Origins of the Nunchucks

The Nunchaku, sometimes called “nunchucks” in the western world, is a traditional Okinawan weapon which is made up of two wooden sticks connected by way of a chain or a rope. The sources of the name are somewhat uncertain but are considered to have been a Ryukyuan interpretation of Chinese symbols pertaining to “two section staff”.

Okinawa is part of the Ryukyu Islands that belong to Japan and can be found towards the south of the Japanese mainland; it's the 5th biggest island in Japan and it has a rich historical background that is primarily centred on military action.

Okinawa is considered to be the home of Japanese Martial Arts. It is also thought to be the birth place of Karate and Okinawan Kobudo.

Okinawan Kobudo translates to “old martial way of Okinawa” and is the learning and practice of traditional Japanese weaponry of which the nunchaku is a member. Kobudo was historically taught and practised by the inhabitants of Okinawa to try and protect themselves from the Samurai. Stringent constraints meant that possession of weapons was banned so in their place, Okinawans would make use of customary farming equipment to develop the basis of their fighting system.

It is widely thought that each weapon used in Kobudo can be traced back to agricultural usage. The bo for instance is a six foot long staff which used to be put across the shoulders to assist in load bearing. The Tonfa, most noted as a standard item of equipment carried by many police forces around the globe, was initially used in the procedure of grinding grain. The Nunchaku is by no means different and also shares a similar history; it is considered that the original use for the nunchaku was as a rice threshing instrument however, there are also ideas which see the weapon employed as a horse bit or as a sound making tool to alert villagers of imminent danger.

 

The UKMA Shop host a wide range of Japanese Weaponry
Nunchaku can be a dangerous weapon to train with. For beginners we host a range of Foam Nunchaku or Rubber Training Nunchucks and for experienced users we also stock a wider range of weapons.