Meteor hammer
Encyclopedia
The meteor hammer often referred to simply as meteor, 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 liu xing chui, dai chui, flying hammer or dragon's fist. It belongs to the broader class of chain weapon
s.
) its sheer speed. It acquired its name because it was said to strike "as fast as a meteor".
Using a meteor hammer involves swinging it around the body to build up considerable speed, before releasing the meteor to strike at any angle. Since the meteor has two heads, one could be used offensively, while the other could be used to defend, parrying attacks or ensnaring an opponent's weapon to disarm them. When used by a skilled fighter, its speed, accuracy and unpredictability make it a difficult weapon to defend against. While being swung, a meteor may be wrapped around its user's arms, legs, torso, neck or waist, before being unwrapped by a powerful jerk of the body to deliver a devastating and lightning fast punch. A master is fully capable of striking, ensnaring or strangling from a distance.
head, the difference in weight is not normally great. Some meteor hammer versions have heads which are much lighter than most rope dart heads. The lighter versions of this weapon are typically used for practice and for modern wu shu displays since they are faster and less dangerous.
Further moves include blocks, short strikes, figure eight motions, locks and holds. It is also possible to use many of the same techniques common to the nunchaku
, by bouncing the chain off the body or even other objects for even more unpredictability.
Beginners tend to start by using simple monkey fist meteors. These are simply a length of rope, terminating in a large monkey fist knot
(sometimes containing a weight) at either end. Only once skilled does a practitioner stand a chance at wielding a fire meteor.
In Shaolin
schools, the water meteor made a useful training aid once a student had gained a certain level of skill. These water meteors consisted of a length of chain with two inward facing bowls for heads. These bowls were then filled with water (or occasionally, sand), in order to train a smooth technique and gain control over the weapon. When the meteor was spinning fast enough, reactive centrifugal force
would hold the water in the bowls, with the intention being not to spill any. In China where this technique was originally developed, once a student had practiced for several years and gained mastery of the meteor, then they could progress to fire meteors. Cirque du Soleil's Varekai
features water meteors as an act.
The traditional fire meteors were essentially the same as the water meteors, except that instead of containing water, the bowls were instead filled with fuel. This fuel was then lit, and the meteor spun exactly as before, looking like a pair of real harnessed meteor
s. It is also a dangerous weapon to behold, because one slight mistake could send flaming fuel around in a radius in excess of 20 feet.
Modern fire meteors are commonly made similar to the monkey fist meteors, which is made of kevlar, cotton or other natural fibre rope, then connected by chains or rope; also made of kevlar, cotton or natural fibre. The natural fibre or kevlar rope is necessary as synthetic ropes will melt rapidly, and the natural fibre ropes will also need to be replaced often as well. The kevlar rope works much better as it is designed to take stress and resist high temperatures. The wicks can then be soaked in kerosene, alcohol or some other fuel to produce different effects, brightness, ease of ignition or burn times.
Another option that some people take when they use the meteor to perform is to put long tails or flags on the weights, thereby leaving an extension on the meteor that replaces the flame. This works well for those who are progressing to fire as the tails will simulate the noise that is produced by the flames when spinning.
Another style of new age meteor is called a "puppy hammer". The debuted at fire drums 2011 the "puppy hammer" is a very long meteor that adds a knot followed by extra arm length on each side. This design allows for more flexibility in being able to perform meteor, poi, and rope dart maneuvers without changing tools.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
weapon, consisting at its most basic level of two weights connected by a rope
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
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 liu xing chui, dai chui, flying hammer or dragon's fist. It belongs to the broader class of chain weapon
Chain weapon
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....
s.
Design
The meteor hammer could be easily concealed as a defensive or surprise weapon, being of a flexible construction. The primary advantage for using a meteor hammer was (in a similar way to the nunchakuNunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
) its sheer speed. It acquired its name because it was said to strike "as fast as a meteor".
Using a meteor hammer involves swinging it around the body to build up considerable speed, before releasing the meteor to strike at any angle. Since the meteor has two heads, one could be used offensively, while the other could be used to defend, parrying attacks or ensnaring an opponent's weapon to disarm them. When used by a skilled fighter, its speed, accuracy and unpredictability make it a difficult weapon to defend against. While being swung, a meteor may be wrapped around its user's arms, legs, torso, neck or waist, before being unwrapped by a powerful jerk of the body to deliver a devastating and lightning fast punch. A master is fully capable of striking, ensnaring or strangling from a distance.
Construction
There are two types of meteor hammers: a double-headed version (the typical image of a meteor hammer is generally of this type) and a single-headed version.Double-headed
The double-headed meteor hammer is typically 2–3 meters in length (traditionally 2 meters) with a spherical head on each end. While the ends of the meteor hammer can be heavier than a Rope dartRope dart
The rope dart or rope javelin , also known as Jōhyō in Japanese,is one of the flexible weapons in Chinese martial arts. Other weapons in this family include the meteor hammer, flying claws, and chain whip...
head, the difference in weight is not normally great. Some meteor hammer versions have heads which are much lighter than most rope dart heads. The lighter versions of this weapon are typically used for practice and for modern wu shu displays since they are faster and less dangerous.
Single-headed
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 spear is that traditionally the meteor hammer has an end shaped similar to an egg or melon. The single end can traditionally weigh up to 3 kg and is attached to a rope that can be 5 meters in length (in contrast a rope dart is typically 3.6 meters long). Because of these traits, a single headed meteor hammer can be a very effective weapon, despite being very difficult to control. In modern times, this version is rarely studied or taught since a weapon of this nature isn't needed and is very complex to learn. The double headed version is flashier and better known.Some meteor techniques
All chain-based weapons tend to be handled in a similar fashion; however, the meteor hammer is unique in a few respects. Firstly, it has no handle and secondly it is weighted at both ends. These allow for more effective control over its movement. Even at the most basic levels, a meteor hammer is often seen as unpredictable and intimidating. The difficulty people have in following it makes it very effective in combat.- Throw: A meteor may be thrown, while holding one of the heads to enable its retrieval. This is a highly unpredictable form of attack, often used effectively to catch an opponent off guard. A throw can be initiated quickly and efficiently by a skilled fighter, with a simple pull in the correct direction.
- Grab: A correctly placed throw can cause the meteor to wrap itself around an object and grab it. If done correctly, the meteor will wrap over itself and ensnare a weapon, an object or even an opponent's limb. Alternatively, if the meteor does not wrap over itself, it can be used to spin an object, providing a helpful way of swiftly disorienting an opponent.
- Whip: a simple linear strike can be effected, as from a whip.
- Slam: Sometimes referred to as "storm from above", this powerful attack involves a wide overhead arc, resulting in a vertical strike. Difficult to counter, but relatively easy to simply dodge, this attack can be repeated a number of times, similar to the technique used with a BōBo-People:*Bo , name origin, plus people with the name*Bo , name origin, plus people with the surname**Bo , Chinese family names*Bo people , extinct minority population in Southern China famous for hanging coffins...
.
- Swing: The swing is a simple side attack, capable of tripping an opponent. A basic move to learn, but a difficult one to master, being as a horizontal swing can very easily backfire and injure the one wielding the meteor.
Further moves include blocks, short strikes, figure eight motions, locks and holds. It is also possible to use many of the same techniques common to the nunchaku
Nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
, by bouncing the chain off the body or even other objects for even more unpredictability.
Fire meteor and other variations
Monkey's fist
A monkey's fist or monkey paw is a type of knot, so named because it looks somewhat like a small bunched fist/paw. It is tied at the end of a rope to serve as a weight, making it easier to throw, and also as an ornamental knot. This type of weighted rope can be used as an improvised weapon,...
(sometimes containing a weight) at either end. Only once skilled does a practitioner stand a chance at wielding a fire meteor.
In Shaolin
Shaolin kung fu
Shaolin Kung Fu refers to a collection of Chinese martial arts that claim affiliation with the Shaolin Monastery.Of the multitude styles of kung fu and wushu, only some are actually related to Shaolin...
schools, the water meteor made a useful training aid once a student had gained a certain level of skill. These water meteors consisted of a length of chain with two inward facing bowls for heads. These bowls were then filled with water (or occasionally, sand), in order to train a smooth technique and gain control over the weapon. When the meteor was spinning fast enough, reactive centrifugal force
Reactive centrifugal force
In classical mechanics, reactive centrifugal force is the reaction paired with centripetal force. A mass undergoing circular motion constantly accelerates toward the axis of rotation. This centripetal acceleration is caused by a force exerted on the mass by some other object. In accordance with...
would hold the water in the bowls, with the intention being not to spill any. In China where this technique was originally developed, once a student had practiced for several years and gained mastery of the meteor, then they could progress to fire meteors. Cirque du Soleil's Varekai
Varekai
Varekai is a Cirque du Soleil touring production that premiered in Montréal in April 2002. Its title means "wherever" in the Romani language, and the show is an "acrobatic tribute to the nomadic soul"....
features water meteors as an act.
The traditional fire meteors were essentially the same as the water meteors, except that instead of containing water, the bowls were instead filled with fuel. This fuel was then lit, and the meteor spun exactly as before, looking like a pair of real harnessed meteor
METEOR
METEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...
s. It is also a dangerous weapon to behold, because one slight mistake could send flaming fuel around in a radius in excess of 20 feet.
Modern fire meteors are commonly made similar to the monkey fist meteors, which is made of kevlar, cotton or other natural fibre rope, then connected by chains or rope; also made of kevlar, cotton or natural fibre. The natural fibre or kevlar rope is necessary as synthetic ropes will melt rapidly, and the natural fibre ropes will also need to be replaced often as well. The kevlar rope works much better as it is designed to take stress and resist high temperatures. The wicks can then be soaked in kerosene, alcohol or some other fuel to produce different effects, brightness, ease of ignition or burn times.
Another option that some people take when they use the meteor to perform is to put long tails or flags on the weights, thereby leaving an extension on the meteor that replaces the flame. This works well for those who are progressing to fire as the tails will simulate the noise that is produced by the flames when spinning.
Another style of new age meteor is called a "puppy hammer". The debuted at fire drums 2011 the "puppy hammer" is a very long meteor that adds a knot followed by extra arm length on each side. This design allows for more flexibility in being able to perform meteor, poi, and rope dart maneuvers without changing tools.
See also
- Morning star (weapon)Morning star (weapon)The term morning star is used to describe medieval club-like weapons which included one or more spikes. Each used, to varying degrees, a combination of blunt-force and puncture attack to kill or wound the enemy.- Design :...
- BolasBolasBolas are a throwing weapon superficially similar to the surujin, made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, designed to capture animals by entangling their legs...
- Chain whipChain whipThe chain whip is a weapon used in some Asian martial arts, including Chinese martial arts, 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,...
- Fire dancingFire dancingFire dancing is a group of performance arts or disciplines that involve manipulation of objects on fire...
- Kusari-fundoKusari-fundoKusari-fundo is a hand held weapon used in feudal Japan consisting of a length of chain with a weight connected to each end of the chain. Various sizes and shapes of chain and weight were used as there was no set rule on the construction of these weapons...
- List of martial arts weapons
- List of mêlée weapons
- Manriki
- Manriki-gusari
- NunchakuNunchakuis a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
- Poi (juggling)Poi (juggling)Poi refers to both a style of performance art and the equipment used for engaging in poi performance. As a performance art, poi involves swinging tethered weights through a variety of rhythmical and geometric patterns. Poi artists may also sing or dance while swinging their poi...
- Rope dartRope dartThe rope dart or rope javelin , also known as Jōhyō in Japanese,is one of the flexible weapons in Chinese martial arts. Other weapons in this family include the meteor hammer, flying claws, and chain whip...
- SurujinSurujinThe surujin or suruchin is one of the traditional weapons of Okinawan Kobudo. It comprises a 2–3 metre 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...
- Zhou Tong (archer)