Kama (tool)

The kama (鎌 or かま) is a traditional Japanese farming implement similar to a sickle or billhook used for reaping crops and also employed as a weapon.

It is found in many shapes and forms in Southeast Asia[1] and is particularly common in martial arts from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Ellis Amdur criticizes in his book Old School: Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions the theory that the kama was derived from a farmer's sickle.

Both the point and sharpened edge of the metal blade are called into use, Okinawan kata suggesting that it could also be used to block, trap and disarm an opponent's weapon.

The edge of a traditional rice sickle, such as one would purchase from a Japanese hardware store, continues to the handle without a notch, as this is unneeded for its intended use.