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Permalink Reply by Allyssa on June 25, 2012 at 10:29pm

It's called a rope dart!

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Permalink Reply by Sairz ward on July 1, 2012 at 7:56am

Rope Dart:   http://youtu.be/uhW67MBO8M8

Apparently, based on heaviness, it CAN be called a Meteor too.

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Permalink Reply by Bearclaw Manufacturing - Tedward on July 1, 2012 at 1:40pm

A lot of people call this a rope dart, but it's actually a "Meteor hammer".  Originally Meteor Hammers were all blunt, some with one weight, some with 2.  As time passed the double ended ones were just called meteors.  A variation of the one ended hammer was to add blades or spikes like a mace.  This lead to the weight changing into a pointed, long object called a dart.  "Rope Dart" is, I think, a more modern term for a nearly untranslatable chinese name for the tool.   ANd since pointed and bladed weapons are allowed in the US, the Dart is definitely preferred to the hammer.

[This would have happened in the period where Japan outlawed all bladed weapons except those needed for farming (sickle and scythe).  Since people could not have swords, bows, etc, improvised weapons sprouted up all over the place.  The vast majority of "martial arts weapons" erupted around then: nunchaku, sai, staff, etc.]

For what it's worth, the Meteor hammer scene in Shanghai Noon was infinitely more fun and displayed more of the modern skills.

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Permalink Reply by ash!ey on July 2, 2012 at 6:32pm

Thanks everyone! It is all helpful!

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