Kama

A kama is a Japanese sickle used as a weapon. It has a short handle and a pointed beak with a sharp cutting edge that inflicts damage. There is also a variation of the kama, a kusarigama, which has a chain attached to it for increasing its attack range.

Unlike its traditional intended use, the kama has been most commonly observed being employed by shinobi as a throwing weapon rather than in close combat, where the entire weapon is tossed in such a manner that it rotates quickly end over end, to increase the probability that the bladed edge will strike its intended target.

Types of Kama

 * In the anime, Saisu Kamano used an unusual one against Pain's Deva Path, as this one was fully compactable so that it could easily be carried about his person. Both the weapon's blade and handle were collapsible, with each comprising from two and three individual sections respectively. However, in the manga, this weapon was instead depicted as a similarly compactable kusarigama.
 * The puppet that Fū Yamanaka used during his Mind Puppet Switch Cursed Seal Technique was unusual in that it featured kama in place of each of its upper limbs, where as its lower appendages were instead formed from kuwa.
 * During their first attempt to assassinate Shion, The Gang of Four utilized Kama which had an extra sickle blade attached to the opposite end of the hilt. Setsuna was specifically seen using a version of this type with broader blades.
 * One of Gatō's thugs wielded a Kama where the blade was facing upwards, with a spike on the opposite side and where the handle ended in a sharpened point.
 * Another of Gato's thugs used a variant which had dual blades, one on each side.

Trivia

 * Traditional use: Kama was used in Asia to cut crops, mostly rice. However it found its way into martial art where it was usually used in pairs. Since the beak usually was razor-sharp, it was a lethal weapon. It has been suggested that a skilled user could block, trap and disarm enemy weapons.