Throwing Sai

[Assassin_with_sais]

Can anyone here throw a sai so that it just goes stright through the air with no spinning or anything? If so, is there a specific method to doing it?

[tommarker]

Daredevil was just a movie, friend.

 

Seriously. If you were to throw a sai, it would either be just like a knife (overhead/underhand with spin) or with a flick of the wrist downward such as in Kusanku no sai.

 

Throwing it like a dart would be... weird, and I imagine the weight would cause the butt end to sink.

[Pacificshore]

I would imagine being hit by any part of a flying Sai would hurt like heck

[Assassin_with_sais]

So there's no way at all to make it go like that? I would love to experiment but I can't work up the nerve. I'm too afraid I'll break my sai.

[ovine king]

there are three ways of doing this.

 

actually, there are more but they are more like variations of these three.

 

the first doesn't involve throwing them.

 

what you do is have a sai already stuck into its target.

 

the first shot would be of the thrower, doing the throwing action.

 

then you either cut to the target with sai in it, or do a quick pan to the target.

 

this gives the impression of a straight flight sai throw and hitting target.

 

sound effects help greatly.

 

(variations include having a pop out sai on the targetso you can pan camera to target and in a clean shot have the sai 'appear' after the camera pan)

 

the second involves having a guide wire on which the sai can track.

 

for better results, you need quite a good pulling system behind it to ensure that you get a dead straight 'flight'.

 

you'd also need custom made hollow sai.

 

a bit dangerous as sometimes, the sai movement isn't 100% perfect.

 

(variations include camera view down the sai as it travels.

 

think robin hood: prince of thieves...)

 

the third is the moder hi-tech spec way.

 

you'll need a decent digital camera/video camera, a decent pc, a 3d modelling program, video editing program and a graphics/image manipulating program

 

eg. 3DSMax/Maya, Premiere and Photoshop.

 

with this set-up you can do whatever you want with the sai AND the camera. this sounds a bit complicated but in practice, it's easy if you spend sufficient time preparing the set, props camera (matching shots+continuity).

 

(infinite possiblities with this set up)

 

for low budget and quick productions, the first method works very well using bare minimum equipment.

[harleyt26]

I know originaly the sai were carried in sets of three so that one could be thrown.But I do not know anybody that has purchased a set of three and I do not know any supplier that sells them like that.I am sure you could have a set custom made to do that though.But I would have to question the strategy of throwing a perfectly good weapon and possibly a defence you may wish you had if you miss your throw.In the kata that Ryu Kyu Kobudo practices that throws the sai,the throw is done at the lead foot of your opponent.The throw is made by the handle and is a very short throw no flip because it only covers a very short distance.I do know that Mr. Carbones "Agena sai" can be purchased tempered for throwing,maybe he sells them in sets of three.I bet that would be quite expensive though.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Sai being carried in sets of three to me is yet another one of those common myths. Once again, the metal would be awfully expensive. In regards to outfitting a law-enforcement force, having every person carry three would be quite expensive. In fact, it seems to me more likely that they used two or even just one sai.

 

Most sai throws in kata are done at relatively short distances. The balance should be conducive to throwing towards the ground, anyway.

[JaseP]

As for throwing,... it has been said that many times the third sai was attached to a long leather lanyard so that it could be retreived after being thrown...

 

This I read in George Parulski's Art of Kobudo Weapons, something like 20 years ago...

[Jamiethe hitmanHarris]

I have Fumio Demura's book and can tell you that sai were for growing rice and when the farmers were invaded they carried sai in three's.

[Shorin Ryuu]

Right. The myth of farmers fending off rampaging samurai is just that. A myth. The Satsuma samurai subjugated Okinawa rather quickly.

 

And the thing about the rice, it doesn't make much sense. First of all, having three of them at a time, as I said would be awfully expensive. What's more, if they were used for rice, they would be used only one at a time. In order for them to have three, that would mean that you would have 2 extra "rice hole makers" for every person in addition to the one they already have. That doesn't make any sense now, does it?

 

I've found nothing in support of the "rice-planting" myth other than stubborn insistence on legend. Some people probably aren't even lying; they honestly believe it.

 

The sai (which has variants) existed in forms before they were imported into Okinawa. They were all weapons.