Chain weapon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A chain weapon is a weapon made of one or more heavy objects attached to a chain, sometimes with a handle. The flail was one of the more common types of chain weapons associated with medieval Europe, although some flails used hinges instead of chains.

In Japan[]

Various chain weapons were used in feudal Japan. Recognised fighting arts with such weapons include gekigan-jutsu (using a ball and chain), chigiriki-jutsu (using a ball and chain on a short stick), and kusarigama-jutsu (employing a chain-ball-sickle weapon).[1] Ninja were expert at handling kusari-gama, the composite sickle and chain with a ball being small enough to be easily concealed, and which was used to haul an enemy close enough to be dispatched by a thrust or slash of the razor-sharp kama.[2] The shoge was a ring with a sickle-like knife on a chain that could be used to pierce armor, grapple, and to entangle the legs of man and horse. The chigiriki was a staff with a weighted chain on the end. The manriki-gusari was a double weighted chain. The nunchaku was a short chain with two short wooden sticks on the ends, although it was principally a farming tool rather than a weapon, at least until much later.

Gallery[]

  • Asian chain whip.

  • Japanese sickle weapon with a chain and iron weight attached "kusari gama"

  • Russian flails, 18 cent.

  • Russian flail, 16 cent.

  • Antique Japanese chain weapon "manriki"

  • Japanese tetsu chigiriki, a hollow iron cane that has an iron weight attached to a chain hidden inside.

  • Nunchaku (nunchuck)

  • Meteor hammer.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Draeger, D.F. & Smith, R.W. (1969) Asian Fighting Arts, p.83. Kodansha International, Tokyo. ISBN 0-87011-079-9
  2. ^ Draeger, D.F. & Smith, R.W. (1969) Asian Fighting Arts, p.127. Kodansha International, Tokyo. ISBN 0-87011-079-9
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