Manriki Gusari

Manriki Gusari

The manriki gusari (万力鎖) is a neutralization weapon (but still capable of being lethal if the need arises) of feudal Japan, consisting of a chain, both ends of which are attached to balls, pellets, or flails of wood, metal, spiked, spikeless, or blades (very rarely, as the blade is a source of insecurity when carried concealed).

This weapon was very popular among ninjas (like all "chain" weapons) and there are, according to ninjutsu masters, two hundred conventional ways of using it, and an infinite number of "unconventional" ways of using it.

The manriki gusari is, moreover, easy to get, to make, to find: a chain (which is about 1 to 6 meters long), two small pieces of wood or metal (a simple metal ball of 3 or 4 cm in diameter does the trick: small, light, easily concealable, perfectly sufficient to neutralize or kill), a knot around each ball to make them fit, and that's it.

The manriki gusari, like all "chain" weapons, was particularly feared by men fighting with "rigid" weapons such as swords, sticks, knives, etc.


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