KUSARI FUNDO

KUSARI FUNDO

It is said that the use of chains in combat is very old and its appearance within Bujutsu was with making the first armor.


The Kusari fundo is a string with one or two weights at the ends. The names of the chains varied according to different schools or Bujutsu Ninjutsu, as well as their shapes and lengths. Usually, the Kusari fundo is 1 to 1.5 meters.

In many cases, the chains were accompanied by other instruments such as sickles or leaf edge and, in some cases, hidden in bamboo, but this time we only stop in the chain weight, Kusari fundo, as a main in combat.

According to historical documents, konpi (kon means 'iron' and pi means 'fly') was put into use as a weapon in the era of the court Yoshino (about 1350 AD). The same was composed of a string with a ball on one end and an iron grip on the other end. It also would place a rope or stick at the end of the chain. Many schools have emerged in the art of Kusari fundo, these were using and developing their methods of warfare, length, thickness and size of the weights and chains. These ryu, we can cite: Togakure Ryu, Ryu Gyokushin, Hoen Ryu, Ryu Kinshin, Masaki Ryu, Ryu etc.La Masaki school became very famous for the use of this dangerous weapon. With it, the warriors could fight multiple enemies by turning the chain, hitting vital points and / or entangling it in the hands, feet or arms of the enemy.

Here, a story that the onset and development of tamagusari.

Toshimitsu Masaki was a famous swordsman of the seventeenth century. He lived in the territory of the whole clan and stood guard at the gate of Edo Castle Otemon (now Tokyo) under the command of Lord Toda. Toshimitsu thought the case would force being threatened to kill with his sword and the door of the castle would be stained with blood, which would not in any respect. Then he thought what to do. Maybe I could ask a ashigaru a low-ranking samurai, his long cane to fight the intruders. But his pride would not let him. Then Masaki thought and finally came to an idea that would make it easier to fight the intruders without bloodshed. That idea was a weapon called Kusari fundo tamagusari or in this case. It is said that 24 developed Masaki tamagusari arts.
After listening to the sound of tamagusari a valuable Masaki Ryu heavy chain that could protect against evil, many visited the house of Masaki, asking him to betray one. But Masaki handed and taught only to a small select group of people. Even were attributed to this powerful weapon of protection equal to that of a talisman. These chains were also called manriki Kusari, meaning "chain of 10,000 branches."

Ways of the Kusari fundo


The following are some methods to bring the Kusari fundo:
· Release within the jacket.
° around the neck, hidden inside a belt or scarf (tenugi).
· For behind the back and secured by the belt (obi) in a special way so it can be removed quickly.
· Subject and hidden in one hand, in a special way so it can be thrown towards the opponent.


Forms of movements founded kusari

· Yoko furi
· Tenchi furi
· Naka furi
· Hachimonji furi