Forums > Technical Discussion > Need help with Japanese Weapons
Login/Join to ParticipateMember
16 posts
Location: Sydney, Australia
I have been trying to find the name of a Japanese (I believe) weapon. It is like the standard Fire Poi, a long ball chain, say about 3/4 - 1 metre, but it has a 3-4 Inch blade on the end of it, and some fibres between the chain and the blade.
Trying to give you a picture, take your fire poi, grab one of those fluffy dusters, grab about 5-6 inches of it, stick it on the end of the chain, then go grab a knife and stick that on the end.
I once saw it on television, but cant remember what the name was. Can anyone help me with this?
a) Those who can, Do It.
b) Those who know, Post It.
c) Those who can't, Read It.
d) Those with ego's, Argue It.
Might be a kyoketsu-shoge? Try doing a google search for that! But that has a blade with another blade curving out an angle from it.
Cheers!
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
sounds like kusari gama
First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica
" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."
Yeh, could be that! The first time I saw it used with fire was by Hatsumi-sensei of the Bujinclowns. Does the one end look like a sickle? An alternate spelling is kusari-gama. Of course, to be authentic, you will have to dress in a kabuki outfit and pretend you are a Ninja!!!
Cheers!
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
yep yep..first time I saw it was GymKata!!
What are the Bujinclowns? First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica
" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."
That was such a hokey movie. The star in that was a former olympic-gymnast. He talked about opening Gymkata schools across the country. Whatever happened to him???
Bujinkan.(Bujinclowns)
Hatsumi is a con man who claims to be the head of a school of Ninjutsu going back 3000 years or whatever. Although they've changed it, its no longer Ninjutsu, but Budo Taijutsu. Tenth Dan wasn't high enough, so he added another five degrees of black-belt. Was all very big in the 80's with the Ninja craze! 1,015 posts
Location: Austin TX USA
It's kusari-gama (hyphen optional). Literally means "chain-sickle." Not to be confused with a popsicle.
Laugh while you can, monkey-boy
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
sounds typical of all the ninjitsu nonsense, it's not even a real art, technically. Simply adaptations of koryu, sensationalized and fooling too many people in believing it's an individual school, separate from many classical japanese martial arts with roots and traditions just as deep. Adam, I don't know if you're still in tokyo, but enlighten us as to what a typical japanese citizen would say if you asked about a ninja, or where one could study to become one.
First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica
" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."
2,364 posts
Location: austin,tx
they'd say, "what? cowboys are way cooler, pardner"
as far as i know "ninja" just means "samurai doing naughty un-bushido stuff with a cute mask on"
brings up the image of the old school movie "red" ninjas versus the "white" ninjasthere's about two seconds of kusara kama in the matrix 2 fight scene at the merovingian's room
guy spins and catches em pretty well but then goes in for a totally weak arse attack... what was he thinking? gotta try to get neo with a horizontal half wrap attack at least 
-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing
-Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
-When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.
1,015 posts
Location: Austin TX USA
I couldn't say for sure, but I'm pretty confident that ninja in Japan have the same kitsch value that they have in the USA. There are probably some adolescent boys who get caught up in ninja-fever, and they're a good action-movie fixture, but that's about it. I wouldn't be surprised if 90% of the mystique surrounding ninja was concocted by Westerners who wouldn't know a ninja if they tripped over one. Ask a Japanese person "where can I study to become a ninja" and they'll laugh at you. The only references I've seen to ninja in Japan in recent history are in bad action flicks and cartoony stationery for children.
Laugh while you can, monkey-boy
Member
16 posts
Location: Sydney, Australia
ok its almost like a kusari gama, cept it doesnt have a sickle on the end, its literally like a dagger, aka as you swing you would shank your opponent (CS talk hehe) or cut through their flesh with the swing.
a) Those who can, Do It.
b) Those who know, Post It.
c) Those who can't, Read It.
d) Those with ego's, Argue It.
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
I heard a reference to that, once as this art was perhaps one precursor to poi. All I can say is that it is japanese, practised by royalty, and less than a century old, as far as I've heard
First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica
" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."
1,015 posts
Location: Austin TX USA
What Thunder is describing sounds like a " rope dart," a Chinese martial-arts weapon.
Laugh while you can, monkey-boy
It does sound like rope dart, except for the cutting thru' flesh description. Hmmmm.....
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA
kusari-sama??
Q:What's the difference between the Great Highland Bagpipes and the Northumbrian Pipes?
A:The Great Highland Pipes burn longer.
1,148 posts
Location: Seattle, WA
and the chain was around 1 meter..Rope dart the rope starts out at around 14 feet
First intention, then enlightenment..
Ars Pyronomica
" Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined."
Member
16 posts
Location: Sydney, Australia
Adam your a genius. Thanks all
a) Those who can, Do It.
b) Those who know, Post It.
c) Those who can't, Read It.
d) Those with ego's, Argue It.
© 1998 - 2025 Home of Poi
All prices converted to United States dollars using XE.com