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Wastelander
Wastelander's picture
Saijutsu - Wrist Lock

Hello, everyone!

While this forum tends to focus on the karate side of things (and so do I), we also work kobudo in our dojo, and we recently had a request from a viewer to show methods for restraining an opponent using the sai. The reason this came up is the historical purpose of the sai as a police weapon on Okinawa, as well as in China--despite the legends of them being farm implements for planting rice, or hitch pins for horse carts :P. The viewer's comments were that they always see striking applications for the sai, but as a police weapon, it would surely have some restraining methods as well. With that in mind, this week's Waza Wednesday takes a look at just that, showing one of the restraints we work with the sai. Of course, since sai are pointy metal weapons, you have to work slowly and carefully, so as not to injure your partner.

Iain Abernethy
Iain Abernethy's picture

I’ve next to no experience with Kobudo – my classical weapons training is limited to Iai-do – but I was taught a sai kata once; and there was something about the weapon that appealed. If nothing else it is a great forearm workout once you’ve flipped them around a few times :-)

This is an interesting technique you show and the empty-hand karateka in me thinks the lock and strike motion looks like a reverse punch (hiki-te / lock and strike / punch).

Thanks for sharing!

All the bes,

Iain

Jr cook
Jr cook's picture

Our school practices applied Kobudo along with our applied Karate. Having some experience with this, and the sai being a personal favorite, I would note that the second variation is far less risky and stronger than the first. You could also enhance the control by working to the elbow of the same arm. Digging in a bit with the point of the guard usually helps with compliance as well!