Nunchucks are a martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks connected by a rope or chain. During Edo, nunchaku was popular as an informal self-defense weapon among common people, samurai, and monks. They can be translated to “one handful,” referring to the amount of rice that can be grasped in one hand.
Today striking with nunchaku is often practiced for sport alongside full-contact karate competition; however, it is not considered a true form of competitive fighting since it lacks many elements found in other martial arts styles such as grappling and throws. In the United States, nunchaku is commonly used as a martial arts and self-defense training tool.
After much controversy, the government of Japan officially banned nunchaku on January 11, 2008, saying that it was a skilled use of a weapon. The “nunchuk” is similar to the Chinese dao and Japanese kama. Nunchakus are not to be confused with “udon-chakra,” which is a Japanese cuisine dish consisting of noodles in an egg soup with chicken wings and diced bacon tossed in; there are also two variants called “nukudon.
History Overview of Nunchucks
Nunchucks are the weapon of choice for ninjas. They were made by the Japanese during the 1600s and were originally used for farming. The device is made up of two sticks, usually wood or metal, that are connected by a cord or chain and swung around in order to create momentum. It was later adopted by the Japanese police force as a weapon and was eventually taught in military schools. It has been called many different names such as the nunchaku, chukkuksu (the Japanese name), hanjiequan, and kusari Fundo.
