Nunchucks has emerged as a weapon for self defense. In America, it has been used for defense against the attackers. But, there are people who use it as a martial arts weapon as well. 

Where did that weapon comes from? Well, very few people know the background behind nunchucks. 

In this article, we are exploring the history of this small sized weapon. We are disclosing how it was used in ancient times. 

In addition, we are focusing on the reason why it became popular in the American continent. Also, we disclose the modern uses of nunchucks. 

So, let’s get started with the introduction of this weapon, and then we move on and explore its history and its rise in the 21st century. 


What is Nunchucks?

Nunchucks is sometimes known as a nunchaku and a few people also call it chucks. It is basically a small sized weapon that features two sticks connected with one rope. Sometimes, those sticks are connected with a chain or chord. 

As far as the two sticks are concerned, they can be made of wood or steel. 

We have two types of chucks available in the market, 

1) Wooden Nunchucks
2) Steel Nunchucks

The wooden nunchaku is made of wooden sticks while the steel nunchaku is made of steel. However, both of them are commonly used for self defense and martial arts. 


Other than these, there are rubber and foam-made nunchaku available in the market as well. These are designed for practice and training purposes because they are safe to use. 

If you see this weapon closely, there are two sticks and each has two holes, one at the top and the other at a side. The rope is passed from these two holes and goes on to the other stick’s holes and then tied to make it one weapon. 

This weapon is not very easy to use. You need to undergo some necessary training before you become an expert user of this weapon. 

However, it is one of the most frequently used weapons these days. Yes, it is a fighting and self defense weapon. But not always! If you explore the history, you would figure out that it was not necessarily a fighting weapon. 


Nunchucks in the Past!


- An Agricultural Tool

As mentioned above, nunchaku was not always a fighting weapon. In fact, it was an agricultural tool in China. It was used for reaping crops, such as wheat and rice. 

Before it was adopted as a fighting weapon, it was merely an agricultural tool used by the farmers of ancient China. 

It was formerly known as a flail because it looked like a flail and served as a harvester. It could assist the farmers in their agricultural work. 

Yes, there are claims by the historians that it was used by the women as a self defense weapon too. One can believe that because the women had nothing to defend themselves, so they could use it to their advantage. 

However, we can’t agree that it was a self defense weapon. It was just an agricultural tool that additionally served as a weapon for defense. 

But, this was until the Chinese Emperor Jiu Hong Jun discovered the brutality and capability of this tool as a fighting weapon. 

- A Fighting Weapon

During the 10th century, the Chinese emperor Jiu Hong Jun lost a battle to the mongolians and also lost his Sung dynasty. Therefore, he had to march to the Mainland Chinese territory along with his army.

Jun found asylum in a local village in the chinese mainland territory. The villagers took great care of him. They fed him and as a result, Jun asked his army to assist the villagers in their agricultural work. 

This is where he discovered nunchucks. He saw the villagers reaping crops with a flail-like tool. 

Since Jun was a wise person, he realized that this tool may assist his army in defeating the Mongolians. So, he decided to use this as a fighting weapon.

Jun then called on his army and presented them this weapon. He gathered as many as he can and handed them over to his troops. 

Then, he started training his army about using nunchaku. He told them different fighting techniques that they could adopt to defeat the Mongolians. 

So, for a long period of time, they practiced these techniques and eventually became skillful. 

Then, Jun asked his army to march towards the Mongolians. They managed to defeat the Mongols and recaptured their territory. 

They had no idea how this agricultural tool would turn out to be such a brutal fighting weapon. 

After this success for the Chinese, nunchucks was adopted as a primary fighting weapon. And gradually, it moved to martial arts schools in Okinawa, China and feudal Japan. 

- A Martial Arts Weapon

In the earliest days, nunchaku was used as martial arts weapons. Several Okinawan martial arts schools adopted this weapon and taught fighting techniques with this particular weapon. 

Even today, it is being used as to practice fighting techniques. Martial arts schools around the world are utilizing this weapon to teach the students about powerful fighting techniques. 

And not just fighting techniques, martial artists also learned self defense techniques with this weapon. 

This was an unorthodox weapon, but was pretty handy. Also, it was a little difficult to handle. 

Therefore, a maximum time was spent on training and practice to gain the essential skills. 

Apart from learning different fighting techniques with nunchucks, martial artists also used this weapon to learn different tricks. Even today, those tricks are being performed with this weapon. See Bruce Lee movies for this secret! 


Rise of Nunchucks!


- Made Popular By Bruce Lee

Since nunchucks was a weapon originated in Okinawa and ancient Japanese territory, it was never that popular in America. However, it was a familiar weapon in Japan, China and this part of the Asian continent. 

But, in the late 1980s, the rise of nunchaku initiated. Bruce Lee was the person behind the popularity of this weapon in America. 

In his movies, Lee used nunchaku to fight his enemies and showed the world how skillful he was using this small weapon. 

Though this weapon was strange to the Americans, but they liked. What more likeable was his ability and skills to handle this weapon. 

It was impressive how he used and performed tricks with nunchucks. Admit it or not, he was the best user ever, though many martial artists and actors tried using them. No one ever climbed the ladder of success like Lee did. 

During the 1980s, Bruce Lee was an iconic figure. People eagerly waited for his movies. Most of his movies during those times featured nunchucks. 

Hence, this made this weapon popular among the people because they had now seen it on the big screen. There are some fantastic movies involving the use of this weapon. These include Enter the Dragon and Black Dynamite etc. 

After those movies, this weapon became a very familiar one with the Americans. People started using it and it also started appearing on different TV shows. 

- Featured in the TV Shows

Since the popularity of nunchucks was on a rise, many TV shows featured them. The most popular TV show, WWE Raw also introduced this weapon to the WWE Universe. 

The first appearance of this weapon was on a popular event called Extreme Rules. It took place in 2016 and the match was held between Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho. 

People were shocked to see the use of nunchaku by a wrestler. Surprisingly, ninja weapons were legal in this match. 

Ambrose used them beautifully and picked up a victory in the end. Though the victory was not resulted due to chucks, but they played a key role in the win. They gave Ambrose momentum when he was down and out. 

Ambrose use and skills with this new weapon were quite impressive. He shocked the whole world by using this unfamiliar weapon like an expert. And this was the highlight of the show as well. 

Later on, a controversy was also created regarding nunchucks. Ambrose was fined for carrying them by the Border Control authorities.
 

- As a Self Defense Weapon

Nunchucks quickly became a self defense weapon in the US. Today, most number of its users use it to fight against the attackers. 

The dangerous circumstances of the country have urged everyone to carry a weapon to defend himself against those fearless attackers. Perhaps, this is the only way to counter them. 

Nunchaku has come up as an effective weapon to deal with the attacker. Since it features a rope, it offers more reach. Therefore, you can actually strike the attacker from a distance. 

Whether you carry steel or wooden chucks, both can inflict severe damage.  But, before you actually use it for self defense, make sure to learn how to properly use it. 

- As a Martial Arts Weapon 

Nunchucks, even today, is a popular martial arts weapon. Fighting and defense techniques with this weapon are still being taught in different martial arts schools around the world. 

If you want to learn how to use it, the easiest way is to join a martial arts school and become a skilled user in a matter of a few days.

 

The Final Word!

So, nunchucks was originally an Okinawan agricultural tool. But, it became a fighting weapon when it assisted the army of Sui Hong Jun when they defeated the Monglians. 

In the 21st century, this traditional weapon turned into a modern weapon which is being used for self defense against the attackers. 

The practices of martial art with nunchaku are still pretty common in America, Japan and other parts of the world. 

However, it is now a primary fighting and self defense weapon. People learn fighting techniques with this weapon and then use those techniques against the attackers to get rid of them. 


If you are eager to learn techniques and tricks with nunchucks, follow some easy tips. 


Watch Bruce Lee movies and watch how he used to handle this weapon. Also, watch tutorials on YoutTube to learn how to use nunchucks.