THE MANJI SAI

HOW TO HANDLE THE LESSER-KNOWN COUSIN OF THE UBIQUITOUS SAI

- CHRIS THOMAS

Most martial artists, especially those who are into kobudo, are familiar with the sai. Few, however, know the sai's combat cousin, the fighting implement known as the manji sai. Made of steel or iron, the sai has a pointed shaft that's separated from a handle by two tines (yoku in Japanese). At the end of the handle is a pommel, which can have a variety of shapes. In contrast, the manji sai has a metal shaft that's pointed at both ends. The handle constitutes about one-third of the length of the weapon and is marked by a tine and a hook (also called a yoku).

The name "manji sai" comes from the shape suggested by the forward-facing tine and the back-facing hook. Manji is the name of the familiar Buddhist symbol that's often confused with a swastika, which is actually a backward form of the manji. The manji sai is also known as the nunti sai - nunti translates as "piercing hand" but is more appropriately thought of as "piercing implement." It refers to the weapon's use as a piercing device. (Note, however, that some researchers use the terms manji sai and nunti sai to distinguish between two variations of the weapon.)

Martial artists who are familiar with handling the sai (left) might attempt to grip the manji sai (right) in the same fashion. This grip, however, is quite awkward and uncomfortable when used with the manji sai.

Getting a Grip 

Because of the obvious similarities between the sai and manji sai, it should come as no surprise that there's significant overlap in the handling and use of these weapons. Unfortunately, that also has led to some mishandling of the manji sai by those who are accustomed to the conventional sai. The most obvious mistake is in the simple act of gripping.