Hi Radleigh,
Nice to see another flexible weapons type around here.
There are a couple of books that might be useful if you want to use it. My favorite is Sanchez' Flexible Weapons, which is available from Amazon.
While I can buy that's it's Chinese, that isn't a chain whip. It's effectively a manriki-gusari. The issue is weighting. A chain whip has a separate handle and 3-11 metal rods joined by short lengths of chain. A "kusari" (=gusari) is a chain with weight on either end. Such weapons were not limited to Japan or even the orient. In Europe, they're called "slung shot" and in the Andes, there are two-stone bolas.
If you want to learn how to use it, I'd very strongly suggest either buying a modern kusari or making one yourself-- a length of chain and a couple of padlocks make a cheap analog. The weakness in yours (as pointed out by Vandoo) is that the links are s-shaped and bent, not welded. The S-shape means that the ends of the links can cut into your hand as they're sliding through your grip (unless they've been filed down), and they can also be straightened out by force. The fact that it's been repaired suggests that it might be a bit weak for weapon use.
Have fun!
F
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