The sai is a distinctly Okinawan weapon, with a history stretching back to at least the 17th century. Similar weapons found earlier and across Asia. The sai consists of a one-handed handle and a 3-pronged fork. The central prong of the sai projects further than the two side prongs, and a pommel attached to the handle acts as a balancing counterweight. Historically, sai were used for crowd control measures by domestic police in Okinawa and contemporarily they have gained global attention through their use in the practices of Okinawan kobudo and karate.