I went looking for a thread on this weapon and-behold-you all were posting about it.
I don't practice Ninjitsu, but the manriki is one of the weapons that I think is important to know to be able to use makeshift flexible weapons.
Here's an article from a now defunct online ninjitsu mag that I thought might be helpful.
Regards-
Spaniard :asian:
Kusarifundo: A Basic Overview
by Liz maryland
Traditionally, a kusarifundo consisted of a metal chain, ranging any where from one to three feet, with small iron weights attached to the ends. Many different shapes of weights were used, but on average, the weights were rectangularly shaped and from 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. A kusarifundo was just about arm's length in total, so that if one weight were held in the right hand, the outstretched chain would barely reach the person's right armpit.
As with any weapon, using a kusarifundo efficiently entails having good kamae and flow. Your kamae is the foundation for all movement, armed or unarmed. Therefore, your movement with a weapon should be very similar to, if not exactly like, your unarmed movement. Make sure that you practice moving fluidly and efficiently in and through your kamae. Check your positioning frequently, as a beginner, and remember to go over key points? Are your knees bent? Is your back straight? Are you stable? Are you breathing properly or are you holding your breath? If you drill bad habits and practice improper kamae, then under pressure your body will revert into inefficient ways of moving. Depending upon the severity of the situation, this may get you killed!
Along with kamae, make sure that you watch your distancing. You should be using all of the chain's length to keep your attacker at bay, making sure through your kamae that you are not hitting yourself or entangling yourself with the weapon.
At New York Budo, kusarifundo applications and movement are emphasized at sixth kyu, along with the circular, evasive footwork of Hira no kamae. However, you can use the kusarifundo from other postures as well, so don't get hung up as to what you SHOULD be standing in. Make sure that your feet are moving, not just your hands or arms.
Here are five basic kamae directly associated with the kusarifundo:
1.Goho no kamae 2.Issei no kamae 3.Tenchi no kamae 4.Shumoku no kamae 5.Ippu no kamae
In Goho no kamae, you stand in a good shizen no kamae. Holding one of the kusarifundo's weights with the three lower fingers of your right hand, you allow the chain to drop and coil into your palm. Then you can grab the remaining weight with the index finger of your right hand, allowing the top of the weight to jut out by the thumb and the end to jut out between the index and middle fingers. Holding your hands in front of your body, you place your left hand over the right, effectively concealing the weapon, ready for whatever may come your way. From this position you can launch the chain forward into a tsuki thrust at the attackers face, or you can let the chain slip out from between your fingers to prepare for a strike.
In Issei no kamae, you also stand in shizen, this time with both hands naturally at your sides. You can either keep the kusarifundo coiled up and concealed in your right hand or you can allow it to hang down by your right side.
For Tenchi no kamae, one kusarifundo weigh is held in the right hand and the other end is held in the left hand. Allow the left hand to hang naturally along the left side of the body. The right hand is then held at the left shoulder with the chain taut between the hands.
Shumoku no kamae is similar to Tenchi in that the chain is held taught in both hands. This time the left arm is extended backwards from the body, with the right hand in front of the left shoulder. Think of launching a strike, then catching the chain and pulling it back to get it ready again.
Finally, in Ippu no kamae the kusarifundo is again held taut between the right and left hands. This time the right hand is up and positioned by the right shoulder. The chain falls along the back of the body and the remaining free weight is grabbed by the left hand, which is roughly at abdomen level.
Remember that these kamae are only moments in time. You will flow from one to the other as you execute and recover from your strikes. Think of how silly standing Ippu no kamae for an extended period of time would be... then practice going from one kamae to the other.
Try practicing the nine-directional strikes with your kusarifundo. The most important things to remember are to keep your flow from strike to strike, and to use your footwork to efficiently deliver the strikes. The kusarifundo can also be used as a striking weapon-striking a kyusho or the fist with one of the weights is very painful. Finally, the kusarifundo can be used as an entangling tool, i.e. throwing it around an adversary's neck for a choke.
These days, carrying around a kusarifundo may not be too practical, and is illegal in many states. However, improvised kusarifundo are easily made. These include, but are by no means limited to, a belt with a heavy buckle, an orange in a plastic bag, the infamous sock full of quarters, a bike chain with a padlock on the end, or a woman's handbag. Any of these improvised weapons can be effectively used with the same body dynamics as a regular kusarifundo-with equivalent results. I've heard one story of how Hatsumi Sensei knocked out an uke using an improvised kusarifundo-a piece of gauze cotton on a string!
Study the proper dynamics, and above all be careful. A recommendation for beginners is to make a practice kusarifundo of rope with large knots on the end. If you must use a real kusarifundo, wear a bike or motorcycle helmet and appropriate eye protection. Finally, have fun. The kusarifundo is a very free and powerful weapon to use.
Liz maryland is the editor of this newsletter and may be reached via e-mail at:
Ashidome@aol.com.
