Citizendia
Your Ad Here

For Nintendo's Wii Remote "Nunchuk" attachment, see Nunchuk. The Wii Remote, sometimes Nicknamed " Wiimote " is the primary controller for Nintendo 's

The nunchuck (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 nunchaku listen (help·info); 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. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language See Hangul for details on the native Korean writing system Okinawan kobudō (古武道 also known as Ryūkyū Kobujutsu Koryū, or just as Kobudō is a Japanese term that can be translated as " old martial A sansetsukon is a similar weapon with three sticks attached on chains instead of two. The sanjiegun, or three-section staff (三節棍, sān jié gùn shawm jeet gwam is a Chinese flail weapon that consists of three wooden or metal staffs connected

Various types of nunchaku
Various types of nunchaku

Contents

History

Although the certain origin of nunchaku is disputed, it is thought to come from China through the Japanese island of Okinawa. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū The Japanese word nunchaku itself comes from the Hokkien (Min Nan) word nng-chiat-kun(no-chiat kun) (兩節棍). is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities The Southern Min language or Min Nan ( POJ: Bân-lâm-gú or "Southern Fujian" language refers to a family of Chinese languages Dialects When viewed etymologically from its Okinawan roots, nun comes from the word for twin, and chaku from shaku, a unit of measurement. The shaku (尺 is an archaic Japanese unit of Length, approximately equal to the foot. The popular belief is that the nunchaku was originally a short flail used to thresh rice or soybeans (that is, separate the grain from the husk). Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many It is also possible that the weapon 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. The ( were powerful territorial lords who ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings 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. are Okinawan and Japanese traditional farming implements similar to a Sickle used for reaping crops and also employed as a weapon The modern weapon would be an effective flail.

Another popular theory is that the nunchaku originated from China, 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 our 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. Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for Combat. Bruce Lee ( November 27 1940 – July 20 1973 was an American-born Martial artist, Philosopher, instructor, Martial arts actor and the It is generally considered by martial artists to be a limited weapon, although it is also one of the least understood weapons. Complex and difficult to wield, the nunchaku lacks the range of the bo (quarterstaff) and the edged advantage of a sword. bō (棒 ぼう or kon, is a long staff, usually made of tapered hard wood for example white oak Bamboo and in some cases for training purposes

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. Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for Combat. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū ( or is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods and Chinese Kenpō. " Eskrima " or " Escrima " refers to a class of Filipino Martial Arts that emphasize stick and sword fighting 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 combination of both. is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP

In the early 80s, Kevin D. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. 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. The tonfa, also known as tong fa or tuifa, is a traditional Okinawan weapon from which the modern side-handled police baton is derived Okinawan kobudō (古武道 also known as Ryūkyū Kobujutsu Koryū, or just as Kobudō is a Japanese term that can be translated as " old martial 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. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands 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. The forearm is the structure on the Upper limb, between the elbow and the Wrist. The elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint&mdashthe ginglymus or Hinge joint in the middle of the Arm. In Human anatomy, the wrist is the flexible and narrower connection between the Forearm and the palm. 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, 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. The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of Trees and Shrubs in the Genus Quercus (from Latin The loquat ( Eriobotrya japonica) is a fruit tree in the subfamily Maloideae of the family Rosaceae, indigenous to southeastern China. UserPolbot. --> Pasania is a genus of Plant in family Fagaceae. 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 as 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. Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products Fiberglass (also called fibreglass and glass fibre see Spelling differences) is material made from extremely fine Fibers of Glass. It is not uncommon to see modern nunchaku made from light metals such as aluminum. The M acro E xpansion T emplate A ttribute L anguage complements TAL, providing macros which allow the reuse of code across WikipediaNaming Modern equivalents of the rope are nylon cord or metal chains on ball bearing joints. Overview Nylon is a Thermoplastic silky material first used commercially in a nylon- Bristled Toothbrush (1938 followed more famously by 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. Styrofoam is a trademark for polystyrene Thermal insulation, a material manufactured by Dow Chemical Company. Unlike readily available plastic training nunchaku, the ones they promote are properly balanced.

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

In combat

Although it may cause injury to an inexperienced user, the nunchaku is purported 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. The ComBat was an Aluminium Cricket bat and the subject of an incident that occurred at the WACA cricket ground in Perth in December 1979. 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.

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.

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. Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive ( Olea europaea; family Oleaceae along with Lilacs Jasmine and ash trees This also prevents fading of the original color. To prevent splintering, some owners wrap the sticks with cellophane tape. Sellotape is a European brand of transparent Cellulose -based pressure-sensitive Adhesive tape, and is the leading brand of clear sticky tape in the Candle wax can be applied to the nylon ropes at friction points to prevent wear. Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by Bees ( Beeswax) and used by them in constructing their

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. Freestyle nunchaku refers to the use of the Nunchaku weapon (used in martial arts and popularised by Bruce Lee and other martial artists in a more visually stunning 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. YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees 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. For example: Hwarangdo, a type of Taekwondo sometimes teaches the use of nunchaku. Hwa Rang Do is a Korean Martial art that was created by Joo Bang Lee and his brother Joo Sang Lee Taekwondo (Korean태권도thɛʔkwʌndo Englishˈteɪˈkwɒnˈdoʊ is a Korean Martial art and the National sport of South Korea 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[1], and Spain. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. 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. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Legality in the United States varies at state level, e. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the g. , personal possession of nunchaku is illegal in New York, Arizona, California and Massachusetts, but in other states possession has not been criminalized. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Legality in Australia is also determined by individual state laws. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. 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. An attorney at law (or attorney-at-law) in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute [2]

References

  1. ^ legality of martial arts weapons in canada
  2. ^ nunchakulaw.com

See also

This article contains Chinese text.
Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. Mojibake is the happenstance of incorrect unreadable characters (garbage characters shown when Computer software fails to render a text correctly according to its associated A Chinese character, also known as a Han character ( is a Logogram used in writing Chinese (hanzi Japanese (

External links

Dictionary

nunchaku

-noun

  1. (martial arts) a weapon consisting of two sticks joined by a chain
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic