Sai History and Selection

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An introduction to the sai, with historical background and proper size selection.

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Channel: Sports
Uploaded: January 2, 2007 at 12:46 am
Author: hempev

Length: 00:09:59
Rating: 4.85
Views: 52785

Tags: Shihan Nishiuchi tutorial sai zai kobudo kobudou okinawan weapons bunkai martial arts Elektra

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Video Comments:
buslady (January 6, 2009 at 2:34 pm)
i love this video. i refer TMNT fans to this when they call Raph's zai "Sai's" ...hehe
cyraxofsubterra (December 26, 2008 at 1:13 am)
i was given a pair of zai for christmas. this video was a lot of help
ninjagambit (November 8, 2008 at 5:32 pm)
thank for the info
UberGameNerds1234 (October 19, 2008 at 4:38 pm)
I thought it was incorrect to say that sai came from Japan and that you actually had to say, that they came from Okinawa because at the time Okinawa was not a part of Japan.
hempev (October 19, 2008 at 8:38 pm)
That's right - Okinawa has been influenced by both China and Japan for centuries, annexed as a Japanese prefecture in 1879, and under U.S. control from 1945 until 1972 (although the U.S. still has a large military contingent there), but Okinawans have a culture separate from Japan, and kobudo and karate are wholly Okinawan creations.

The sai may be similar to other weapons, such as the jutte, but there are details that show it has evolved on its own.
flying3692 (September 11, 2008 at 3:25 pm)
i would like to extend my thanks for the videos you continue to post. they are very informative and teach accurate technique without much of the flash many modern practicioners stress.
cowluver2 (September 9, 2008 at 3:09 pm)
Are all of your Sai from Shureido USA?
I just bought a Black Iron Sai from them and just wondering if thats how it is going to look like

And you dont have to be a Sensei to buy them they just talk to you on the phone on what you want.
hempev (September 9, 2008 at 5:09 pm)
I didn't order mine myself, but it's probably not a problem if you don't have a sensei, just the legality of walking around with them! The black steel version is the most authentic, but Shihan uses their chrome model for visibility in the videos - both have the same cord-wrapped grips (much nicer than fake leather!)
and003 (August 21, 2008 at 7:08 pm)
Let me see if I have this straight:

If there is just one sai, you say 'Sai' with an 'S' whereas if there is more than one you say 'Zai' with a 'Z'?

Hmmm ... you learn something new every day.
hempev (August 21, 2008 at 10:32 pm)
That's right - otherwise, you can't make a plural in Japanese.