One Minute Bunkai: Saijutsu #2- Gyakute Mochi Jodan Uke - Ufuchiku Ryu

One Minute Bunkai: Saijutsu #2- Gyakute Mochi Jodan Uke - Ufuchiku Ryu (Reverse Grip High block). The high block using the Sai in Kata is easy to do, but when blocking nothing but air one does not understand how it works. The Ufuchiku Style passed down from Kanagusuku Sanda, who was a high ranking law enforcement officer in Okinawa left us a legacy of knowledge on how to use these marvelous weapons based on real police arresting techniques from ancient times. The Sai is a short and secondary weapon used primarily to disarm and arrest criminals, but against a Bo you have a huge disadvantage thus you must know exactly how to use it because a Bo can take you apart even with the Sai. People think that if you have a pair of Sai that makes you equal to an opponent with a Bo, but this is not the case. A Sai bearer is always at a disadvantage of at least 2:1 ratio and even more if going against a true Bo master. You never want to accept 100% of the power and penetration of a Bo, it can break your Sai and your hands, therefore one must employ "deflection" methods at all cost in order to stay in an unbroken state.
One must practice receiving strikes, if one desires to do more than just play and do Kata against "imaginary" opponents. One cannot rely on imagination forever or you will be a weapons expert only in your imagination. Add some realism and a little danger/challenge to your weapons practice. I use 1 inch bamboo to replace a wooden for safety, but it is still dangerous and it is a beginning to true understanding. Also the Sai available today will break apart, that is another reason not to use a real Bo. It can get very expensive. If you see a real pair of Sai used 100 or more years ago they are very heavy and thick, unlike the little toothpicks used today.