The sai (Japanese: 釵, lit. 'hairpin'; Chinese: 鐵尺, lit. 'iron ruler') is a pointed melee weapon from Okinawa. It is historically utilized in martial arts such as Okinawan kobudō and southern Chinese martial arts, and has been absorbed into the curriculum of many modern martial arts. The weapon is primarily used for stabbing, striking, parrying and disarming opponents. The sai consists of a pointed metal main prong, that projects from a one-handed handle, two shorter metal side prongs, which project from the opposite sides of the base of the main prong and point in the same direction as it, and a blunt metal pommel fixed to the bottom end of the handle. Okinawan kobudō spread to Japan in the early 20th Century alongside Karate, and it came to international attention when martial arts became popular in the mid-20th Century.
Before its use in Okinawa, similar weapons were already being used in other Asian countries including India, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.[1] The basic concept of the sai may have been brought to Okinawa from one or several of these places over time.[2] Some sources theorize that the weapon may be based on the Indian trisula, an ancient Hindu-Buddhist symbol[3] that may have spread along with Hinduism and Buddhism into South-East Asia.[4] The word trisula itself can refer to either a long or short-handled trident.
In Okinawa the sai was used by the domestic police (ufuchiku) to arrest criminals and for crowd control. Use of the sai in Okinawan kobudō was improved in 1668 by Moto Chohei, an Okinawan prince.[5]
Japan had a similar weapon, the jitte, which was originally used as a blunt weapon by guards in the Shogun's palace, and was subsequently issued to senior officials as a badge of office. Edo period examples of the jitte typically have only a single hook. The relationship between the sai and jitte is unclear.
The sai is a weapon typically wielded in pairs, with one in each hand.[1] In modern Okinawan Kobudo, five kata (choreographed patterns of movements in martial arts) are commonly taught, including two kihon kata.
The utility of the sai is given away by its distinctive trident-like shape. It is a weapon primarily used for fast stabbing and striking, but being very versatile, it has many other uses as well. These include a variety of blocks, parries and captures against attackers from all directions and height levels. Use of the sharp points, the main prong and the pommel is emphasized, as well as rapid grip changes for multiple fast stabs and strikes.
One technique commonly depicted is to use of one of the sai's side prongs to entrap an opponents weapon and then disarm them of it. Some variations of the sai have the two side prongs pointing inwards towards the main prong to facilitate this maneuver. While this does not completely immobilize the attacker, it encumbers them in close quarters.
Because there is no morphological plural in Japanese, the word "sai" refers to either a single weapon or multiple. Nicho sai refers to a kata that uses two sai, while sancho sai kata refers to kata using three sai.