Sai Exercise and Handling
Exercises specific to the sai, and the proper way to handle the sai.
Videos are available: http://www.centuryfitness.com/
Find out more: http://okinawa-budou.org/IOKA/
25 Responses to “Sai Exercise and Handling”
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It’s a separate discipline - both were demonstrated to the Emperor in 1914, karate by Funikoshi Sensei, kobudo by Matayoshi Sensei. Before that, they were largely unknown in Japan.
sais are blunt and unbladed but they ARE sharp enough to impale someone without much effort.
If I may ask, is Okinawan Kobudo an independent martial art, or is it an additional training to karate ? ( I’m not sure if this sentence is written correctly, I’m not a native english speaker so I’m sorry if something’s wrong ^^ )
Yeah right, the gun kata ^^ the movie was Equilibrium.
I have heard sharp sai are sold by those who don’t know their history, but couldn’t tell you who does this, since I have only gotten my 2 different pair through Shihan Bolz, and there is no way she would get the wrong type!
As for Elektra, well, you know how movies (and TV, and comics, etc) are! …Hate to break it to those who believe there really is a gun kata (another movie creation)!
Well, these push-ups seem to be dangerous… ^^ By the way, do sharp sais exist ? I mean, I completely understand why they are blunt and I also know what they where originally used for, but I learned that they are not sharp after watching Daredevil and Elektra ( you know, Jennifer Garner… ) and I just couldn’t imagine her sais were not sharp.
Yes, sai have blunt tips and octagon cross-sections - they were not a weapon of war but for high-ranking officers of the law, so were meant for apprehension, not lethal force (although they can be lethal if needed)
True. I think Americans where I live should take it, not just for self defense (I live in a bad town. 12 year olds have *guns*, though the masters at my school said ‘you can’t fight a gun’ which doesn’t help) but for the whole…obesity problem going on in America today.
BTW, is it true that sais aren’t sharp? Are they supposed to be blunt?
Granted, that’s what was meant, but anyone who takes martial arts to learn to “kick ass” should not even start.
I think what they mean is, it’s interesting to learn martial arts.
learning how to kick ass is cool.
Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know this. They think because it is a weapon it *must* be sharp (which would make it very difficult to stick under the belt as they were usually carried!)
I don’t know why ppl are worried about getting stabbed since real Sai Prongs are dull.
Anything is good to start with and have *something* to hold in your hands to get the feel of. You are probably seeing an aluminum version. Steel is better, and it should have solid welds.
how much is a good pair of sai’s i’ve seen a pair for about $15 is that good or too cheap?
The octagon cross-section allows more possible “edges” to hit the opponent. The cheap ones wear down the grip quickly, the more expensive one from Okinawa has nylon cord wrap that will take decades to wear.
I was just wondering, does it matter if the sai’s main prong is round? Or should it have eights sides to it? Oh, I am assuming they require maintenance, as in replacing the grip whenever it wears out. In that case, could you tell me how often you replace/fix yours?
No. If putting your own body weight on them did, you couldn’t use them as a weapon in the first place.
Doesn’t that wreck your sais putting all that weight on it?
Sai, single or plural, or use zai for the plural. Quality is hard to judge over the internet - Shureido is the company that makes the best ones out of Okinawa, but if you go cheaper, make sure they are steel, and usually the black steel is better than chrome, since the chrome can hide a cheaper heart (like aluminum). That said, my first pair were aluminum anodized with a near-pink red color, and I still learned something with them!
Sai’s sorry. Lol.
How much would a pair of sia’s cost for good quality ones? I see them on ebay as low as 15 to 20 dollars a pair. But I want quality.
This is kobudo, but I would guess that anyone who refers to it as “fight science” probably is not a budoka. This is not something for those involved in mixed martial arts and the like - Shihan Bolz, my sensei, tends to be a purist, separating karate and kobudo classes at the end of warm-ups.
what fight science iss this?
I have very stiff wrists, so I got it in a few months, but people with more pliant joints might still be wobbly by then. Held in proper position, the point is outside the body anyway, so slipping just means you hit the floor.