Although the certain origin of nunchaku is disputed, it is thought to have originated in Okinawa. 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 as "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 nunchaku 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 horse hair. It was commonly used in wars against cavalry to trap horse legs. The weapon eventually evolved into a short range weapon as seen in present day nunchaku.

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

[edit]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.^{[citation needed]} 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:

• Bleeder (nunchaku with sharp or dull razor blades) and sharper (nunchaku with nails) are used as components of the basic training and grading programme (Programme Verhille) in French nunchaku de combat.^[1]
• 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 curve, which allows the user to keep a continuous flowing form.

[edit]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. 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.

There are some nunchaku disciplines that combine nunchaku with unarmed techniques:

• Mouhébong Taekwondo combines Korean nunchaku with Taekwondo. ^[2]
• Nunch-Boxing combines nunchaku with kicking and punching techniques. Nunch-Boxing itself is part of the broader discipline Nenbushi. ^[3]

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 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.

[edit]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.

[edit]In combat

The nunchaku is claimed to be a very effective close-range weapon^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.