Sai

The sai is a weapon found predominantly in Okinawa. Sai are often believed to have originated as an agricultural tool used to measure stalks, plow fields, plant rice, or to hold cart wheels in place, though the evidence for this is limited. Another belief, perhaps not as widely held, is that they were modeled after the San-Ku-Chu. Its basic form is that of an unsharpened dagger, with two long, unsharpened projections (tsuba) attached to the handle. The very end of the handle is called the knuckle. Sai are constructed in a variety of forms. Some are smooth, while others have an octagonal middle prong. The tsuba are traditionally symmetrical, however, the Manji design developed by Taira Shinken employs oppositely facing tsuba.


 * Sai**

The jitte is the one-pronged Japanese equivalent to the (Okinawan) sai, and was used predominantly by the Japanese police during the Edo period. It is a featured weapon in the curriculum of several Japanese Jujutsu and koryu schools.



media type="youtube" key="ffUk3naQTys"

media type="youtube" key="F67xKzIOtNg"