I can think of many weapons that are more dangerous, why are nunchucks illegal in many parts of the country?

Question

After playing with the Nintendo Wii, I kinda got the urge to buy some nunchucks, and learn how to use them. I was surprised to know nunchucks are illegal in many counties. I just can’t think of a reason why. I have many friends into martial arts who own swords, throwing stars, and daggers. What makes nunchucks be so restricted when other weapons which I think are more dangerous are not?

Answer 1

Your answer is it is not illegal to own them in most states or countries, but rather to carry them concealed especially. I have crossed this path a few times with the Law and won because I am a sensei and ny father a weapons dealer and knew what could and could not be sold. They even tried to take my shuriken, but I was able to beat them by showing them printed copies of the Laws of my state allowing them so long as they are not concealed.

PLUS if you are an active MA, then keep them in your dufflebag where they cant get you on concealment.

They can be very deadly weapons in the correct hands. You can disarm an opponent and knock or bludgeon them to death if used right. I would rather a pair of chucks then 3 shuriken, a knife, sai, only a bo staff or katana would be a better option for me.

IF you want to learn to use them, I suggest FOAM padded ones first so you do not end up cracking open your own noggin or a friends. Then progress to real ones. Learn about especially what is known as rebound. Meaning swinging in the air is onething, but once you hit a solid object it tends to rebound of that object many times back at you. They are not a play toy and can cause some real damage. Get lessons, buy books and research it so you can learn to love using them without injuring yourself or someone else on accident.

Bluto obviously has never seen the proper use of them nor know their history. They were an Okinawan tool used to plant rice in the paddies and were turned into weapons by the Okinawan farmers to rise against their Feudal Japanese Lords for Katanas and weapons for forbidden, that is where many martial arts weapons derive from. I have disarmed (with foam practice) knife opponents, bo opponents, sword oppents, sai and even other nun chucks. They are FAR from a useless weapon unless in the hands of an untrained user.

Answer 2

Bluto's right on this one. As compared to someone weilding a sword, or a staff, or even a baseball bat, nunchakus are not gonna help you much. However, they can generate something like 1500 pounds pressure per square inch at point of impact. The human skull cracks at something like 17 pounds. Unless you are the Highlander, swords are a bit hard to conceal, same for a staff and ballbat. I can completely conceal nunchakus in my waistband under a jacket.
However, I tend to agree with you in philosophy. There was an article in an old Black Belt Magazine that talked about a proposed ban on all martial arts weapons and he emphasized his point by sticking a shuriken into a watermelon. Black Belt retorted by sticking ink pens, forks, spoons, toothpicks and etc into a watermelon. The point is that many things CAN be dangerous if used as a weapon or used wrong. Nunchakus are just one thing that are MEANT to be a weapon and certainly CAN be used as a concealed weapon- a very good one. Therefore, carying one without a reason (like martial arts classes) is gonna get you busted.

Answer 3

Its an law that passed in the 80s. Because of Bruce Lee and the hype around Kung foo moves through the 70s everyone had them and it was the same with buttery knives. Any weapond that can be concealed is ilegal. It's the same for extendables/asps and many other seemingly less leathal weapons. Well the only more dangerous weapons would be swords and guns. Swords are not ilegal to own but you can't carry one on the street unless it is in a roper case and you are going to or from a dojo. Guns wel change the constitution. I guess you could say the same for why is weed ilegal but alcohol isn't. Although more people die of alcohol related incidents than weed. A lot of laws are reactionary. Created by certain political parties to stop what they don't like.

Answer 4

because they are a foolish and useless weapon. Against any weapon they are at a disadvantage unless it is an unarmed person.

I doubt that the authorities actually went into whether or not they were effective, but the intent of the weapon seems to be not as a weapon but to beat up on someone without one. It is likely that they made it illegal because they were afraid of people hurting themselves. You have a much better chance of doing that than you do another person with such a foolish weapon.

1- I doubt your friends own real swords, they are likely just wallhangers made of stainless steel.

2- Daggers (as typically the images the term brings up) are generally long knives and most states restrict these as well.

3- throwing stars are also illegal in many states.

4- you will have your *** handed to you by anyone using a broomstick or a baseball bat if you have your nunchucks.

5- december is nunchucks suck month at www.bullshido.net

Seriously though, you will get some good info if you ask and are nice about it. Nunchucks are not a good choice for a weapon.

If you must have a chain weapon I would suggest a flail. Like the nunchucks it lacks any defensive applications but it actually can and was desigend for use against a weapon, and is not an easy weapon to fight against with a sword.

Answer 5

I gotta disagree with Bluto on this one... The nunchaku is a very lethal weapon in a real fight if the person utilizing them is skilled to any degree. They are very useful for disarming an opponent, even with a polearm of some sort like the ball bat or staff. Again, as I said, if the person using them is skilled at all. The primary reason they are illegal is the hype made in the martial art movies in the late fifties, sixties and early seventies. They were portrayed as the most lethal thing out there, which they are not. I personally prefer the ginrishikari, which is also Illegal in most states.

Answer 6

This is a topic that makes me laugh and laugh to just think about it.

In my "expert" opinion. I think more people are injured with this weapon by accident. Either the would be tough guy whoops his own @ss by hitting himself.

Or Jr. Sholin do wang diddle loses control of said weapon and knocks out his parents or little sister.

The Karate Kid, wax on wax off movies created a run on nickel and dime weapons and hundreds of thousands of cheap weapons hit the back-yards of America.

The ensuing run on Emergency rooms for stitches caused the ban of such weapons in many places.

Answer 7

Because nothing is scarier than gangs of nunchuck-weilding youngsters in large groups.

The people who make the laws aren't necessarily always smart, and especially concerning personal rights to bear arms, they hardly ever bother to do any real research on the topic before they throw their vote in.

Nunchucks are fun. I don't think anyone's going to give you trouble for practising with them in your own home.

Answer 8

Typically they are illegal to carry, not to own. Though they have their origins in a farming implement, they are clearly intended as a weapon and, as you observe, quite a few places bristle at the thought of the citizenry walking about openly armed.

Answer 9

I can't think of a more worthless weapon that Nunchucks. They are only for show and hand eye coordination.... anything else is crap.

Answer 10

I dunno if they're illegal, I've known a few people who have them (for what reason, I do not know). But I figure they're just as discouraged as sticks as far as just carrying them around. Nonetheless, please believe that nuchucks are THE MOST USELESS 'weapons' around. They're strictly for show and they were never used by anyone, especially ninjas (which would be like WWII soildiers using MP5s).