Supposedly, the 9th sōke (of Suio Ryu) Fukuhara Shinzaemon Kagenori created Masaki-ryū Fukuhara-ha Kusarigamajutsu, in part based on the Manrikigusari of Masaki-ryū, which has been handed down ever since as a separate tradition to each headmaster of the Suiō-ryū Iai Kenpō.
I would say that the kama used was unusual given its straight blade, however, the blade of the Isshin Ryu kama is also straight - perhaps you could say this was a feature of chain & sickle types as opposed to flail types, although there is not really enough material to say much in general.
Here the kama has a hatchet-like appearance:
Kamae, weight on the ground.
Horizontal rotations.
Horizontal arc-cast & entangle.
Sword resists pulling.
Sword drops and draws short.
Block with hand, attack sickle.
Second angle - the sword holds the attempted pull in the bind, chooses to attack with short.
Vertical rotations.
Vertical arc-cast attack to head.
Missed cast hits the ground.
Blocking with the sickle.
Free hand grapples.
Kama attack from the grapple.
Kamae, weight on the ground.
No rotations, chain held reverse, body square.
Retreat, block with chain.
Netting the sword.
Following in on sword raise.
Body entanglement.
Horizontal rotations.
Arc-cast to neck entanglement.
Sword grabs chain with left.
Sword rushes.
Sickle does back foot entry.
Attacks the back.
Vertical rotations against Nito.
Arc-cast at centre.
Entanglement of crossed swords (at the crossing).
Sword rushes.
Freehand grapples.
Attack with sickle from the grapple.
Horizontal rotations against Nito.
Longsword entangled.
Sword rushes.
Block with the sickle.
Turning shoulder.
Short attacks.
Grapple short.
Attack with the sickle.
The demonstration from which the stills are taken is here:
I would say that the kama used was unusual given its straight blade, however, the blade of the Isshin Ryu kama is also straight - perhaps you could say this was a feature of chain & sickle types as opposed to flail types, although there is not really enough material to say much in general.
Here the kama has a hatchet-like appearance:
Kamae, weight on the ground.
Horizontal rotations.
Horizontal arc-cast & entangle.
Sword resists pulling.
Sword drops and draws short.
Block with hand, attack sickle.
Second angle - the sword holds the attempted pull in the bind, chooses to attack with short.
Vertical rotations.
Vertical arc-cast attack to head.
Missed cast hits the ground.
Blocking with the sickle.
Free hand grapples.
Kama attack from the grapple.
Kamae, weight on the ground.
No rotations, chain held reverse, body square.
Retreat, block with chain.
Netting the sword.
Following in on sword raise.
Body entanglement.
Horizontal rotations.
Arc-cast to neck entanglement.
Sword grabs chain with left.
Sword rushes.
Sickle does back foot entry.
Attacks the back.
Vertical rotations against Nito.
Arc-cast at centre.
Entanglement of crossed swords (at the crossing).
Sword rushes.
Freehand grapples.
Attack with sickle from the grapple.
Horizontal rotations against Nito.
Longsword entangled.
Sword rushes.
Block with the sickle.
Turning shoulder.
Short attacks.
Grapple short.
Attack with the sickle.
The demonstration from which the stills are taken is here: