History of Nunchaku
It is fairly commonly accepted that the nunchaku originates from Okinawa, the largest in a long chain of small islands between Southern Japan and Taiwan
Throughout it's history, Okinawa was colonized, influenced, and occupied by various world powers, while it attempted to maintain its independence. Okinawa today is a part of Japan, but the Okinawans are not Japanese. They have their own culture and language (Okinawan), although the latter is gradually being replaced by Japanese. Until this day, it is a mystery how the nunchaku was invented on this island. There are several theories however that try to explain what has happened. |
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Many presume that the nunchaku has descended from a craftsman tool. Most named are a rice flail, a horse bit and a cutting device for stripping bark from trees. Others believe it was used as a rattle by night guards, which in case of alarm was swung in the air to make a loud noise.
Another theory involves the influence of the Chinese martial arts during the 13 - 14th century. In this period there was a wave of Chinese immigrants to Okinawa.