The fan was a formidable weapon, especially in times when weapons were banned. He was then made of steel spokes. At least the top and bottom were firm and razor sharp. He was used to block attacks, and as a stabbing weapon.
The Chinese Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799), the sixth emperor of the Qing Dynasty used it as unobtrusive protection.
In Indonesia, the weapon is called kipas.
In Japan, there are two types of fans: the folding fan, also called ogi or sensu, and the uchiwa, which consists of a piece of silk or paper, stretched on a frame.
Early multi spok fans (mie or itsue) consisted solely of wood.
This led to the kawahori with five thinner ribs and a glued piece of paper. Before the year 1000 the kawahori had more ribs. The quality was better and they were more often described as painted or a written letter, or as a gift.
A gunsen for the average warrior had metal reinforced wooden spokes, or metal spokes.
A tessen was a tough, heavy fight fan who also served in as paddle swimming. The martial art tess jitsu was taught in schools.
A gunbai or dancing uchiwa is a fairly large, heavy range to give signals between the troops. He also served as a shield against arrows, and as a sunscreen.
Even today, the fan is still used in Tai Chi, Tai Chi Kung Fu Fan and other martial arts. (A model in stainless steel, 33 cm is available for about 23 euros.)