![Meteor hammer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Meteor_hammer.JPG)
The meteor hammer (), often referred to simply as meteor (), is an ancient Chinese
weapon
A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...
, consisting at its most basic level of two weights connected by a
rope
A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly ...
or
chain
A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...
. 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
A flail is an agricultural tool used for threshing, the process of separating grains from their husks.
It is usually made from two or more large sticks attached by a short chain; one stick is held and swung, causing the other (the swipple) to st ...
and
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 chai ...
s. There is little evidence that they saw use in actual historical combat.
Design
![Jin or Yuan Bronze Rope Hammers (10623204205)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Jin_or_Yuan_Bronze_Rope_Hammers_%2810623204205%29.jpg)
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
In physics, angular momentum (rarely, moment of momentum or rotational momentum) is the rotational analog of linear momentum. It is an important physical quantity because it is a conserved quantity—the total angular momentum of a closed syst ...
, 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.
Types
![Ming Bronze Rope Hammers (10623251596)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Ming_Bronze_Rope_Hammers_%2810623251596%29.jpg)
There are two types of meteor hammers: a ''double-headed'' and a ''single-headed version''.
The double-headed meteor hammer is typically 2–3 meters in length with a spherical head on each end. While the ends of the meteor hammer can be heavier than a
rope dart
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. Although the flexible weapons share similar m ...
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 headed meteor hammer and a rope dart is that traditionally the meteor hammer has a rounded head. The head can traditionally weigh up to
and is attached to a rope that can be in length (in contrast a rope dart is typically 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.
In popular culture
* In the 1978 film ''
Crippled Avengers
''Crippled Avengers'' is a 1978 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Chang Cheh and starring four members of the Venom Mob. It has been released in North America as ''Mortal Combat'' and ''The Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms''. The film follows a ...
'', Mr. Wan, played by
Wang Lung Wei, was an expert with the weapon.
* In the 2000 film ''
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' is a 2000 wuxia film directed by Ang Lee and written for the screen by Wang Hui-ling, James Schamus, and Tsai Kuo-jung . The film features a cast of actors of Chinese people, Chinese ethnicity, including Ch ...
'', a warrior use dual melon hammers in the tavern fight scene.
* In the 2000 film ''
Romeo Must Die
''Romeo Must Die'' is a 2000 American action film directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak in his feature film directorial debut, and featuring fight choreography by Corey Yuen. The film stars Jet Li and Aaliyah in her feature film debut, It follows a C ...
'',
Jet Li
Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, Chinese martial arts, martial artist, and retired wushu (sport), Wushu champion. He is a naturalized Singapo ...
uses a fire hose as a makeshift version of the weapon.
* In the 2000 film ''
Shanghai Noon
''Shanghai Noon'' is a 2000 martial arts western action comedy film starring Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson and Lucy Liu. The first in the ''Shanghai'' film series and marking the directorial debut of Tom Dey, ''Shanghai Noon'' was written by Alfred ...
'',
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
uses a rope and horseshoe to fashion a makeshift version of the weapon.
* In the 2003 film ''
Kill Bill: Volume 1'', Gogo Yubari, played by
Chiaki Kuriyama
is a Japanese actress, singer, and model. She is best known in the West for her roles as Takako Chigusa in Kinji Fukasaku's 2000 film '' Battle Royale'' and Gogo Yubari in Quentin Tarantino's 2003 film '' Kill Bill: Volume 1''.
Life and career ...
, uses a modern version of the weapon.
* In the 2005 film ''
The Promise'', General Guangming, played by
Hiroyuki Sanada
is a Japanese actor and martial artist. He is best known to international audiences for his roles as Genbu in ''Ninja in the Dragon's Den'' (1982), Ryuji Takayama in ''Ring'' (1998), Seibei Iguchi in ''The Twilight Samurai'' (2002), Ujio in ''T ...
, was an expert with the weapon.
* In the 2008 TV series ''
Power Rangers Jungle Fury
''Power Rangers Jungle Fury'' is the sixteenth season of the American television series ''Power Rangers'', and is an adaptation of ''Juken Sentai Gekiranger'', the thirty-first Japanese Super Sentai, ''Super Sentai'' series.
The season premiered ...
'', the Jungle Mace is based on the meteor hammer.
* In the 2011 book ''
Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade'', Moloch (also known as "The Bull"), one of the protagonist
Altaïr's targets, uses a meteor hammer with "unfailing accuracy" and ruthlessness.
* In the 2014 light novel series ''
Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World'',
Rem is an expert with this weapon.
* In the 2021 TV series ''
Kung Fu
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
'', one of the eight sacred weapons is a meteor hammer.
See also
*
Meteor (juggling)
A skill toy of Asian origin, the meteor consists 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.
Origins
The meteor is based ...
*
Morning star (weapon)
A morning star (german: Morgenstern) is any of several medieval club-like weapons consisting of a shaft with an attached ball adorned with one or more spikes. Each used, to varying degrees, a combination of blunt-force and puncture attack to kil ...
*
Bolas
Bolas or bolases (singular bola; from Spanish and Portuguese ''bola'', "ball", also known as a ''boleadora'' or ''boleadeira'') is a type of throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, used to capture animals by entang ...
*
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-e ...
*
Eskimo yo-yo
An Eskimo yo-yo or Alaska yo-yo ( esu, yuuyuuk; ik, igruuraak) is a traditional two-balled skill toy played and performed by the Eskimo-speaking Alaska Natives, such as Inupiat, Siberian Yupik, and Yup'ik. It resembles fur-covered bolas and ...
*
Fire dancing
Fire performance is a group of performance arts or skills that involve the manipulation of fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various ...
*
List of martial arts weapons
Weapons used in the world's martial arts can be classified either by type of weapon or by the martial arts school using them.
By weapon type Melee weapons
* List of melee weapons
** Bladed weapons
***Swords: see Types of swords
***Knives
***Dagge ...
*
List of mêlée weapons
A melee weapon, hand weapon or close combat weapon is any handheld weapon used in hand-to-hand combat, i.e. for use within the direct physical reach of the weapon itself, essentially functioning as an additional (and more impactful) extension of th ...
*
Poi (juggling)
*
Rope dart
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. Although the flexible weapons share similar m ...
*
Suruchin
The ''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 use ...
*
Zhou Tong (archer)
Zhou Tong ( and 周侗; pinyin: Zhōu Tóng) (died late 1121 CE) was the archery teacher and second military arts tutor of famous Song dynasty general Yue Fei. Originally a local hero from Henan, he was hired to continue Yue Fei's military train ...
*
Chigiriki
The ''chigiriki'' (契木) is a Japanese Flail (weapon), flail weapon. It consists of a solid or hollow wood (sometimes bamboo) or iron staff with an iron weight and chain on the end, sometimes retractable. The chigiriki is a more aggressive varia ...
*
Nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks (traditionally made of wood), connected to each other at their ends by a short metal chain or a rope. It is approximately 30 cm (sticks) and 1 inch (rope). A person wh ...
References
External links
Fire Meteor Tribe.netFreestyle Meteor Info PageRare Kung Fu Weapons
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meteor Hammer
Ancient weapons
Chain and rope throwing weapons
Chinese melee weapons
Primitive weapons