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WABUKAN Arsenal · Other blades · India

Bagh nakh (tiger claw)

A claw-like weapon from the Indian subcontinent with four or five curved blades on a crossbar, worn over the knuckles or hidden in the palm.

Bagh nakh (tiger claw)
Bagh nakh (tiger claw) WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

bagh nakh, vagh nakh, vagh nakhya (“tiger’s claw”); bichuwa bagh nakh; sher-panja (Nihang variant)

Origin and history

Its first appearance is disputed. Rajput clans used poisoned bagh nakh for assassinations, and its best-known use was by the Maratha ruler Shivaji, who killed the Bijapur general Afzal Khan with a bichuwa and a bagh nakh. It is popular among the Nihang Sikhs, who wear it in their turbans and may hold one in the left hand while using a sword in the right. Wrestlers also used it in naki ka kusti, “claw wrestling”, which survived under British rule; a visitor to Baroda in 1864 described it as one of the raja’s favourite entertainments.

Martial arts that use it

Seen in traditional practice, historical reenactment and demonstrations; no art page on WABUKAN yet.

Construction

Four or five curved blades fixed to a crossbar or glove. The earliest had no finger loops, only round holes punched through the central plate. Variants include two hinged plates with an extra loop and claw for the thumb, and the bichuwa bagh nakh, with a spike or blade on one end based on the bichuwa “scorpion” dagger.

Basic techniques

Training

Short-blade training starts with trainers made of wood, aluminium or rubber. Students drill angles of attack, grips (forward and reverse), checking the opponent’s arm and footwork, then flow drills with a partner. Live blades are kept for solo forms by experienced practitioners, if at all.

Safety

Use training knives for all partner work and eye protection for fast drills. Never mix live and training blades in the same session, store blades sheathed and out of reach of children.

Legality (general information)

Swords, knives and other edged weapons are regulated very differently from country to country (and sometimes from region to region): owning one at home is often allowed, while carrying it in public, buying it under a certain age or importing it may be restricted or banned. Practitioners usually transport them cased, out of reach and straight between home and dojo. This is general information, not legal advice: check the law where you live.

Did you know?

After the 1946 Direct Action Day riots, Bengali Hindu schoolgirls began wearing a sharp weapon like the bagh nakh for self-defence.

More weapons

Emeici (Emei piercers) Wind-and-fire wheels Sai Kama Deer horn knives Karambit

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Bagh nakh