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The meteor hammer (Chinese :流星錘; pinyin :liúxīng chuí), often referred to simply as meteor (Chinese :流星; pinyin :liúxīng), is an ancient Chinese weapon, consisting at its most basic level of two weights connected by a rope or chain. One of the flexible or "soft" weapons, it is referred to by many different names worldwide, dependent upon region, construction and intended use. Other names in use include dai chui, flying hammer, or dragon's fist. It belongs to the broader classes of flail and chain weapons. There is little evidence that they saw use in actual historical combat.
A meteor hammer consists of a flexible chain or rope with a weight attached to one or both ends. Their construction is similar to a bola, but they are heavier and are not suitable for throwing. As a flexible weapon, meteor hammers can be easily concealed, and may be used as a defensive or surprise weapon.
Using a meteor hammer involves swinging the weight around the body to build up angular momentum, and then striking at the target. If the weight is swung around the intended target, the long length of chain may become wrapped around the body, limbs, or weapons.
There are two types of meteor hammers: a double-headed and a single-headed version. [1]
The double-headed meteor hammer is typically 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 feet) in length with a spherical head on each end. While the ends of the meteor hammer can be heavier than a rope dart head, the difference in weight is normally minimal. Some meteor hammers have much lighter heads. The lighter versions of this weapon are typically used for practice and for modern wushu displays since they are faster and less dangerous. Since the meteor has two heads, one can be used offensively while the other can be used to defend, parrying attacks or ensnaring an opponent's weapon to attempt to disarm them.
The single-headed version of this weapon is used in a similar manner to the rope dart in that it is a long reach weapon with a single head. The main difference between the single-headed meteor hammer and a rope dart is that traditionally the meteor hammer has a rounded head. The head can traditionally weigh up to 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) [2] and is attached to a rope that can be 6 metres (20 feet) in length (in contrast a rope dart is typically 3.6 metres (12 feet) long). Because of these traits, a single-headed meteor hammer can deliver a great amount of force to a target, however it is very difficult to control.
The nunchaku, "nunchucks", "chainsticks", or "chuka sticks" in English) is a traditional East-Asian martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks, connected to each other at their ends by a short metal chain or a rope. It is approximately 30 cm or 12 inches (sticks) and 2.5 cm or 1 inch (rope). A person who has practiced using this weapon is referred to in Japanese as nunchakuka.
Bolas or bolases is a type of throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, used to capture animals by entangling their legs. Bolas were most famously used by the gauchos, but have been found in excavations of Pre-Columbian settlements, especially in Patagonia, where indigenous peoples used them to catch 200-pound guanacos and rheas. The Mapuche and the Inca army used them in battle. Mapuche warriors used bolas in their confrontations with the Chilean Army during the Occupation of Araucanía (1861–1883).
Changquan refers to a family of external martial arts styles from northern China.
The rope dart or rope javelin, is one of the flexible weapons in Chinese martial arts. Other weapons in this family include the meteor hammer, flying claws, Fei Tou flying weight, and chain whip.
The chain whip, also known as the soft whip, is a weapon used in some Chinese martial arts, particularly traditional Chinese disciplines, in addition to modern and traditional wushu. It consists of several metal rods, which are joined end-to-end by rings to form a flexible chain. Generally, the whip has a handle at one end and a metal dart, used for slashing or piercing an opponent, at the other. A cloth flag is often attached at or near the dart end of the whip and a second flag may cover the whip's handle. The flag or flags adds visual appeal and produces a rushing sound as the whip swings through the air. The rushing noise also helps the user with identifying the location of the other end, since the weapon moves too fast to be normally noticed by human eyes.
Legendary Weapons of China is a 1982 martial arts wuxia film or wuxia pian directed by Liu Chia-liang. It takes place during the late Qing Dynasty when Empress Dowager Cixi dispatches her agents to various factions of the Boxer Rebellion in order to find supernatural martial artists that are invulnerable to western bullets. When one of the leaders of these groups disbands his forces, assassins from the remaining factions are sent out to kill him for his apparent treason. As the title of the film suggests, a great variety of fights take place involving the "legendary weapons."
Heroes of the East, also known as Challenge of the Ninja, Shaolin vs. Ninja, and Shaolin Challenges Ninja, is a martial arts film produced in 1978. It starred Gordon Liu and was directed by Lau Kar-Leung. Lau Kar-Leung has a cameo role as So Chan, a master of Zui Quan. The film is notable for portraying Japanese martial arts alongside the more typical kung fu used in most Hong Kong martial arts films.
The surujin or suruchin is one of the traditional weapons of Okinawan Kobudo. It comprises a 150 -152 cm or 2-3(4,921 feet -4,986 feet or 6,5 feet -9.8feet) long rope with a weight tied to each end. Historically this weapon is very prevalent and can be found attached to a weapon or used separately. It is a weapon designed for warfare.
Kenji (拳児) is a manga series written by Ryuchi Matsuda and illustrated by Yoshihide Fujiwara. The series follows Kenji Goh, a practitioner of the Chinese martial art Bajiquan.
Chuí is a Chinese melee weapon that consists of a large, solid metal sphere on the end of a medium-long handle.
Jow Ga kung fu is a form of Chinese martial art. It was founded by Jow Lung who was born in 1891, on the eleventh day of the third lunar month in Sa Fu Village of the Guangdong province, and died in 1919. His father was Jow Fong Hoy and his mother’s maiden name was Li. At the time of its inception, this particular style of kung fu was labeled as having the head of Hung Gar, the tail of Choy Gar and the patterns of the tiger and leopard, or simply Hung Tao Choy Mei. It was so labeled because the essential techniques incorporated the muscular and mighty movements of Hung Gar and the swift footwork and complex kicking of Choy Gar, making it a very effective form of self defense with emphasis on simultaneous attack and defense.
A chain weapon is a weapon made of one or more heavy objects attached to a chain, sometimes with a handle. The flail was one of the more common types of chain weapons associated with medieval Europe, although some flails used hinges instead of chains.
The Eighteen Arms is a list of the eighteen main weapons of Chinese martial arts. The origin of the list is unclear and there have been disputes as to what the eighteen weapons actually are. However, all lists contain at least one or more of the following weapons:
A chainlock, also known as a smiley, is an improvised weapon which consists of a length of chain or strong cloth attached to a large lock or other piece of metal. The chainlock is mainly used in areas where other hand held weapons, such as knives, are not readily available.
The flying claw, flying talon, or soft talon is used to ensnare a foe and throw him off balance. It originated in China during the Sui dynasty and is one of the flexible or soft weapons in the Chinese martial arts. It features metal hand or claw on the end of a chain or rope. It is in the same family as the meteor hammer, rope dart, and chain whip. First appearing during the Ming Dynasty, the Claw consists of two iron Eagle Claws attached together by a length of rope, much like a Flying Weight. These claws, however, were not fixed like a Grappling Hook, but rather were designed to grab the adversary upon contact and rip their muscles out. Tied with a long cord, it can be used to attack people and horses.
The Chinese dragon beard hook is a thrown entangling/trapping concealable weapon. It features a two pronged steel hook about 33 cm (13 in) long. An iron ring on a crescent-shaped body allows a rope to be attached. The hooks consist of two spearheads, 20 cm (7.9 in) apart. The ends of the hooks are serrated. The rope is typically 10 m (33 ft) long, and can be tied to the wrist of the user. This allowed the user to snag and reel in an adversary, which made the weapon very popular amongst constables in bygone days.
Liuxing Hudie Jian is a wuxia novel by Gu Long. It was first published in Taiwan in August 1973 by Laureate (桂冠) and subsequently reproduced by other publishing companies. It has been adapted into the 1976 film Killer Clans, a 1978 television series produced by Hong Kong's CTS, the 1993 film Butterfly and Sword, a 2003 mainland Chinese television series, and a franchise of video games.
A meteor is a skill toy of Asian origin consisting of a rope, usually between 5 and 8 feet long, with weights attached to either end. Tricks are performed by swinging, wrapping and throwing the meteor about the body.