Kusarigamajutsu

Kusarigamajutsu (鎖鎌術:くさりがまじゅつ) is the art of using the Japanese weapon kusarigama.

Kusarigamajutsu is featured in several separate martial arts such as Tendō-ryū, Suiō-ryū and Shintō Musō-ryū. The kusarigama is made up of three parts: the kama (a wooden handle with a curved blade (traditionally straight) protruding at a right-angle on one end, and a small loop at the other), and the kusari (a chain attached to the kama) and a weight at the end of the chain. In a confrontation the kusari is swung in wide sweeping arcs to distract and entangle the opponent and the kama is used to deliver a fatal strike.^[1]

Popular culture

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles features kusarigamajutsu being used by Michaelangelo and Shini^{[broken anchor]} in the 2012 version. It was also used by Karai, the boar assassin Kojima, one of the Triceraton All-Stars, and some of the Foot Ninjas as well as some Karai Bots in the 2003 version.

See also

• Araki-ryū – Koryū that includes the use of the kusarigama
• Suiō-ryū – Koryū that includes the use of the kusarigama via the attached school of Masaki-ryū Fukuhara-ha kusarigamajutsu
• Toda-ha Bukō-ryū – Koryū that includes the use of the kusarigama
• Isshin-ryū kusarigamajutsu – School of kusarigamajutsu found in Shintō Musō-ryū
• Tendō-ryū kusarigamajutsu – School of kusarigamajutsu found in Tendō-ryū bujutsu