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WABUKAN Arsenal · Flexible weapons · China

Nine-section chain whip

Metal rods joined by rings, with a dart at the end. It can be folded and hidden, then spun at great speed.

Nine-section chain whip
Nine-section chain whip WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

九節鞭 · jiǔ jié biān; seven-section whip

Origin and history

The chain whip is a soft weapon of Chinese martial arts made of jointed steel rods. It became a standard event in modern wushu competition and is admired for fast spinning patterns around the body.

Martial arts that use it

Wushu Taolu Kung Fu

Construction

Usually nine steel rods (sometimes seven) linked by rings, with a handle at one end and a pointed dart at the other, total length around 1.5 m; a cloth flag may be tied to the dart.

Basic techniques

Training

Flexible weapons are learned slowly with foam, rope or rubber versions: first the swings and wraps around the body, then changes of hand and stops, and only later strikes at a target. They punish mistakes on the user first, so speed comes last.

Safety

Start with soft versions, wear eye protection and keep a wide empty circle around you. Check chains, cords and joints before each session: a part that breaks mid-swing becomes a projectile.

Legality (general information)

Sticks, staffs and other impact or flexible weapons are ordinary objects in some countries and restricted weapons in others (several European countries, for example, regulate nunchaku, batons or weighted chains). Carrying one in public without a good reason can be an offence even where owning it is legal. Transport it in a bag and use it in the training hall. This is general information, not legal advice: check local law.

Did you know?

It can be folded small, which made it easy to carry and hide.

More weapons

Three-section staff Urumi Kusarigama Nunchaku Manrikigusari Meteor hammer

Sources

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

  1. Wikipedia — Chain whip