,real katana. Wish the session was longer.