Nunti: 貫手棒 (Trident Spear)
The nunti-bō (貫手棒, also called nuntisai or simply nunti / ヌンティ) is a spear-like weapon with a manji-sai (卍釵) head at the tip. It is a traditional tool passed down in the Matayoshi family, combining the reach of a spear with the trapping capabilities of a sai.
Physical Characteristics
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | ~150 cm (five-shaku spear) |
| Head | Manji-sai (卍釵) - trident with one tine curved up, one down |
| Shaft | Hardwood or bamboo (traditional) |
| Usage | Thrusting, trapping, and disarming |
Historical Origins
Matayoshi Family Transmission
A modern Japanese explanation from 龍ケ崎光道館 describes nunti‑bō (貫手棒) as a traditional tool passed down in the Matayoshi family, with strong similarity to Chinese three‑prong spears called 虎叉 (ko‑sa) known since the Three Kingdoms era.
According to Shinpo Matayoshi, nunti‑bō has been transmitted since the early Ryukyu Kingdom. The original form combined a bamboo staff with a concealed nunti‑sai: the metal nunti‑sai was hidden inside the staff and thrown at the opponent's weapon, after which the remaining staff was used like a spear.
Chinese Connections
揆奮館's essay ties nunti to Chinese Wubeizhi's 叉武 and describes the Ryukyuan version as a five‑shaku spear with a manji‑sai head, used both for thrusting and for sophisticated trapping and disarming, thus bridging spear‑ and sai‑based tactics.
According to Japanese Wikipedia, nunti may have originated from fishing harpoons (もり). Nunti techniques are transmitted in the Kinkō-ryū lineage.
Tactical Applications
The nunti is unique in bridging spear and sai tactics:
- Thrusting: The spear shaft provides reach and penetrating power
- Trapping: The manji-sai head can catch and immobilize weapons like a standard sai
- Disarming: The asymmetric tines create sophisticated locking opportunities
- Throwing: The original concealed design allowed the metal head to be thrown as a projectile
This combination makes the nunti one of the most technically demanding weapons in the Ryukyu kobudo corpus.
Kata
ODKs's "Okinawa Traditional Kobudō" kata list includes 鐘川のティンベー（カニガーヌティンベー）and ヌンティー, explicitly listing nunti as one of the "other weapons" and citing Okinawa Karate Kobudo Jiten as its reference.
The nunti kata are primarily preserved in the Matayoshi Kobudo tradition, which includes this weapon as part of its expanded curriculum beyond the Taira eight weapons.
Sources
- 龍ケ崎光道館 — YouTube: Matayoshi family transmission, Chinese 虎叉 (ko-sa) similarity, Three Kingdoms era, Shinpo Matayoshi's account of early Ryukyu Kingdom transmission, concealed nunti-sai in bamboo staff design
- 琉球古武道武器術 — 揆奮館流武術: Chinese Wubeizhi 叉武 connection, five-shaku spear with manji-sai head description, bridging spear and sai tactics
- ODKs — Okinawa Traditional Kobudō: Kata list including ヌンティー, reference to Okinawa Karate Kobudo Jiten
- 琉球古武術 — Japanese Wikipedia: Nunti as spear-like weapon with manji-sai (卍釵) tip, fishing harpoon (もり) origin theory, Kinkō-ryū lineage transmission
- Matayoshi Kobudo — Wikipedia: Matayoshi family weapons curriculum, nunti-bō/nuntisai as part of expanded kobudo tradition
- Okinawan kobudō — Wikipedia: Weapons beyond the Taira eight, Matayoshi additions