When I learnt Kusanku Sai I was taught the form using 2 sai (when the thrown sai
was performed you didn’t really throw the sai, rather retained it and then continued
the form).
Years
later I saw it performed at a tournament where the competitor placed a foam block
on the floor and then did the form with 3 sai (the third sai tucked in his obi at
his belt). Then when he came to the throw he actually threw the sai into the foam
block, then reaching behind his back extracted the 3rd sai and continued
the form.
While
I observed that form I did not attempt to practice it that way. Of course after
30 years I was content with what I did). But it was interesting to see.
I realize most did not practice
it this way as many did not have 3 sai, or a foam block for throwing it into. Most
dojo would discourage throwing a sai into the floor. When working out in my yard I did throw
my sai into the ground to learn how that worked out.
I
remember once mentioning this to Sherman Harrill and the way he explained that change
made sense, so this is how I remember that discussion going.
“Originally
the kata was practiced with that throw into the abdomen of an opponent (or rather
toward where their abdomen would be), then the dojo became more crowded and the
sai could not be thrown safely that way. Then the Kusanku Sai throw was changed
to the floor.”
I
can understand that, the stories that the sai throw was into the foot of the attacker
to pin them to the ground I always considered a very strange use for the sai, even
if you were carrying 3 sai. A throw is a high risk move which would not always work,
and who wants to throw their weapon away. But throwing a sai into the body of an
attacker is a sensible move.
So
my question is how many practice Kusanku Sai with 3 sai?
https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2017/10/isshinryu-sai-throw.html
https://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2016/07/throwing-sai.html
Addition 9-30-2022
Tatsuo Shimabuku Kyan No Sai 1958?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y7obnU3r-4
Shimabuku Tatsuo demonstrated Kusanku sai with three sai in
the 1966 film. Here he is throwing a sai into the floor at Steve Armstrong's
dojo.
https://www.youtube./watch?v=WFDcDYIRbgA
2 comments:
Charles Murray - Usually not me. But sometimes I do
Gene Powell - When Master Tatsuo Shimabukuro came to America in his visit to Pittsburgh Pa. he went into a new gym with a beautiful new gym floor and did his Sai Kata sticking one into the nice new gym floor. A sight to be seen for all that were there.
Victor Donald Smith - As I have never had the need to throw sai at anyone, the point is most moot to me. Sai is extremely critical in Isshinryu training, as a supplementary power building exercise, an important karate force enhancer.. Which makes where the sai is thrown less important to me.
Mark Radunz - Harrill Sensei told me the throw was center mass of the opponent and it wasn't intended to stick into the person. Nothing like taking a nice piece of steel to the body to wake you up. He said the stab them in the foot scenario was BS. They started throwing the sai at the ground as they got tired of chasing them down the beach.
Victor Smith – I would never have thrown sai into a tree trunk, of course it might bounce off but more importantly I never wanted to damage trees. However the discussion brought another memory to mind. When Charles was stationed on Okinawa 71,72 and a new shodan, the school was not for the Marines as they had their own dojo on their base then. Instead most of the participants were Okinawans who dropped in after work to train. It was not a beginner dojo then. Charles trained there as much as possible when on the main island. At times all day, but when stationed on another island, when he could fly in once a month for a weekend of training. He studied Chantan Yara No Sai there and often remarked how everyone in the dojo would help him understand the form. Among his other travels there, at one time he visited a Goju dojo, before class he observed the Okinawan students throwing sai to stick them in a tree. So that practice was not Isshinryu’s alone. As for puncturing the abdomen, while possible it was not probably the goal, I would imagine being struck by a sharp piece of thrown metal would give a desired effect in an attacker, whether it penetrated or not.
George Michak
Victor -- Good post. A third sai makes sense, and would be both practical and easily carried in an obi.
While I have worked with sais and tonfa, I have never been particularly fond of either (Gary was quite adept with sais, and my friend Sonny Onoo was a tonfa guy).
As you might recall, my preference was for the bo (and, as you may also recall, I used a real bo). Not to go off on a tangent, but I recall a tournament in Pittsburgh (probably in the early 80s) when I competed with a bo kata and John Hamilton competed with kama.
Before the division started, he told my instructor, Joe Brague (who was the center judge), that he had a surprise for him. During his kata, John threw both kama toward the middle judge. Both were connected to his wrists by tethers that were several feet long.
He drew them back and completed the form holding the weapons in his hands. It was eye-opening and impressive (particularly on the early 80s).
The fact that I won the division did not diminish the skill necessary to perform as John Hamilton did that day.
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