Ive been looking around and the closest thing to a real life counterpart I could find is this.
It might never have been developed because swords in the western countries like the longsword and zweihander were in the beginning of the decline of plate armor and the advent of firearms. Then came the rapiers and smallswords. (traditional duelling with lunges, thrusts) Had the ages of gunpowder stalled a bit longer ...its quite possible a thing such as this would have been made.