Nunchucks come with an interesting and fascinating history. Most of the weapons today look like new, but they are in fact very old.
Nunchucks or nunchaku is one of the most popular weapons these days in America. But, very few people know the history of the nunchucks.
Nunchucks include two wooden sticks that are connected with a chain. Sometimes, a cord or rope is used for connecting them. Also, at times, the two sticks are made of steel.
However, traditionally, the weapon was made of wood. Steel nunchucks are rather new or modern style weapons.
Since people are unfamiliar with the history of nunchaku, we feel it is essential to let people know how it was discovered. So, here is a brief explanation of the history of the nunchucks.
Dates Back to the 9th-10th Century
The history of the nunchucks takes us to the 10th century. It is unbelievable that it is such an old weapon. It was first used in ancient China and Okinawa during the 10th century.
The first ever nunchaku was a flail like weapon. It included two wooden sticks that were connected with horse’s hair. This Okinawan weapon was a pure agricultural tool till then, and wasn’t recognized as a fighting weapon.
A Basic Chinese Agricultural Tool
Nunchaku was basically an agricultural tool. It was used in China as a tool for cutting and reaping different crops.
The Chinese villagers had constructed it, and it was a handy tool for reaping crops such as soy, wheat, and rice etc. As mentioned before, it contained two wooden sticks tied with horse hair.
A War With the Mongolians
The history of the nunchucks is quite inspiring. The Chinese still take pride in this weapon. The history of this weapon begins with a historic war between a Chinese emperor and the Mongolians.
During the 10th century, a Chinese Emperor of Sung dynasty named Jiu Hong Jun battled the Mongolians. It was a very intense war and ended in a heavy defeat for the Chinese.
As a result, the territory went to the Mongolians. They captured his territory and therefore, he had to march towards the Chinese Mainland territory.
So, he took his troops to the Chinese Mainland territory. This was where the Chinese villagers were using nunchucks for cutting crops.
He settled in a village and the villagers fed him and took care of his army. In return, the emperor ordered his army to assist the villagers in the agriculture work of the villagers.
Read Also: An Ultimate Guide to Nunchucks History