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WABUKAN Arsenal · Flexible weapons · Japan

Manrikigusari

A short chain with a weight at each end, credited to Masaki Toshimitsu, an 18th-century guard of Edo Castle.

Also known as

万力鎖 · kusari-fundō; manriki

Origin and history

The manrikigusari, a short weighted chain, is credited to Masaki Toshimitsu, an 18th-century swordsman and gate guard of Edo Castle, who wanted a weapon that could subdue an attacker without spilling blood at the castle gate. His school became the Masaki-ryū.

Martial arts that use it

Jujutsu Ninjutsu

Construction

A chain of about 30–90 cm with a small weight at each end, easy to hide in the hand or the sleeve.

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?

The name means “chain with the strength of ten thousand men”.

More weapons

Meteor hammer Rope dart Nine-section chain whip Three-section staff Urumi Kusarigama

Sources

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

  1. Wikipedia — Manrikigusari
  2. Wikipedia — Kusari-fundo