Polypropylene sai

[J. Pickard]

Has anyone ever used the polypropylene training sai? Just wondering how easy they transition from reverse to forward grip. I require my students to purchase their own weapons for the class but figured the poly sai are cheap and I could probably stock up on a few of those until students can get their own so they aren't left out while waiting on shipping. But if they cant practice handling with them it hardly seems worth it.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Not sure why you'd want a plastic sai. (I've never heard of them, except for kid's ninja turtle Halloween costume. Are you doing bo/bokken-sai kumite with them? If not, there are cheap metal ones with rounded points that should work for practice (the only danger is dropping one on your toe). Plus, due to the lighter weight, transitions will likely be slow and awkward as you noted.

I'm not a fan of fake weapons (knife training an exception, except for when I was young with less sense), but I'm old school. An element of danger is always good to keep one on their toes. IMO, one should be more advanced before taking on most TMA weapons as they are more difficult to wield. Aside from all the empty hand basics required, there is the extra weight as well as additional wrist manipulations involved.

 

[J. Pickard]

Not sure why you'd want a plastic sai. (I've never heard of them, except for kid's ninja turtle Halloween costume. Are you doing bo/bokken-sai kumite with them? If not, there are cheap metal ones with rounded points that should work for practice (the only danger is dropping one on your toe). Plus, due to the lighter weight, transitions will likely be slow and awkward as you noted.

I'm not a fan of fake weapons (knife training an exception, except for when I was young with less sense), but I'm old school. An element of danger is always good to keep one on their toes. IMO, one should be more advanced before taking on most TMA weapons as they are more difficult to wield. Aside from all the empty hand basics required, there is the extra weight as well as additional wrist manipulations involved.

I agree that the real deal is best, but I cant afford to stock up on real sai for all of my students so often we have students ready to join the class but can't because its gonna be a week or two until their own sai are shipped and delivered. The idea is if the polypropylene ones, like the ones from century has listed as "trainers" are just good enough to get started for a week or two, then those are cheap enough I can buy and provide them until my student's sai are delivered. But if you cant even practice basic handling with them then I don't see the point which is why I ask if anyone hase ever used them.

 

[isshinryuronin]

I agree that the real deal is best, but I cant afford to stock up on real sai for all of my students so often we have students ready to join the class but can't because its gonna be a week or two until their own sai are shipped and delivered. The idea is if the polypropylene ones, like the ones from century has listed as "trainers" are just good enough to get started for a week or two, then those are cheap enough I can buy and provide them until my student's sai are delivered. But if you cant even practice basic handling with them then I don't see the point which is why I ask if anyone hase ever used them.

If these are going to be your in-house weapons just for temporary beginner use, it should be OK until the students get their own real thing. Something is better than nothing in the short term. I learned the longest kata in my system with a 4 ft. plastic broom handle, though I did have a lot of prior bo experience. Along this same line, I also practice weapons kata without weapons, finding it very beneficial, but I wouldn't teach it that way.

 

[drop bear]

If you have an issue it would be a weight issue. I have a poly great sword which is fine. But too forwards weighted.

People have fixed this by jamming some metal in the pomel.

 

[Dirty Dog]

If you have an issue it would be a weight issue. I have a poly great sword which is fine. But too forwards weighted.

People have fixed this by jamming some metal in the pomel.

Balance point is VERY personal, as well. So what you think is too forwards I might well find just peachy.

 

[hoshin1600]

A little off topic but if your a school, why would you not buy weapons wholesale and sell them to your students?

 

[J. Pickard]

A little off topic but if your a school, why would you not buy weapons wholesale and sell them to your students?

I'm not looking to make money off of items, especially when the same product is cheaper than wholesale on Amazon. I also don't have a sales tax license.

 

[HighKick]

Has anyone ever used the polypropylene training sai? Just wondering how easy they transition from reverse to forward grip. I require my students to purchase their own weapons for the class but figured the poly sai are cheap and I could probably stock up on a few of those until students can get their own so they aren't left out while waiting on shipping. But if they cant practice handling with them it hardly seems worth it.

Are you concerned the difference in weight would be an issue? As for price, the cheapest I have ever seen were made of rubber.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Has anyone ever used the polypropylene training sai? Just wondering how easy they transition from reverse to forward grip. I require my students to purchase their own weapons for the class but figured the poly sai are cheap and I could probably stock up on a few of those until students can get their own so they aren't left out while waiting on shipping. But if they cant practice handling with them it hardly seems worth it.

I have not, but I can imagine not wanting sai like that. Learning to open and close the sai correctly is a basic skill, and that requires the ability to use the weight of the sai to 'flip' (I hate that word, but it's appropriate here) the sai from open to closed.

I'm not sure what function plastic sai would serve in any case. Standard cheap metal sai are readily available, and beginner training doesn't require bashing them against anything.

I could be wrong about the weight and balance of polypropylene sai, so feel free to disregard.

 

[Flying Crane]

Has anyone ever used the polypropylene training sai? Just wondering how easy they transition from reverse to forward grip. I require my students to purchase their own weapons for the class but figured the poly sai are cheap and I could probably stock up on a few of those until students can get their own so they aren't left out while waiting on shipping. But if they cant practice handling with them it hardly seems worth it.

I’m not a fan of training with mock weaponry unless it is a genuine safety issue. Even then, there are ways around the safety issue that still gives you the feel, weight, and performance of the real thing. For example, using a sword made from quality steel with a solid hilt, with the simple modification of rounded edges and point. The weapon is real but the danger of a serious cut from poor handling during the learning process is all but eliminated.

Sai do not have a sharp edge, and the point can be ground down and rounded to minimize the chance of injury. If it is just a matter of waiting on shipping, then let them wait. In my opinion, if you want to learn the weapon, you need to own the weapon with appropriate safety modifications. It should not be the teacher’s responsibility to provide weapons for use during class time.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

When you're looking at a multi-year endeavor, a week of waiting isn't going to kill anyone. You could also let them know in advance that they're getting close to that level; ie: if they can do it after X months of training or Y belt, tell them X-1 months of training or Y-1 belt that they'll be starting at X/Y.

 

[FarmerPrince]

Has anyone ever used the polypropylene training sai? Just wondering how easy they transition from reverse to forward grip. I require my students to purchase their own weapons for the class but figured the poly sai are cheap and I could probably stock up on a few of those until students can get their own so they aren't left out while waiting on shipping. But if they cant practice handling with them it hardly seems worth it.

I have played around with those in the past. I found them great. Fun. Substantial. And of course easy to get hold of and legal to transport so convenient for lessons. I wouldn’t have thought it a bad idea to stock up on them so you’ve always got spares to hand.