The sai is a metal weapon shaped roughly like a blunt dagger, with a central pointed shaft and two curved prongs, called yoku, projecting near the handle. Traditionally used in pairs and sometimes in a set of three, with a spare tucked into the belt, the sai is one of the classical weapons of Okinawan kobudo, often trained alongside karate.
The prongs of a sai are used to trap and control an opponent's weapon, such as a stick or sword, as well as for striking with the shaft or the base of the handle. Because it has no cutting edge in its traditional metal form, the sai lends itself to blocking and controlling techniques that would be far more dangerous with a bladed weapon, which is part of why it remains a common weapon for structured kobudo training today.
Training sai are available in lighter materials for beginners before moving to heavier metal versions. See our weapons training guide, and the entry on tonfa for a related paired weapon.
