Cloth Fu

An occurrence where a character uses a piece of stray cloth as a weapon. The cloth used can vary from blankets to bags with towels getting special mention, as they're a convienient illustration of Can't Bathe Without a Weapon. The cloth can be used in a number of ways. In the most benign uses, the cloth can be used to capture or blind an enemy. More agile characters may even use the cloth to capture a weapon and disarm their opponent. More sinister characters can use the cloth as a makeshift garrote or even a hangman's noose. A type of fighting style that is not seen often, but does show up in some movies or TV shows.

Subtrope of: Improvised Weapon. Contrast: Clothing Combat

---

Examples of Cloth Fu include:

Anime and Manga

• One character in The Law of Ueki fights with towels. Justified, as he has the power to turn towels into metal (and back again).
• Similarly, Ryouga of Ranma ½ has demonstrated the ability to turn his bandannas into razor-sharp shuriken and his belt into a sword.

Film

• In the Richie Rich film, Prof. Keenbean does this to Ferguson, using a towel with one side of it coated with his super sticky adhesive, in an attempt to save Richie and the others.
• Oliver and Company: Georgette drops a blanket on top of Roscoe and Desoto, subduing them for a few seconds and allowing Dodger and the gang to infiltrate Sykes' hideout.
• In Zombieland, Columbus uses a shower curtain to keep a zombie from biting him.
• This has happened in nearly every Jackie Chan movie.
• In GoldenEye, James Bond beats a Mook by tying his arm with a towel and throwing him down the stairs. He then casually towels himself off.
• Happens to Panchito Pistoles at the end of the title song of The Three Caballeros as a result of both Donald Duck and Jose Carioca becoming annoyed of his singing.
• This is how Kristy joins the Best fight scene of all time in Undefeatable.

Newspaper Comics

• Peanuts: Linus occasionally uses his security blanket like a whip.

Literature

• Happens a few times in Hitch Hikers Guide to The Galaxy with towels. The notable example that springs to mind is when Ford is in freefall and manages to land on a giant talking bird. The bird is inclined to drop him, but Ford wraps his multipurpose towel around its head. The bird is now sightless, but Ford points out that he can still slowly fly down to the ground.
• In The Devil in Iron, Conan manages to stop his iron-bodied opponent by throwing a curtain on him. As noted, even if he's ludicrously strong he's still entangled by the whole damn cloth.

Live-Action TV

• A season four episode of Burn Notice showed Michael Weston using a towel in a fight against a prisoner. He used it to quickly wrap his opponent's hands together before proceeding to kick his ass.
• Bibleman. Biblegirl, in her first appearance, and not in uniform, used a piece of yellow cloth (which glowed) to fight Luxor Spawndroth, the villain of this particular episode.

Tabletop RPG

• Amber Diceless Role-Playing. Throwing a cloak or rug over someone's head is a specific form of attack listed under Weapons in the Other Factors in Combat section.

Webcomics

• Forgath of Goblins makes a habit of storing his mace in a cloth bag, even in dungeons. When an enemy attacked while Forgath was still trying to get the mace free, he first deflected the blow with the bag then wrapped the cloth around the weapon so he could control the blade.

Real Life

• Rolled up (damp) towels.