Nunchaku

For Nintendo's Wii Remote "Nunchuk" attachment, see Nunchuk.

The nunchaku (Chinese: 雙節棍,双截棍, shuāng jié gùn; 兩節棍,两截棍, liǎng jié gùn "Dual Section Staff"; 二節棍,二截棍 gèr jié gùn "Two Section Staff"; Japanese: ヌンチャク ; 梢子棍, shōshikon "Boatman's staff"; Korean: 쌍절곤 ssang jul gon; also colloquially called "nunchucks," "chain sticks," "chucks," "nunchukkas") is a traditional weapon of the Kobudo weapons set and consists of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope. A sansetsukon is a similar weapon with three sticks attached on chains instead of two.

Various types of nunchaku

History

The Chinese "sweeper"

Although the certain origin of nunchaku is disputed, it is thought to have been brought to Okinawa from China. The Japanese word nunchaku itself comes from the Hokkien (Min Nan) word nng-chiat-kun(no-chiat kun) (兩節棍). When viewed etymologically from its Okinawan roots, nun comes from the word for twin, and chaku from shaku, a unit of measurement.

The popular belief is that the nunchaku was originally a short Southeast Asian flail used to thresh rice or soybeans (that is, separate the grain from the husk). It is possible that it was developed in response to the moratorium on edged weaponry under the Satsuma daimyo after invading Okinawa in the 17th century, and that the weapon was most likely conceived and used exclusively for that end, as the configuration of actual flails and bits are unwieldy for use as a weapon. Also, peasant farmers were forbidden conventional weaponry such as arrows or blades so they improvised using only what they had available, farm tools such as the sickle. The modern weapon would be an effective flail.

Some sources say that the first Song Emperor was in battle when an enemy general cut the end off of his staff. Instead of using a different staff, he connected the two pieces with a short section of iron chain, creating a weapon known a "sweeper". At the time, it was not illegal to carry a weapon, but it was inconvenient to carry a sweeper because it was a long stick with a loose section, so some people shortened the staff section so that the weapon could be tucked in a belt. This was called a "small sweeper", later renamed the nunchaku.

Another popular theory is that the numchuck originated from China in the Song Dynasty. It was named "da pan long gun"(大盤龍棍), meaning great coiled dragon stick. The weapon is composed of one long stick and a short stick connected by unicorn hair. It was commonly used in wars against cavalry to trap fish legs. The weapon eventually evolved into a short range weapon as seen in present day nuMchucks.

The nunchaku as a weapon has surged in popularity since martial artist Bruce Lee used it in his movies in the 1970s.

Formal styles

The most common martial arts to use nunchaku are the Chinese, Chinese-Okinawan and Okinawan martial arts such as some forms of karate/kobudo, but some Eskrima systems also teach practitioners to use nunchaku. For its part, Taekwondo teaches how to use one and two nunchaku, though in Korean, they are known as Ssahng Jeol Bahngs, or sometimes Ssahng Jeol Bongs. The styles of these three arts are rather different; the traditional Okinawan arts use the sticks primarily to grip and lock, while the Filipino arts use the sticks primarily for striking, while Taekwondo teaches a little bit of both.

In the early 80s, Kevin D. Orcutt, an American police sergeant, holder of a black belt in Jukado, developed the OPN (Orcutt Police Nunchaku) system. Since then some American law enforcement agencies employ the Nunchaku as a control weapon instead of a straight baton, tonfa or side-handle baton, also adapted from from the Kobudo weapons family. This system emphasises only a small subset of the nunchaku techniques, for speedier training.

Nunchaku training has been noted to increase hand speed, correct posture, and condition the hands of the practitioner.

There is now a dedicated World Nunchaku Association, based in the Netherlands, which teaches Nunchaku-Do as a contact sport. They use yellow and black plastic weight-balanced training nunchaku and protective headgear. They have their own belt colour system where one earns colour stripes on the belt instead of using fully coloured belts. One side of the belt is yellow, and the other black, so that in a competition, opponents may be distinguished by the visible side of the belt.

There is also a complete system of ranking in the nunchaku called the North American Nunchaku Association, which is based in California, USA. They offer a complete system of the nunchaku teaching traditional and free-style techniques, from white to black belt. They have students in many countries including England, France, Netherlands, Canada, South Africa, and Denmark. Some students study at home from DVDs, and send their recordings to the school in California.

Anatomy

A nunchaku is two sections of wood connected by a cord or chain, though variants may include additional sections of wood and chain. Chinese nunchaku tend to be rounded, whereas the Okinawan version has an octagonal cross-section (allowing one edge of the nunchaku to make contact on the target increasing the damage inflicted). The ideal length of each piece should be the length of the user's forearm; the bone between elbow and wrist (around 12 inches per piece). Traditionally both ends are of equal length, although asymmetrical nunchaku exist. The ideal length for the connecting rope/chain is just enough to allow the user to lay it over his or her palm (about 5 inches, for a total length of nearly 30 inches) , with the sticks hanging comfortably and perpendicular to the ground. Weight balance is extremely important; cheaper or gimmicky nunchaku (such as glow-in-the-dark ones) are often not properly balanced, which prevents the artist from doing the more advanced and flashier 'low-grip' moves, such as overhand twirls. The weight should be balanced towards the outer edges of the sticks for maximum ease and control of the swing arcs.

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 prevented rotting and caused the wood to harden. 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 for a combat weapon.

The modern nunchaku can be made from any suitable material: from wood, metal, or almost any plastic or fiberglass material, commonly covered with foam to prevent self-injury or the injury of others. It is not uncommon to see modern nunchaku made from light metals such as aluminum. Modern equivalents of the rope are nylon cord or metal chains on ball bearing joints. Simple nunchaku may be easily constructed from wooden dowels and a short length of chain.

The Nunchaku-Do sport, governed by the World Nunchaku Association, promotes black and yellow Styrofoam nunchaku. Unlike readily available plastic training nunchaku, the ones they promote are properly balanced.

There are some alternative nunchaku, made solely for sporting such as:

• Telescopic Nunchaku, sporting retractable metal sticks.
• Glow-Chucks, made either with fiberglass and a coloured light fitted in the ball bearing or fluorescent tape wrapped around the sticks.
• Penchaku or "Prochux", which are flashier Lissajous-do sticks available for artistic performances. These are more colourful and sometimes fluorescent with a modified anatomy which favors control in expense of power; they have longer length sticks and extremely short ropes. The idea is based on a mathematical model, the Lissajous, which allows the user to keep a continuous flowing form.

In combat

The nunchaku is claimed to be a very effective close-range weapon by its proponents. When used in combat, the nunchaku provides the obvious advantage of an increase in the reach of one's strike. Somewhat difficult to control, the rope or chain joint of the nunchaku adds the benefit of striking from unexpected angles. Practitioners of the flashier styles contend that the motion of the nunchaku is often found distracting by opponents, who may have trouble keeping up with the nunchaku's rapid movement. In addition, the reach of the nunchaku is often underestimated, even by those experienced with its use. However, when swung, the nunchaku loses between one to two inches in reach from its total length due to the angle between the stick held and the chain.

The original Okinawan techniques involve holding the weapon in a variety of preparatory postures. Once an opponent has moved their weapon or body into close range, the nunchaku is used to strike vital spots, and apply joint locks, chokes and other control techniques. The chain link version of the nunchaku has also been known to be able to fend off enemies with swords or staves.

Gripping the nunchaku is usually a matter of preference. Gripping it close to the chain or rope link increases control but decreases both striking power and reach. A grip further down would have the opposite effect of increasing reach and power while decreasing control and, with the link further out, would also render it susceptible to capture. Unless in expert hands, it is unadvisable to use a nunchaku against a staff or a stick since disarming is often only a matter of striking at the link and jerking it hard out of the hands of the nunchaku practitioner. It is primarily because of this specific vulnerability of the nunchaku that most styles tend to minimize striking.

Critics of the nunchaku often point to the level of difficulty to control the weapon and question whether the extended reach and unpredictability provide sufficient offensive advantage to offset this disadvantage. The Chinese consider the nunchaku to be the diminutive of the three-sectioned staff, as the dagger is to the sword, and therefore an inferior weapon in comparison.

Care

For wooden nunchaku it is advisable (although not strictly necessary) to clean the nunchaku with a cloth moistened in olive oil, camellia oil or any other plant oil for easier grip. This also prevents fading of the original color. To prevent splintering, some owners wrap the sticks with cellophane tape. Candle wax can be applied to the nylon ropes at friction points to prevent wear.

Many traditional Kobudo practitioners leave the wood untreated. This is so the oils of the skin and many hours of use can "season" or harden the wood. Varnish, lacquer and the like are usually considered bad for the weapon and not as good for grip and control.

Freestyle

Freestyle nunchaku is a modern style of performance art using the nunchaku as a visual tool rather than as a weapon. With the growing prevalence of the Internet the availability of nunchaku has increased greatly, combining this with the popularity of YouTube and other video sharing sites many people have become interested in learning how to use the weapons for freestyle displays. Freestyle is one discipline of competition held by the World Nunchaku Association. Some styles of modern martial arts teach the use of nunchaku as it may help students improve their reflexes, hand control, and other skills. The North American Nunchaku Association was the first to hold "on-line" freestyle tournaments. The North American Nunchaku Association has held over five tournaments since 2004. There are also on-line freestyle tournaments available at freestyleforum.net, a site devoted to free-style nunchaku.

Legality

Possession of nunchaku is illegal in a number of countries including Belgium, Germany, Norway, Canada, and Spain. In the United Kingdom it is legal to own for martial arts purposes, although public possession is not allowed unless transporting between a place of training and a private address. Legality in the United States varies at state level, e.g., personal possession of nunchaku is illegal in New York, Arizona, California and Massachusetts, but in other states possession has not been criminalized. Legality in Australia is also determined by individual state laws. In New South Wales, the weapon is on the restricted weapons list, and thus can only be owned with a permit. In New York, Attorney Jim Maloney has brought a federal constitutional challenge to the statutes that criminalize simple in-home possession of nunchaku for peaceful use in martial-arts practice or legal home defense.

See also

• Sansetsukon
• Flail (weapon)
• Poi (juggling)
• Pyeongon
• Two section staff

External links

• World Nunchaku Association English homepage for the World Nunchaku Association, based in the Netherlands.
• North American Nunchaku Association Homepage for the North American Nunchaku Association, based in California, USA.
• Poland nunchaku site Poland Nunchaku Association
• Pro-Nunchaku German nunchaku site featuring a map of Europe showing the nunchaku laws in different EU-countries (German and English)
• Nunchakulaw.com Chronicles the American legal case of Maloney v. Spitzer, which was begun in 2003, challenging the constitutionality New York's decades-old prohibition on possession of nunchaku in the privacy of one's home for peaceful use in martial arts training, etc.
• Zen Suishin Ryu Karate - Super Nunchaku Techniques by Mondo Kawai English site dedicated to the Nunchaku and has detailed explanations about the Nunchaku and its techniques. Japanese page also available.
• Site about nunchakus. Includes lessons and practical knowledge
• Site about nunchaku. lessons movies, and more
• French site about Nunchaku with lessons movies Template:En icon
• The Secret Ninja Weapon.