Slinging.org Forum - Kusari Fundo

RJB

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Kusari Fundo
Nov 6^th, 2011 at 4:12pm

Caution!!!! Accidents with this weapon can be as dangerous to the beginner user as the sling!!!!

The Kusari fundo is a samuri/ninjitsu weapon. We practiced with this in my ninjutsu class. They're like a bola except that they are used as a striking, choking and grappling weapons. Although I'll test it to see if it could be used as a bola.

I made one with a steel chain with a 90 pound strength. The length is 31 inches (the length of my favorite sling) I attached 2 small Master Locks on either ends. They are the smaller kind (9/16" / 14mm) (1 inch and 1/8 wide). One lock seems to weigh about 3 ounces. I attached them to the chain with a 1/8 inch caribeener / quick link. They can be made much cheaper with rope and fishing weights, nuts and bolts, or anything else with a bit of heft.

I practiced on a milk jug attached to a tree limb and it packs a heck of a wallop. Just be careful when it swings back towards you!!!

Here's a picture of it disassembled. Just attach the locks at the ends like a bola. I'll try to find a decent youtube video of it in use.

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RJB Senior Member Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 397 Western North Carolina Gender:	Re: Kusari Fundo Reply #1 - Nov 6^th, 2011 at 4:25pm LOL I saw one on sale for $50.00. Practice ones are made of a heavy rope with knots at the ends. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusari-fundo Heres a youtube video that's only a little bit cheesy . It's not my video, but I can attest that the shattering of the coconut is real. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9UJdL2mJ04
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Rat Man Slinging.org Administrator Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 13680 New Jersey, USA Gender:	Re: Kusari Fundo Reply #2 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 7:44am I've thought about making something like this as an anti-pit bull weapon for when I'm walking the Huskies. I can absolutely see how such a weapon could be extremely useful in a situation.
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kuggur slingdog Ex Member	Re: Kusari Fundo Reply #3 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 9:58am I think you would be better off with a sturdy staff Ratman (a loaded one if you need just that little extra impact...).
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Curious Aardvark Forum Moderation Offline Taller than the average Dwarf Posts: 13965 Midlands England Gender:	Re: Kusari Fundo Reply #4 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 11:31am lol it's a weighted chain - who knew it had a name ? made something like that many years ago.
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Masiakasaurus Forum Moderation Offline mah-SEE-a-kah-SOR-us Posts: 6069 Alabama, USA Gender:	Re: Kusari Fundo Reply #5 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 12:23pm Kusari Fundo is just Japanese for chain with weights.
Back to top	Pikåru wrote on Nov 19^th, 2013 at 6:59pm: Massi - WTF? It's called a sling. You use it to throw rocks farther and faster than you could otherwise. That's all. ~Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily avialable, they will create their own problems.~ IP Logged

AncientCraftwork Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Posts: 2403	Re: Kusari Fundo Reply #6 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 1:02pm A simple leather belt with a big buckle will give a fair smack too but this chain seems alot more effective, looks like a good self defense weapon wouldnt want to get smacked with that.
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Masiakasaurus Forum Moderation Offline mah-SEE-a-kah-SOR-us Posts: 6069 Alabama, USA Gender:	Re: Kusari Fundo Reply #7 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 1:05pm AncientCraftwork wrote on Nov 7^th, 2011 at 1:02pm: A simple leather belt with a big buckle will give a fair smack too More than just a fair smack, there was a guy in my town who died after getting hit in the head by a belt buckle in a fight.
Back to top	Pikåru wrote on Nov 19^th, 2013 at 6:59pm: Massi - WTF? It's called a sling. You use it to throw rocks farther and faster than you could otherwise. That's all. ~Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily avialable, they will create their own problems.~ IP Logged

Rat Man

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Re: Kusari Fundo
Reply #8 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 2:29pm

Quote:

I think you would be better off with a sturdy staff Ratman (a loaded one if you need just that little extra impact...).

That's what I normally do, kuggur. Most of the time I carry a nice, stout shovel handle. It works fine unless it's raining hard. Then I like to carry an umbrella. It's very hard to manage two rambunctious Huskies, an umbrella, and a walking stick at the same time. I need something I can either put in my pocket or wear around my neck on those rainy days. ... and no, I'm not being paranoid. Three times in the six years I've had Kali I've had to rescue her from attacks by larger dogs.. two Pit Bulls and one large, mean, Yellow Lab mix. She does well against dogs her own size, but she's only fifty pounds. No one has bothered us yet when Odin is with us but for some reason he rarely goes on the night walk with us. He's usually good for the morning only.

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kuggur slingdog

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Re: Kusari Fundo
Reply #9 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 4:19pm

Oh I know you are not paranoid (in this matter that is Wink

). I was wondering what lonely pit bull would have the balls to bother a grown man accompanied by two huskies. A crazy one probably, and they are the worst...
I hadn´t considered umbrella´s, we don´t don them here; the rain usually comes in horizontally here, and at high speed...
You probably heard about that self defense umbrella (was it cold steel that markets it?), dunno what kind of punch it packs.
So i´d still vote for the staff, and rain clothing... I also own an ash walking stick that was a shovel handle in a previous life, now that thing is a pit bull stopper...
I think these kind of weapons as mentioned in the opening post are just too awkward to be wielded by someone who didn´t have extensive training with it, too dangerous for the user...

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Bikewer

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Re: Kusari Fundo
Reply #10 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 8:02pm

Very similar is the "Manriki", again weights with a chain, but the weights are usually long enough to use in the hand as a striking weapon similar to a yawara stick.

Note that these qualify in all states as a "slung shot" type of weapon, and carrying would be of very dubious legality.

Some years ago, in one of the martial arts magazines, a fellow showed his idea for what he called a "Manri-key". Essentially the same as above, but substitute a wad of old keys on a split-ring for the padlocks.
Works about the same, but the keys might provide a little more legality.... "Really officer, I got a lot of locks to keep track of..."

Caution... Practicing with these flexible weapons can be very hazardous!

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bigkahuna past-moderator Offline Posts: 3894 Delaware, USA Gender:	Re: Kusari Fundo Reply #11 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 8:56pm A padlock in a handkerchief works just as well. Dont ask me how I know this.
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RJB

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Re: Kusari Fundo
Reply #12 - Nov 7^th, 2011 at 9:28pm

Bikewer wrote on Nov 7^th, 2011 at 8:02pm:

Very similar is the "Manriki", again weights with a chain, but the weights are usually long enough to use in the hand as a striking weapon similar to a yawara stick.

I saw one someone made from crescent wrenches. With the ends of the wrench sticking out from a fist, it makes another weapon.

Someone I know had to get stitches in the head when a weight bounced off a board and smacked. It like when they say a blade cuts both ways.

Quote:

Note that these qualify in all states as a "slung shot" type of weapon, and carrying would be of very dubious legality.

Very true. If the links are small enough you may be able to say its a necklace. I personally don't carry this. I just like playing with stuff like this at home.

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Dan

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Re: Kusari Fundo
Reply #13 - Nov 8^th, 2011 at 7:36am

You can make these kinds of weapons a lot of ways but like nunchucks unless you train often and for awhile you have a pretty good chance of hurting your self.

I live in "the country" but "in case I need it" I carry a knife that I never use other than for it's intened purpose (SD) with the CS Spartan in the warm season or the CS Recon Tanto in Sai Mai III. I know a guy down south that carries a shambok down his pantleg when he walks his dog which alows for freedom of movement with his hands. You might be able to kill something with it (definitly a bird or snake but probably not a large dog) but you really only need to hit whatever you need to once.Ppolice officers in South africa used them for riots. It usually allows for a large amount of pain but won't break any major bones. Not sure what the rules are in the UK but they are legal in pretty much all of the US. Plus you are much less likly to hit your self with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPQzC877O6Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6e843u9qaU&feature=related

Best option comes usually in 38 special or 45. though. Wink

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I was pretty good at slinging like 10 years ago.

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Bikewer

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Re: Kusari Fundo
Reply #14 - Nov 8^th, 2011 at 9:47am

Reminds me...Years ago, I met an Okinawan karate instructor. This was back in the early 80s when pendants were a big fashion item. This guy had a very handsome one, a sort of "iron cross" on a stout chain, done in stainless steel.
I mentioned something about it, and he proceeded to pull it apart, revealing that the cross was in two sections, almost invisibly joined by two cleverly-machined pins.
Each half made one of the weights of a manriki.

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