NUNCHAKU

 

Perhaps the most famous of all the Okinawan covert weapons is the rice flail (NUNCHAKU).

Due to it's innocent appearence,the nunchaku was often mistaken for a toy or harmless bundle of sticks.

The original rice flail was a long-handled slat to which a shorter slat was attached by a fabric hinge.

This allowed two-dimensional movement only and an unadapted flail is of little use as a weapon.

The developed flail has batons of equal weight - they have to be or their unequal ballistics cause problems. Effective batons are made from hardwood and have a round or octagonal cross section. Safety-chuks are made from lightweight plastic tube, covered in a dense foam. These can be used in practicing catches and swap-over sequences because they cause no injury when they hit you.

As you become more skilful, your own nunchakus can be made from soft wood and this will give you a useful intermediate between the safety-chuk and the real thing. The flexible link between the two batons has a critical length which you decide after trying various lengths of cord.

You can use chain to link the batons though this is heavier and makes the ballistics more complex.

There are problems, too, with the universal joint and much used chain rice flails sometimes come apart.

Using nylon braided cord threaded through well smoothed and relieved holes is a better option.

Sharp-edged holes cause rapid fraying of the cord, so open them out!

Rice flail training katas teach how to control the swinging baton, transferring it smoothly from hand to hand as it weaves a wall of whirling wood around the user, through which nothing can pass.

In a defensive situation the nunchaku can be used to strike, block, hit, twist and pinch.