Sai (weapon)

The sai is a three-pronged melee weapon from Okinawa, historically used in martial arts such as Okinawan kobudo and southern Chinese martial arts and since absorbed into the curriculum of many modern martial arts. It is primarily used for striking, parrying and disarming opponents, and consists of a metal main prong projecting from a one-handed handle, two shorter metal side prongs projecting from opposite sides of the base of the main prong, and a blunt metal pommel fixed to the bottom of the handle. It came to international attention when Okinawan kobudo and karate reached international popularity in the mid-20th century.