Talk:Nunchaku/Archive 1

Is the story of a solely Asian origin of the Okinawa Nunchaku a Myth?
Did European sailors or missionaries have a hand in encouraging the adoption of the flail as a concealable peasant weapon?

The points that raised this question were...

·	The name Nunchaku was borrowed from the Chinese language to describe the new weapons.

·	The claimed origin of the device is undetermined and highly disputed, with claims of either a grain flail, a horse bridle, or a percussion instrument used for music and signaling.

·	No known historic traditional Kata recorded for Nunchaku survive.

·	Lack of available historical Asian illustrations depicting short equal length rod Nunchaku, or Nunchaku weapon use. I am currently still looking for verifiable sources of historical pictures of Okinawa/Japanese Nunchaku, preferably with rods of an equal length, and predating the arrival of Europeans in Japan.

The flail was a popular symbol in European religious art, and had been used by religious fanatics in battles as an inexpensive weapon (see for example Hussite wars 1420 to circa 1434). Flails were popular in Europe as a quick and cost effective means to arm peasant uprisings.

European flails included designs with rods of equal matching length. These matched pairs of rods came in sizes that included both large full man height rods, and smaller arm length Rods.

See these pictures for examples of such European flail styles

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battage_%C3%A0_Fl%C3%A9au.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:3-piantagione,Taccuino_Sanitatis,_Casanatense_4182..jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tacuinum_Sanitatis-threshing.jpg

Threshing grain shown on Stain glass window in Chartres cathedral http://www.paradoxplace.com/Photo%20Pages/France/Chartres/Zodiac_Window/ImagesB_Cancer_to_Capricorn/800/Aug-Sept07-DE6804sAR800.jpg

http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2009/08/14/threshing-it-out/06v_09r-august_top_full/

A more modern example is depicted in an 1899 Huber steam engine catalog http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/4834/scangg0.jpg

Use of a flail with equal size rods by a man perched on the prow of a boat can be seen on page 190 of the book "An Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Costume : From the First Century B.C. to C. 1760 by J. R. Planche." Under the description for flail, it says such flails were popular for use by sailors in sea fights at the time of Henery VIII. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.181.81.5 (talk) 22:03, 4 October 2009 (UTC)

Okinawa (Ryūkyū Kingdom) was a very important hub of maritime trade between mainland Asia and Japan. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_Domain

Flails as weapons became popularized in Okinawa after the time of the influx of European culture into Japan with the arrival of maritime merchants, sailors, and missionaries from Europe during the 17th century. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirishitan

Emergence of small concealable short flails in Okinawa, and the slow decline in use of the flail weapon in Okinawa coincided with the suppression and eventual expulsion of Western influence in Japan, during the mid 17th century. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakoku

More than a dozen historic traditional Kata for fighting with a staff are known of today in Okinawa martial arts, while no known historic traditional Kata recorded for Nunchaku survive, See http://www.itna.ch/histoire_nunch_en.htm This lack of maintaining a Nunchaku tradition could possibly be most easily explainable as the result of a suppression and decline of a relatively new non-indigenous weapon.

Please if you know of any verifiable sources of historical pictures of Okinawa/Japanese Nunchaku, preferably with rods of an equal length, the Wiki article really needs some historical pictures. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.181.83.27 (talk) 21:22, 4 October 2009 (UTC)

The Sports Club of...
"Free-Style Martial Arts Programs across the United States, such as The Sports Club of West Bloomfield, Michigan teach the use of nunchaku." Of what relevance is that Sports Club to the article? Dvrvm 21:55, 15 July 2007 (UTC)

Addition
I added this part "The three segmented nunchuck is known as the Sansetsukon." Intranetusa September. 20, 2006.


 * I removed it. First, the sansetsukon is NOT a three-section nunchaku.  You can say it's a variation/version of it, but it's NOT a nunchaku at all.  Second, it was already mentioned. By the way, sign comments with four tildes.  Shift + the key above Tab. --Raijinili 03:38, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

Censorship in UK
Just now I read that the British versions of several films censor any scenes that depict the use of "nunchucks"... anybody know exactly why? &mdash; F REAK OF N URxTURE  ( TALK )  09:15, Apr 6, 2005 (UTC)


 * Some months later and no one has answered this. I live in the UK and would also love to know what it is about nunchaku in particular that we aren't allowed to see. Anyone? Agentsoo 9 July 2005 12:33 (UTC)

See below - Cal42 11:55, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Was wondering the same as well. And the answer is quite simple enough: it was an illegal weapon in the UK at the time.

I'm more concerned about actually carrying them around in the street.I go to Ju-Jitsu, I hae noly used nunchaku about 4 times, but I know how to use them pretty well.And I usually carry my budo pass with me (which is a permit).Can I still have them?

Word origin
Would it be more correct to refer to them by the appropriate name rather than a bastardization in the wiki itself, rather than Nunchucks? 10:59, 23 Nov 2010 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.53.26.76 (talk)

I know very little about nunchaku or Chinese, but according to the Japanese wikipedia page, the word origin of nunchaku is from the Min dialect of Chinese:

&#12300;&#31680;&#12391;&#20108;&#12388;&#12395;&#20998;&#12363;&#12428;&#12383;&#26834;&#12301;&#12434;&#24847;&#21619;&#12377;&#12427;&#12300;&#20001;&#31680;&#26829;&#12301;&#12434;&#31119;&#24314;&#35486;&#12391;&#35501;&#12435;&#12384;&#12300;n=ng-chiat-kun&#12301;&#12364;&#35486;&#28304;

Maybe someone else knows more? CES 23:26, 2 Feb 2005 (UTC)

I have found references to nunchaku being written in completely different characters in Japanese: &#21452;&#31680;&#26829; &mdash; Hippietrail 09:28, 2 Jun 2004 (UTC)


 * If they really are Japanese in origin, then some mention of their Japanese name should be made. As it stands now, it is unclear why they are known as "nunchaku" as only the Chinese names are used. --Feitclub 15:26, Nov 1, 2004 (UTC)


 * Hmmm, what I get from the Japanese wiki is that the reading "nunchaku" for those kanji comes from a certain dialect of Chinese. How the Ryuukyuu people pronounced those kanji is not mentioned, but in modern Japanese, it is commonly written ヌンチャク or 双節棍, the second being pronounced like the first. There are a number of kanji that are used for nunchaku, and they all pretty much mean "two sticks connected together with a joint". So, it seems that the Japanese got the reading "nunchaku" from the chinese reading "n=ng-chiat-kun" (Which I have absolutely no idea how to pronounce, but it's probably similar to "nunchaku"), who got the written version from Ryuukyuu. Aren't kanji fun? I'd like to know what the original Ryuukyuu reading was, myself.


 * Also, what's up with all the different bastardizations of "nunchaku" in the article intro? I came across another one today: "nunchuka". It just seems ridiculous that all these different spellings are so frequently used. Current Google standings:


 * nunchaku: 1,030,000
 * nunchucks: 204,000
 * nunchuks: 56,900
 * numchucks: 61,500
 * nun-chucks: 222,000
 * nun-chuks: 57,800
 * nun chucks: 129,000
 * nun chuks: 831
 * nunchuka: 26,800


 * All but the first and last of these redirect to nunchaku. Isn't that enough? Do we really need to list every possible misspelling in the intro? I guess it may sound prescriptivist, but I don't think that we should support or propogate the various misspellings, especially the multitude that return under 100,000 Google results. I think it would be better to say something along the lines of "The word nunchaku is commonly spelled in every way imaginable that sounds something like it." The list of misspellings just seems excessive. -- Rablari Dash 07:36, 12 February 2006 (UTC)


 * First of all, the 2 writtings of nunchaku in kanji are the same word. One's in traditional chinese and the other's in simplified chinese. I have no factual evidence to my say about the origin (if I did, this conversation wouldn't be here) but with a simple understanding of oriental history and the nature of japanese governmental structure vs the chinese, it is unlikely that the japanese invented anything well known before their modern times innovations of nintendo and toyota. Almost everything known in the western world as Japanese is Chinese in origin. The Japanese appelations of things merged into the w.estern worlds because Japanese were the first to adopt the western methods. Almost everything we associate as Japanese such as Katana or Sushi are just Japanese prononciation of Chinese words designating Chinese inventions. Karate, for example, is also said to be of Okinawan origin in name. But look at the root of the Okinawan word and it just means "kara" Chinese, and "te" hand. Even "kanji" which the Japanese use to name these things is also a Japanese prononciation of a Chinese word meaning "Chinese character". -- Xiao jy 23:01, 7 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Hmm, Xiao jy, you look like you do not even understand Chinese, right? The meanings of the two characters are different. 219.107.178.61 (talk) 22:23, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

Nunchaku and Ninja
The entry for Ninja contains the following:

Contrary to popular belief, nunchaku were never used by the ninja, or indeed any mainland Japanese traditional martial art.

However, the entry for nunchaku claims:

The most common martial arts to use nunchaku are the Japanese martial arts such as some forms of karate,

and talks about nunchaku in relation to Japan. Which is it?


 * I have no direct knowledge of this but as I understand it, karate is essentially Okinawan, and so is the use of nunchaku. If someone can verify this, it should be clarified here. --Andrew 16:16, 7 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Karate is basically Okinawan and Chinese, not Japanese.

Satsuma Daimyō
I think it should be Satsuma Daimyō, not Satsuma shoguns. The Shōgun was the leader of Japan who lived in Edo (modern day Tōkyō) in that time period. Another possibility is using "Tokugawa Shogunate", the regime in Japan which limited the carrying of swords to the samurai in the early 1600s. However, I don't know anything about Okinawan history so any comments on which it should be?

Rice flail?
The article argues that the nunchaku was not derived from a rice flail, then goes on to say that it was "modified for it's use as a weapon." Modified from what? The nunchaku probably was modified from a rice flail. Nobody would have designed this device from scratch as a weapon because, as the article points out, it really isn't a very practical weapon. No doubt the original flail was an even more impractical weapon, but in a pinch it would be better than nothing. The article also points out that the farmers wouldn't have trained for improvised combat against soldiers, but they may have trained for improvised combat against ordinary bandits or other trouble-makers. The bo, kama and tonfa were undoubtedly derived from improvised weapons; there's no reason to doubt that the nunchaku was too. If it wasn't derived from a rice flail, then what was it?

Rice Flail Myth
I have come to understand that the nunchaku would almost be completely worthless as a rice flail. It's a myth/old wives tale that is continuously perpetuated. The amount of rice you could actually thresh in an hour with such a skinny little flail would be very miniscule, and you'd likely starve to death ;). Recently a kobudo shihan informed me that (keeping with the trend of farming equipment implemented as weapons) the nunchaku was likely part of the harness/collar for an ox. And you are correct that its impractical. In fact the kama, tonfa, bo, jo, sai, etc.. probaly had less than a 5% chance of actually defending against katana (which is why most applications and styles of these weapons, with the exception of something like shindo muso, are usually against other okinawan weapons/tools.) -- Sodium N4 09:09, 15 June 2006 (UTC)


 * I thought of this arguement when I saw thisin the museum of Rome in er...Rome. I know there are differences, and it's the other side of the planet, but it's a pretty interesting co-incidence isn't it?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cal42 (talk • contribs) 19:25, August 24, 2007 (UTC)


 * Look at this photo, this is what a typical flail looks like. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dreschflegel.jpg I'm not a farmer but I think the nunchaku would have the same uses. 199.117.69.8 (talk) 19:09, 20 March 2009 (UTC)


 * Very interesting photo, even though something like this is relevant, it probably constitutes "original research" so it couldn't be used in the article. We'd have to find a reputable source like a mention by Donn F. Draeger in one of his many budo books.


 * I have also seen a similar (same?) implement in the PowerHouse Musesum in Sydney, Australia. It was among 'agricultural' implements, and I have also seen it depicted on television from Europe being 'used' for threshing grain crops. It was more like a Bo with a much shorter piece attached to one end. However, I recall NO written mentions of the similarity between this European thresher and the Asian nunchaku. Another example is in 'Braveheart'.  I am certain that in the 'slo-mo' scene where Wallace is riding into the village, he pulls a nunchaku-like weapon (two sticks with a flexible connection) from behind his neck. (Of course this may merely be 'poetic' licence)


 * Note that there are many types of nunchaku, though the 'standard' one with two round/octagonal sticks of the same ~30 cm length are by far the most common. In a book (Nunchaku, Karate Weapon of Self Defence by Fumio Demura[I think]) there are drawings of ones with up to 4 sections, the connecting cord having 2 short sections of material. I think he also shows a longer staff with a shorter end like the "Euro" nunchaku mentioned above. A 3 sectional staff could also be regarded as a type of nunchaku.


 * I think the picture is an example of 'convergent evolution', or 'form follows function' resulting in the invention of similar solutions to the same need. It is also possible that the idea did in fact travel from Asia to Europe. Or even the reverse!

--220.101.28.25 (talk) 07:16, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

Sellotape?
For one, I think they meant Cellophane tape or Scotch tape (magic tape, etc). And secondly, given the article's tone overall, it would be heracy to put scotch tape on such a well-made and well-cared-for weapon. I can't believe the author actually suggests this. In fact this seems to be just some recommendations by the author, not something researched. Anyone care if I remove it?

Huh?
"Rocket-powered"?

24.6.42.35 13:32, 28 January 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I finally decided to do something about that one. It's been around for an eternity, in wikitime. I did a little searching to try to find even a fictional, pop-culture rocket-powered nunchaku, but what with all the horrible misspellings of nunchaku, it's hard to search for. -- Rablari Dash 18:57, 16 April 2006 (UTC)

Law in the UK
Is the nunchaku really forbidden in the UK?


 * Yes and no. It is an offence to carry an offensive weapon in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.  Carrying in a bag on the way to/from a dojo is likely to be a reasonable excuse, whereas swining it around your head probably won't be.  That said, the article is a little misleading; you don't _only_ have to carry it to/from a dojo. 86.16.114.173 09:22, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

interesting how the nunchuk is forbidden in so many places. It's ridiculous. It's obviously because of the crude assumptions and stereotypes sorrounding nunchucks. Good god, all variables set aside, if some nunchuck master got into an arena with some ordinary shmuck with a baseball bat, i'm betting money on the guy with the bat. Nunchucks are very impractical weopons. Bruce lee himself used nunchucks in his movies because they looked cool and that's it. (same reason he did flashy things in movies, but in reality his fighting was very subtle and straight forward)

If i got in a fight with some one who had nunchucks, gimme a stick and i'd beat that deluded moron senseless.

It is illegal to carry on the street unless you are travelling to or from a dojo, and you are carrying them approriately. i.e., in a bag, not in your hand. It is not illegal to possess them.

I am an instructor for the Orcutt Police Nunchaku (OPN), having originally trained in 1997 and recertified under Kevin Orcutt, the Master Instructor. As a defensive tactics instructor and law enforcement officer I have trained law enforcement, since then, in the use of the OPN for impact and defense, as well as arrest control. Prior to that, I studied martial arts in various forms and several weapon systems, including the nunchaku. The statement made by the individual above, deciding that the nunchaku is an impractical weapon, and making statements about how a stick is superior, has apparently not seen the "practical" use of the nunchaku as an offensive/defensive tool. There is a reason many law enforcement agencies (San Diego P.D., Albuquerque N.M., Dodge City, KS, etc...)have traded in their "stick" for the OPN.

Arguments are easy to disregard. Demonstrations are not. It is not important that everyone realize how effective the nunchaku is...but it is very important that people never assume or underestimate the potential of the deluded moron's weapon of choice.208.34.196.40 18:20, 1 May 2006 (UTC)Eric Smith


 * The typical wielder of a nunchaku is going to fall under one of two categories. The first is, like you, trained in their use for practical purposes. The other is going to be that deluded moron that thinks nunchaku are 'cool' and an innately lethal weapon. To be sure, nunchaku are effective, when used correctly. To the untrained, they are more dangerous to their wielder than an opponent. And it's not all that difficult to tell which category a person falls under in short order. -- Rablari Dash 07:39, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

They certainly are dangerous to the untrained user and in the hands of someone competent i would not have much hope for a man with a stick. I think one reason they are seen as "bad" is because of their underground origin, after all they where designed to be a disguised weapon, though I train with them for meditation more than for combat. Does anyone know if the laws regarding nunchaku apply to the training type with foam handles? Katateochi 11:39, 4 May 2006 (UTC)


 * I use nunchaku, mainly for blowing off steam.I have to deal with the foam (not just handles, completely foam, still hurt if you hit a testicle or something)ones, which i'm guessing are legal as long as you carry your liscence/permit with you.

(copied from an earlier entry of mine)

"I'm more concerned about actually carrying them around in the street.I go to Ju-Jitsu, I have only used nunchaku about 4 times, but I know how to use them pretty well.And I usually carry my budo pass with me (which is a permit).Can I still have them?"

Origin
Who put down that nunchaku is a japanese weapon? Until after the industrial revolutions, very little things did originate from Japan. Today, most oriental things have japanese names (such as nunchaku, a japanese pronounciation of a chinese word) because the japanese were the first asian cultures the westerners were open to because the japanese did not have the arrogance of cultural superiority as the chinese do. Nunchaku, among with almost every other japanese labeled weapons were of chinese origin. Otherwise, why would the japanese be creative enough to adopt a kenji (chinese) form of name for their own creation? lol


 * Technically, the nunchaku is an Okinawan weapon, take that to mean what you will. What I'd like to know is what they called the weapon, before it passed over to China and then to Japan. -- Rablari Dash 07:52, 2 May 2006 (UTC)


 * The weapon is called 双節棍 before it was called nunchaku lol. Like Japanese "inventions", many things of Okinawan "origin" is simply Chinese and their names derived from Chinese dialects of FuJian province. This is why nunchaku is written in Chinese 双節棍 but pronouced differently than the standard mandarin Shuang-Jie-Gun. A good example is Karate that everyone thinks is a authentically Japanese as they can and the word Karate is as original as possible but Kara is just an Okinawan adoption of the FuJian dialect pronounciation of Tang, a Chinese dynasty and Te means hand. Karate really means Chinese fist although no one, like for nunchaku, acknowledges its origin -- Xiao jy 17:18, 21 May 2006 (UTC)


 * I hope you don't mind that I signed your post for you, seems that you forgot. Anyway, just because the Japanese use Chinese characters (or even Chinese pronunciations) for the names of the things they create does not mean they did not create them. Karate (not all martial arts, just traditional karate) existed in Okinawa before it was given the name "karate". Karate means "empty hand". After the Japanese adopted the Chinese writing system, they assigned kanji to their own words, and therefore new pronunciations to those kanji. However, they also create new words, deriving the pronuciation from the Chinese or Japanese readings of those kanji. There are many things for which the Japanese have multiple names, because of the multiple readings. For instance, "朝御飯" (asagohan) and "朝食" (choushoku) both mean "Breakfast", however, the first is a native Japanese word written in kanji, whereas the second was produced from the Chinese readings of the kanji. Hmm... I've meandered a bit. In short: Even if the words may not be originally Japanese, that doesn't mean they didn't invent the thing represented by those words. -- Rablari Dash 03:06, 24 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Read the page about Karate, you'll see kara (Tang dynasty) and empty handed are homophones and when Japan was at war with China, the japanese decided that their national pride shouldn't be named after their enemy. Xiao jy 02:46, 22 August 2006 (UTC)


 * So what you're saying is, nothing original ever came out of Japan ever? It was all stolen from the Chinese? You'll be hard-pressed to back that up.

I don't think he's saying that. But it is historically accurate to say that karate is 50% southern Chinese kung fu and 50% traditional Okinawan martial art.

Typos
The Japanese spelling of "nunchaku" appears to say "tanchaku," can somebody fix this? (I assume the correct spelling would be transliterated as "nanchaku," but I could be wrong...)

Oh, and in the "formal nunchaku styles" section, at the end of the last paragraph (regarding the North American Nunchaku Association), it says, as a full sentence, "Students studying at home from DVDs, and send their sends to the school in California." I almost added "citation needed" for humorous effect. I'm positive it means something, but what? (Seriously, it looks like any old common typo, so it's not a big deal, I just wish I knew how we could fix it...) 68.167.251.122 16:59, 8 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Actually, it's "nu" (ヌ), not "ta" (タ). I can see how you got confused, though. --Raijinili 21:27, 8 August 2006 (UTC)

freestyle nunchaku
I have added a section on freestyle nunchaku and linked it to the new wiki page on freestyle nunchaku. Us freestlye boys are lacking experience on wikis so any help would be much apreciated, as its quite a popular activity with nunchaku I think its important its in here, Cheers Hairybiddy 15:54, 3 September 2006 (UTC)
 * You may wish to read up on the guides that may be linked in your talk page (if they're not there, I have them in my talk page). One thing you could do is add references to the section you created. --Darren Lee 01:56, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Video
The guy in the video has such bad form and is clearly doing it for the aesthetic pleasure of the audience.

which is the idea. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.15.16.190 (talk) 14:15, 26 April 2011 (UTC)

Section titles
I've noticed that "Nunchaku" is used as an adjective in a number of section titles. This should be avoided, per WP:MOS. Just64helpin 00:11, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

History of the weapon
I don't actually feel comfortable enough with the history of the nunchaku to rewrite that section, but I really thing it merits a rewrite, or some sort of "low quality" tagging of some sort. Pdpinheiro 07:54, 31 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Please put new sections at the bottom. Anyway, Category:Articles needing expert attention is what you're looking for. Put one of those tags with an explanation. --Raijinili 02:29, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

Ninja...Turtles?
Last sentence in the middle paragraph of the History section:

"Nonetheless, the nunchaku's impressive motion in use and perceived lethality contributed to its increasing popularity, peaking in the 1980s, perhaps due to its unfounded association with ninja during the 1980s ninja craze."

"1980s ninja craze" redirects to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What's the rationale for this? Paul Haymon 08:55, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Nunchukin' in the UK
I have removed the reference to the UK in the "legalities" section. Possession of Nunchaku was never illegal in this territory. I have also removed the reference to "anti-nunchaku law" as there was no actual LAW on this matter. The confusion seems to have arisen over the head of the BBFC for the 80's and early 90's James Ferman, who made it his personal mission to rid the SCREEN (both cinema and home) of the weapon. This was due to copyable behaviour most likely, and there were reports (most likely tabloid-driven Urban Myth) that gangs of children were roaming the streets immitating Bruce Lee and causing others (and themselves) physical injury. Such was Ferman's single-mindedness on this matter that even a scene in the movie Dragnet was cut, as it showed a poster of Bruce Lee on a wall using the weapon.

It should be pointed out that UK TV broadcasts (which didn't come under the jurisdiction or Ferman) could still show uncut movies featuring Nunchaku, but usually didn't due to their own broadcasting sensibilities. Some scenes previously trimmed by the BBFC DID get shown on TV, however, including the scene in Dragnet mentioned above.

When Ferman retired from the BBFC in 1999, the Bruce Lee films were released uncut on home formats in the UK - the first time they were seen in this way legally in the UK since 1985. This has effectively ended the ruling - I can't think of a single instance of a Nunchaku being censored since this time.

As for Nunchaku themselves, most weapon shops will want to see some documentation that you belong to a Martial Arts school before selling you the weapon. Use of the weapon may actually be limited to the Dojo, although I'm not 100% on that. It probably isn't a good idea to go walking around the streets with them, in any case.

Hope this helps. --Cal42 11:55, 15 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I believe the rule is, where being transported, they must be carried in a "lockable bag", though UK law is slightly hazy on exactly what a "lockable bag" might be. A rucksack with a small padlock on the zip would probably suffice. Incidentally, I've seen no legislation explicitly stating that this bag actually needs to be locked during transit -- and I have looked into the matter.
 * Just don't ever carry them publicly on your person, for any reason, because this legally constitutes a "concealed weapon" which is technically a criminal act. --Xanthine 11:26, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

there was a widely reported case of a man carrying a nunchuk, he was arrested, and charged with possession of a lethal weapon. it was a big deal, because it was the first time the weapon had been dubbed legally 'lethal'. thanks to one guy i cant go practice, for fear of being arrested. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.15.16.190 (talk) 14:21, 26 April 2011 (UTC)

Trivia (Pop Culture)
I have moved the trivial list of fictional nunchaku references here per WP:TRIV. TyrannoRanger
 * This was done before, followed by the trivia getting placed back in. Just64helpin 16:50, 2 June 2007 (UTC)
 * And with good reason. WP:TRIV clearly states that trivia sections should not be deleted:
 * "This guideline does not suggest removing trivia sections, or moving them to the talk page. If information is otherwise suitable, it is better that it be poorly presented than not presented at all."
 * SpectrumDT (talk) 18:31, 6 November 2008 (UTC)


 * The Nintendo Wii's accessory controller is called the nunchuck.
 * Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series uses two kobu nunchaku, although due to early censorship in Europe, there was a period in which he used a grappling hook, dubbed the turtle line.
 * In G.I.-Joe, the Joe team's martial arts expert is codenamed Nunchuck.
 * In the South Park episode Good Times With Weapons, Kyle and Token bought a pair of nunchaku.
 * In the How I Met Your Mother episode Best Prom Ever, a high school senior who is Lily's date for the night, pulls out a pair of nunchaku on Marshall and hits him with them.
 * Bruce Lee's movies, such as Fist of Fury, brought nunchaku into mainstream America as an oriental weapon.
 * Brothers Sakon and Ukon are characters in the anime/manga series Naruto bearing the names of the two connected sticks of a nunchaku.
 * Virtuoso guitarist Buckethead is famous for his stage performances mixing nunchaku and robotic dance.
 * In the third installment of the Naruto movie, Rock Lee uses a nunchaku.
 * In the webcomic 8-Bit Theater, Fighter frequently attempts to master "sword-chucks", a weapon of his own creation consisting of two swords attached by a chain. Sword-chucks are a joke in that they are "impossible to wield" (according to Fighter) and they have no grip, nonetheless they have been shown as effective weapons in the hands of Fighter. In a guest comic for a Christmas special, he creates "staff-chucks," two magical staves chained together, as a gift for Black Mage.
 * In the webcomic The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, Dr. McNinja is faced with a genetically modified 'Über-Ninja' named Mongo, who wields Chainsaw Nunchucks - Two chainsaws tied together with a length of chain.
 * In the movie Fight Club, Tyler Durden is seen practicing with a nunchaku.
 * In the movie Domino, Keira Knightley is seen practicing with a nunchaku, as well as gets recruited into the Bounty Hunter business because of it.
 * In the movie Napoleon Dynamite, the title character makes a couple of references to nunchaku, including the observation that girls only like boys with skills, like nunchaku skills. He tends to mispronounce the weapon's name as "num-chuks".
 * In the kung fu parody film Kung Pow: Enter the Fist, Steve Oedekerk's character has two gophers bite down on either end of a tightly rolled sheet, creating an impromptu pair of nunchaku that he calls "gopher-chucks".
 * An extensive nunchaku demonstration can be seen in the movie Sidekicks, starring Chuck Norris and Jonathan Brandis. In the movie, Brandis must learn a martial arts weapon to compete in a local tournament, and he chooses the nunchaku. When it comes time for him to perform, his imagination takes on his character, and he becomes a white-dressed ninja who begins a dizzying array of nunchaku motions and fighting movements.
 * Austin Stevens, the South African naturalist and herpetologist, practices martial arts with nunchaku as a way to improve his reflexes for dealing with poisonous snakes.
 * Four of the Sentai/Power Rangers Characters, Goggle Black from Dai Sentai Goggle V, Tenmaranger from Gosei Sentai Dairanger, OhYellow/Zeo Ranger II from Chouriki Sentai Ohranger/Power Rangers: Zeo, and GekiRed from Jūken Sentai Gekiranger are armed with nunchaku.
 * The Marvel Comics character Shang-Chi uses nunchaku many times in battle.
 * In the New Zealand animated series Bro'Town exchange student Wong teaches the characters Vale, Valea, Sione, Jeff and Mack to use "jandal-chucks".
 * The Thundercats character Panthro uses a special type of nunchaku he designed called 'Num-chucks'.
 * In the Mortal Kombat series Johnny Cage and Liu Kang use the nunchaku as their weapon of choice.
 * Sgt Joe Friday in Dragnet the movie, throws away a pair of nunchaku that he was attacked with.
 * In the movie Trailer Park Boys: The Movie Bubbles attacks Jim Lahey with nunchaku
 * Flower-Stealth Captor 3 from Ninja Captor is armed with this weapon.
 * In the internet cartoon Homestar Runner, the character Strong Bad is occasionally seen wielding a pair of nunchaku.
 * In the Office episode the Negotiatian, character Dwight Schrute is seen with a pair of nun-chucks. These are confiscated at the end of the episode.
 * In the film Problem Child 2, the title character Junior wields this weapon as a distraction to lure his Grandpa Big Ben out of his bedroom window. The scene was cut when it was first released in the UK but has now been reinstated in 2006 on DVD.

In video games

 * The Last Ninja
 * Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow
 * Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
 * Bad Dudes
 * Darkstalkers
 * Dead or Alive 4
 * Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
 * Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone
 * Dynasty Warriors 5
 * Fatal Fury
 * Final Fantasy
 * Final Fantasy VIII
 * Mortal Kombat
 * Ninja Gaiden
 * Ninja Gaiden Black
 * Soul Calibur 2
 * Soul Calibur 3
 * Soul Edge
 * Super Double Dragon
 * Super Street Fighter II - The New Challengers
 * Street Fighter Alpha 3
 * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games
 * Vigilante
 * Yie Ar Kung-Fu
 * Nintendo's Wii console features a controller attachment for the Wii Remote called "Nunchuk" because its shape resembles the nunchaku when attached.

Anatomy Section
The final paragraph states:

''Many new nunchucks are being made with physics in mind. With a growing number of graduates in the field of nunchucking, the speed and ferocity at which the weapon is used is being better implemented through the use of centripetal force.''

...What exactly is this trying to say? --Xanthine 11:34, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

Chinese origin
How come no one ever mentions the Chinese sectional staves as a possible origin for the nunchaku?

put simply, they do. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.15.16.190 (talk) 14:23, 26 April 2011 (UTC)

Korean name
The article lists the Korean name as Ssahng Jeol Bahngs, or sometimes Ssahng Jeol Bongs, but every Korean I've ever met in Korea calls them Ssahng Jeol Gon (forget the s, there's no pluralization like that in Korean)222.108.59.145 10:45, 29 October 2007 (UTC)

Tense Confusion
I orginally planned to making minor grammatical changes to the Anatomy section of this article but have found this to be much harder to do than I originally intended.

The problem I have is this particular block of text: ''The traditional nunchaku is made from a strong, flexible hardwood such as oak, loquat or pasania. Originally, the wood would be submerged in mud for several years, where lack of oxygen and optimal acidity prevent rotting. The end result is a hardened wood. The rope is made from horsehair, and was traditionally claimed to be able to block a sword. Finally, the wood is very finely sanded and rubbed with an oil or stain for preservation. Today, such nunchaku are often varnished or painted for display purposes. This practice tends to reduce the grip and make the weapon harder to handle, and so is not advised in a combat weapon.''

I am unsure if this is talking about how nanchaku were traditionally made (a past event) or how traditional style nunchku are made (a present event)as the text switches tenses in almost every sentence. For example, the words "is made", in the first sentence, suggests this is about current construction practices while the use of "originally" and "would be" in the next sentence suggests that is is really about how nunchaku were made in the past. I will gladly rewite this particular section if someone is able to clarify for me, what this part should be about. France3470 (talk) 18:25, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

Few people
Few people actually know how to use the nunchaku effectively. Most "masters" only know how to swing the weapon in an aesthetic manner for bystanders. 70.59.5.18 (talk) 18:53, 12 March 2008 (UTC)


 * True. But what other reason would you train with nunchakus for? 184.96.250.190 (talk) 17:11, 6 July 2011 (UTC)

Chucku
I added the Fact tag to the 'Also, Chucku may have also been believed to be a suffix for the Hindi phrase "knife"' statement in the History section. Just wanted to point out that I am not questioning the meaning of "Chucku" in Hindi, but rather that any authorities consider the word nunchaku to have been derived from this. It seems like original research to me, but I will give this some time. WDavis1911 (talk) 18:54, 21 May 2008 (UTC)

NANA
Removed content about the North American Nunchaku Association (NANA), which is not an "association" but actually a commercial enterprise that has its headquarters in California where even possession of nunchaku is illegal. Any objections? Behemoth (talk) 04:15, 28 December 2008 (UTC)

Name
This East Asian weapon is now familiar enough to have acquired an English nam: nunchuck. this is an English encyclopedia.Historicist (talk) 11:31, 1 June 2009 (UTC)
 * Wouldn't that be more a simple contraction than a 'name'? --220.101.28.25 (talk) 20:11, 20 October 2009 (UTC)

No, I agree. It's Wiki policy to use the common name in English of article subjects for the title. The common name in English is Nunchuck, not Nunchaku, hence the article title should be changed.24.190.34.219 (talk) 14:36, 11 March 2010 (UTC)

But "nunchucks" is just a layman's term, not the common name for the weapon. All of the sporting associations listed on the page use the correct spelling regardless of their country of origin. A quick look online will reveal that other than the G.I Joe character and the Wii peripheral, the vast majority of material (books, instructional dvds) use the correct spelling. I agree that the word is commonly pronounced "nunchucks" or "nunchuckas" however it is rarely spelled this way, saying that "nunchucks" is  the common english name is fallacious. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.148.117.79 (talk • contribs)

Title of the article is simply embarassing. "Nunchucks" is not the proper English term. It's merely teenager slang. All English-speaking exponents as well as noteworthy sources on the subject mention the weapon with its internationally recognised name. Behemoth (talk) 22:18, 29 November 2010 (UTC)

I changed everything I could back to Nunchaku, a member will have to restore the title. Calling Nunchaku "Nunchucks" is like calling Katana "Samurai Swords" or Shuriken "Ninja Stars", common slang terms but inappropriate and amateurish for an encyclopedia article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.107.253.223 (talk) 05:12, 12 December 2010 (UTC)


 * Changing Ninja into "ninjer" would sure be something creators of that "nunchucks" title would be proud of. Behemoth (talk) 12:41, 3 January 2011 (UTC)

A garrote?
Are there any occasions where a nunchaku has been used a garrote? In other words have nunchaku been used as strangling weapons? On the garrote article it says they've been used in that fashion. 97.118.32.250 (talk) 23:28, 9 May 2010 (UTC)


 * They can be used in that fashion, at least I have seen it depicted in a martial arts book whose title I cannot recall. Imagine the flexible connection across the throat from behind, and the handles crossed behind the neck to apply pressure. Technically though a garrote is usually something thin, like a wire. - 220.101 User talk:220.101.28.25\ 21:05, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

How dangerous?
Could be worth covering: has there ever been an objective determination on just how dangerous a nunchaku makes the person who carries it? The various prohibitive legislation seems driven mostly by panic. knoodelhed (talk) 05:37, 20 May 2010 (UTC)
 * It was used on an episode of Deadliest Warrior by a Yakuza and it was shown to be lethal after three blows to the head of a ballistic gel dummy. 216.160.137.99 (talk) 14:08, 26 May 2010 (UTC)
 * A blow with even the rubber ones they now make hurts a lot, let alone the traditional wooden ones. Apparently if you hit yourself with the wooden ones bang on the elbow, you lose feeling in your entire arm for an hour and a half. Believe me, it's not fun. Crimsonraptor (talk) 14:36, 3 September 2010 (UTC)
 * After how many blows is a baseball bat fatal?

PVC
Is pvc a form of plasic?, cause ive seen pvc used to make demo nunchucks. 68.70.14.63 (talk) 14:02, 24 December 2010 (UTC)unknown68.70.14.63 (talk) 14:02, 24 December 2010 (UTC)
 * Yes it is. Polyvinyl chloride, commonly used in manufacture of tubes for household plumbing. knoodelhed (talk) 17:26, 22 March 2012 (UTC)

Requested move

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the move request was: page moved: spelling correction Anthony Appleyard (talk) 21:47, 1 March 2011 (UTC) --- Nunchaka → Nunchaku — I have made a mess of the move, not realizing the problems of double linking. 'Nunchaku' is the correct spelling and should be the name of the article page. 'Nunchucks' is a common mispelling and should be a redirect to this article. This was the original name of the article. 'Nunchaka' is a misspelling that I accidentally introduced during the attempted move. It should not exist at all. jmcw (talk) 11:02, 1 March 2011 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

a.k.a. Nunchucks/Nunchuks
Shouldn't there be some reference in etymology (or somewhere else in the article) to the common English nickname Nunchucks/Nunchuks? --TheHande (talk) 10:44, 24 May 2011 (UTC)
 * Find a reference and add the information.Samuraiantiqueworld (talk) 00:34, 25 May 2011 (UTC)

Added a citation though not the one I wanted since the other one came from a site that's been blacklisted (eHow Health). Also added a reference to the Wii Nunchuk as additional evidence. --TheHande (talk) 11:28, 25 May 2011 (UTC)

Different types of nunchucks?
The first picture displaying "different types of nunchucks" is certainly optimistic about its contents, I'll try to gather some chucks that more adequately display the range of nunchucks, although my picture won't be complete it should be a more prominent variety.
 * Upload it to wikipedia commons first and be sure to use the appropriate license information so it can be used in the article.Samuraiantiqueworld (talk) 18:49, 9 September 2011 (UTC)

American Law enforcement nunchucks, used as traditional nunchucks with a very resistant rope to use as a restraint also as a bludgeon, there are nunchucks that can be converted into batons, actually a couple of them. There is the Filipino nunchuck, aswell as studded nunchucks. I have even seen ones with a blade on the bottom. there is a hardly seen tonfa and chuck, this is a side handled baton that one can unscrew the other half to reveal a connecting chain. The law enforcement one is the most unique, in my opinion of course.68.8.141.156 (talk) 09:59, 16 November 2011 (UTC)