Chakram

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The chakram (Devanāgarī: चक्रम) is a throwing weapon that was used by the ancient Indians; it is a flat metal ring with a sharp outer edge from 5 to 12 inches (13−30 cm) in diameter.

The word comes from Sanskrit and means round, circle, or wheel. Earliest references come from the Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana (here the Sudarshana Chakra is the weapon of the god Vishnu). It was used by Indian armies, mostly by Sikhs (who have it on at least one flag).

It has an effective range of 40 to 50 meters^{[citation needed]}. Because of its aerodynamic shape (similar to an aeroplane wing, Flying disc, or Aerobie), it is not easily deflected by wind.

[edit] The chakram in pop culture

A much larger (and purely fictional) version of the chakram has been used in many fantasy and martial arts media. Examples include:

In the popular TV series Xena: Warrior Princess, the protagonist Xena was able to throw her chakram great distances and cause it to ricochet off of surfaces to either hit her enemy or return to her.
Chakrams are also used by Axel, an Organization XIII member in the video game Kingdom Hearts II, accompanied and surrounded with his elemental flames at times, although they are mostly used as thrown weapons.
The character Sun Shang Xiang uses a Chakram in the Dynasty Warriors video game series as a melee weapon.
In Tales of Symphonia, the character Colette also uses this type of weapon used.
Tira, a character from the Soul series, also uses a weapon similar to a Chakram, called the Ring Blade.
The Reptilicus from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption also uses these weapons, though they are made of energy and can be reformed into whips as well.
In Eternal Darkness for the Nintendo Gamecube, the character Karim uses Chakrams during his chapter.