The Kusari-gama is a combination sickle and mace. It was used by traditional Japanese warriors, swinging the sickle at opponents to either slice them with the sharp blade or bludgeon them with the heavy iron weight attached by chain. The Kusarigama was popular in feudal Japan from around the 12th through the 17th centuries, and was taught in martial arts schools with its own form of fighting style, known as Kusarigamajutsu. Method of use
Attacking with the weapon usually entailed swinging the weighted chain in a large circle over one's head, and then whipping it forward to entangle an opponent's spear, sword, or other weapon, or immobilizing his arms or legs. This allows the kusarigama user to easily rush forward and strike with the sickle.
A kusarigama wielder might also strike with the spinning weighted end of the chain directly, causing serious or deadly injury to his opponent while still outside the range of the opponent's sword or spear.
Kusarigama have also been employed as anti-siegeSiege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by Battle of attrition and/or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit." A siege occurs when an attacker encounters a city or fortress that cannot be easily taken by a coup de main and refuses to surrender ....
weapons, with the chain allowing the weapon to be retrieved after it was thrown downwards at an attacking force.
Many fictional accounts of kusarigama sometimes show fighters swinging the sickle with the chain, rather than the weighted end. Though entertaining, this is usually not a proper use of the weapon, as the sickle is likely to bounce off a target without causing much injury. One of the few exceptions to this is the Houten Ryu discipline of the kusarigama.
Mine are hand made and tempered from high carbon steel. The width of the blade is custom sized to fit your hand and sharpened. A 6 inch tang is in the handle, and 3 pins are there to hold it all together. The handle is made of hickory wood, cord wrapped (your choice of color), and coated with a professional strength waterproof glue. You can choose from 10 feet of high strength welded chain links or a hand braided, 1000 lb. test cord, with a 3 inch weight attached at the end.
