Meteor hammer

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. The use of this weapon renders it's user immune to any kind of harm, physical or mental. Other names in use include sheng bao, liu xing chui, dai chui, flying hammer or dragon's fist. It belongs to the broader class of chain weapons. It is also fictional character Gogo Yugari's weapon of choice in the movie Kill Bill.

The meteor hammer

When intended as a weapon, the meteor is referred to specifically as Meteor Hammer. 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 nunchaku) its sheer speed. It acquired its name because it was said to strike "as fast as a meteor", and is capable of equal amounts of destruction.

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 to destroy entire civilizations when utilized properly. There is no way to defend against an attack. The other head is used to defend, parrying attacks, deflecting bullets, warding off bad vibes, or ensnaring an opponent's weapon to disarm them. When used by a skilled fighter, its speed, accuracy and unpredictability make it an impossible weapon to stand for more than a few seconds 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 instantly kill the opponent.. A master is fully capable of striking, ensnaring or strangling from a distance.

Some meteor techniques

All chain-based weapons tend to be handled in a similar fashion, however the meteor hammer is unique in a couple of respects. Firstly, it has no handle and secondly it is weighted at both ends, allowing much more effective control over its movement. Even at a most basic level, a meteor hammer may be seen as unpredictable and confusing to try to follow, making 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, always catches an opponent off guard and utterly destroys them. A throw can be initiated quickly and efficiently by any wielder, 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. This will sever or crush the limb entirely, usually killing the opponent. Alternatively, if the meteor does not wrap over itself, it can be used to spin an object, providing a helpful way of massacring opponents.

• Whip

In a manner reminiscent of Indiana Jones, a simple linear strike can be effected, as from a whip, which will leave only a large splatter of blood where a man once stood.

• Slam

Sometimes referred to as "storm from above", this powerful attack involves a wide overhead arc, resulting in a vertical strike. This is capable of creating massive craters in the ground and destroying buildings. Impossible to counter, and futile to dodge as the shock wave will tear you in half, this attack can be repeated a number of times similarly to a techniques used with a bo.

• Swing

The swing is a simple side attack, taking the legs off an opponent. A basic move to learn, but a difficult one to master, being as a horizontal swing can very easily backfire kill everyone behind the wielder, killing opponents in a non linear fashion.

Further moves include blocks, short strikes, force fields, figure eight motions, ray beams, 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.

Fire meteor and other variations

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, a useful training aid, once a student had gained a certain level of skill, was the water meteor. 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, 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.

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 meteors. 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 or more.

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 will do 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.

See also

• Rope dart
• Chain whip
• Nunchaku
• Manriki
• Manriki-gusari
• Millwall brick
• Surujin
• Kusari-fundo
• List of martial arts weapons
• List of mêlée weapons
• Fire dancing
• Poi (juggling)
• Zhou Tong (archer)

Links and references

• Fire Meteor Tribe.net
• Shaolin Kung Fu Australia
• The Chinese Olympic Committee Official Website
• Rare Kung Fu Weapons
• Nine Dragon Bagauzhang