The Nunchaku

The nunchaku, a farming flail, were originally used by farmers to thresh rice and grain in South-East Asia. It’s true origins are unclear. But what is, it consists of two sticks connected at their ends by a short chain or rope.

Its believed the tool soon developed into a traditional martial arts weapon where it was most widely used in Okinawa in feudal times. Legend has it that during the Japanese occupation of Okinawa some 400+ years ago, invading warlords prohibited the use of ordinary weapons such as the swords, spears and guns by the local farmers, fisherman and craftsman. So, the Okinawans peasants turned to karate and kobu-do - the art of karate weapons, such as the bo staff, kama sickles and the nunchaku - which the ingenious farmers used effectively to protect themselves. Other village tools soon became part of their martial weapons arsenal including such tools as the sai and tonfa, both farming tools and the oar a fisherman’s tool. We may never however be able to sort out the most accurate accounts of the nunchaku and other martial arts weapons histories.

What we do know is, that there are a variety of the basic designs in use today. Handles are shorter or longer in some, or round and octagonal in others. Some are foam for training, while others are metal “Speed chux” used in demo’s. Regardless of the varieties the nunchaku is a large part of the martial arts culture.