Sai Question

[KonstantinosK]

Hello

I ordered 2 sais 4 days ago from Amazon. These:
http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Claw-Inc...194335?ie=UTF8

But...I searched the whole internet to find training videos about sais and I fount nothing.

Question: Do you know where can I download training videos (kata) or books about mastering sai???

Thank you very much

P.S.: In about 2 months I'll go to the Greek army for 1 year. No internet, no nothin! So if you find videos about sais, tell me from where can I download "time" to practice! He...!

[Katie]

Hello again


These guys sell training videos on alot of Martial arts subjects. Might try there. (I used to purchase supplies for my dojang) They have videos on all the weapons if I remember right.

[Buslady]

Number one: Sai ain't toys. You can't just learn them off a video and think you're all hot shot. You must learn from an actual sensei, who can show you the proper way of handling them. But that's not before learning the empty hand arts then you climb the stairs to get to that level of proficiency and earn the right to learn to use weapons.

I don't study, but I don't go around playing with my sai, they are only apart of my collection.

That book in the link, kinda pinkish printed cover...by Fumio Demura...he's a local sensei over in Santa Ana, around the corner from the bus yard! woohoo! I have that book.

[KonstantinosK]

Ahh thank you Katie!

I HAVE to find time to practice or...in army others will fight with guns and I will fight with sais!!!

Thanks again Katie !

[Katie]

yep, you're right there, Buslady. I was a second degree blackbelt in Kobudo before I was allowed to work with sai.

Any weapon should be used with respect

[Peanut]

Unless it's a glock, gangsta! I'll teach mofo's respect wit dat! Know wut I'm sayin'? BANG BANG!

[KonstantinosK]

Originally Posted by Peanut

Unless it's a glock, gangsta! I'll teach mofo's respect wit dat! Know wut I'm sayin'? BANG BANG!

Got it!

Nut peanut!

[Katie]

*twitches a little*
Damn! I never was good at going up against firearms!!!!

*falls to the ground dying, blood all around*
I never got to see Paris...

*dies*

[KonstantinosK]

Originally Posted by Katie

*twitches a little*
Damn! I never was good at going up against firearms!!!!

*falls to the ground dying, blood all around*
I never got to see Paris...

*dies*

Hahahahaha!!!

[Dinny]

Originally Posted by KonstantinosK

P.S.: In about 2 months I'll go to the Greek army for 1 year. No internet, no nothin! So if you find videos about sais, tell me from where can I download "time" to practice! He...!

One year, file? I only have to do 3-6 months. Still, all my friends in Athens say it's the best experience they've ever had.

[KonstantinosK]

Originally Posted by Dinny

One year, file? I only have to do 3-6 months. Still, all my friends in Athens say it's the best experience they've ever had.

Nai re siii!!!

3-6 months?! Are you gonna pay the generals?!!!

How on earth you'll go only for 3-6 months???!!!

You know...IF there'll be good guys there, it's a sure thing that it'll be ok. But I heard that there are places that still make "kapsonia" there...

That scares me a bit...

(kapsonia=means that an older guy makes you do crazy things. Example: 1)Shave a photo. 2)Hold a building so the wind won't take it away(!) 3)etc...)

[Sewer Bull]

Originally Posted by KonstantinosK

(kapsonia=means that an older guy makes you do crazy things. Example: 1)Shave a photo. 2)Hold a building so the wind won't take it away(!) 3)etc...)

Hmm... That doesn't sound as bad as measuring the whole corridor with a single match or swallowing a coin and singing popular songs requested by our "kapsonias" here.

... shaving a photo? But... how?

[KonstantinosK]

Oh my...

Well, you just put shave cream and you start shaving. Nothin much actually!

But I heard another one. They put someone in a closet, the others throw coins from an opening of the closet and they say: Sing us (example) "My Heart Will Go On". And he starts to sing(!). They throw another coin and then they say: Sing us this song (or that).

1 year...it's ooooonly 1 year...!

[Kid A]

I'd suggest getting a teacher as well. Books or videos can work as supplements, but they can never assist you like a teacher does. I guess you want to learn it as a martial art, so it would be helpful to learn Karate before, because Karate and Kobudo are closely related, for example in stances and movements as Demura shows in his book.

Originally Posted by Buslady

But that's not before learning the empty hand arts then you climb the stairs to get to that level of proficiency and earn the right to learn to use weapons.

So you think skill gives you the right to learn using a weapon?

[Buslady]

Originally Posted by Kid A

So you think skill gives you the right to learn using a weapon?

It's a combination of skill, maturity, respect. It's not one thing that earns you the priviledge of learning. I correct my words, not "right" but "priviledge".
Because the sai is an extension of your hand, I beleive you need to learn Karate, Okinawan Karate I believe and you use this along with the use of the sai.

[Anarky]

Originally Posted by Kid A

So you think skill gives you the right to learn using a weapon?

This seems to be the way the martial art-society goes these days. The more colourful your belt gets, the better you must be. And before you can use any weapon, hell, before you're even allowed to pick one up you must master just about every technique there is, no matter how idiotic or tiring. If you ask me, that's idiotic. Sure, it might have worked for over 1000 years, but even back then it was idiotic.

If you want to use a weapon, then I'd say you'd need some basic fighting skills before you pick up your weapon. Then you get a teacher, not a video. Training with videos is, once again, quite idiotic. Then you learn how to use that weapon. End of story. But noooo, in martial arts, you have to be able to win against a three foot, pink alligator with ten teeth and an inflammatory bowel syndrome, before you can pick up a weapon (by, the way, you woulnd't imagine how much the techniques against a three foot, pink alligator with ten teeth and an inflammatory bowel syndrome are from the techniques used against a three foot, blue alligator with ten teeth and an inflammatory bowel syndrome).

[Kid A]

Buslady: Sure you should be aware of what you are capable of doing when you learn a weapon, but in my opinion this has to do absolutely nothing with being high-graduated in any martial arts, though it can be helpful. And being able to do the finest martial arts tricks doesn't mean to get maturity or respect, because in almost every dojo ethics isn't a part of lessons and audit program, to get the next belt.

And a knife is a extension of the hand as well, so is a bat, so is a sword, but you don't actually need to do any martial art before learning how to handle these weapons.

Anarky: The thing is that martial arts isn't self defense anymore. It is either a hunt for belts or a system for right movements. If you're for belts, you'll experience that all your martial art is a show where those shine in their high-handedness whose black is darkest and those with the lightest belts are fascinated by the exclusivity of their school. They reduce themselves to belts, so a humble white belt isn't allowed to know and perform things a grand black belt would do. And because weapons are things for black belts, you don't begin martial arts with a weapon, but with your empty hand. See: empty hand means you've got nothing in your hand, so you don't quickstart with a weapon. 100 years ago when Karate was meaning "Chinese Hand" you maybe were able to, but not anymore.
On the other hands there are the martial arts that concentrate on the part of art and mostly movement. Here it is very important to know how you move and you learn this better if you are not distracted by something you have to whirl in your hands, so the weapons come a tad later, when you learned enough about movement to transfer it into to weapon style. If you wouldn't do this it would be possible that you damage your body by performing movements that are harming your ankles for example.
If you want to do just self defense, you can be thaught that with ot without martial arts, as long as you've got a good teacher you'll learn how to handle a weapon.

[Buslady]

Originally Posted by Kid A

Buslady: Sure you should be aware of what you are capable of doing when you learn a weapon, but in my opinion this has to do absolutely nothing with being high-graduated in any martial arts, though it can be helpful. And being able to do the finest martial arts tricks doesn't mean to get maturity or respect, because in almost every dojo ethics isn't a part of lessons and audit program, to get the next belt.

And a knife is a extension of the hand as well, so is a bat, so is a sword, but you don't actually need to do any martial art before learning how to handle these weapons.

I didnt make myself clear, the respect part was not gaining it for YOURSELF it's you gaining respect for the art and the tools used for the art. The former is just selfish if ya ask me.
Unfortunantely, with all these store-front "dojos" it seems to be a hunt for belts not growth. One of my son's friends is trying to say he's like a step below a black belt, brown I think? I'm like uh huh, sure...this kid is like 11 and to me that says he's going to a rip off, store front "dojo". From what I've learned poking around online, I hope I'm wrong, the majority doesnt teach other than the fighting, all the mind, body & spirit stuff which should be apart of it as a whole.

(crap i got ants in the kitchen,....gotta run!)

[Dinny]

Originally Posted by KonstantinosK

3-6 months?! Are you gonna pay the generals?!!!

Ha! Oxi, re! I live in Britain so I get less time. If I enjoy it, I'll stay on for longer. I'm in Athina right now, though to watch our ethniki win the basketball world cup. Ellas Ole!

[Kid A]

And because most dojos are "store-front dojos", it absolutely isn't about the belts. If I finally got my black belt for the effort that almost all the other dan-bearers have to make, I would be ashamed of it.