The sai is a three-pronged truncheon
sometimes mistakenly believed to be a variation on a tool used to create
furrows in the ground.
This is highly unlikely as metal on Okinawa was in short
supply at this time and a stick would have served this purpose more satisfactorily
for a poor commoner, or Heimin.
The sai appears similar to a short sword, but is not
bladed and the end is traditionally blunt. The weapon is metal and of the
truncheon class with its length dependent upon the forearm of the user. The two
shorter prongs on either side of the main shaft are used for trapping (and
sometimes breaking) other weapons such as a sword or bo.
A form known as nunti sai, sometimes called manji
sai (due to its appearance resembling the swastika kanji) has the two shorter
prongs pointed in opposite directions.
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