from the how-many-nuns-would-a-nunchuck-chuck-if-a-nunchuck-could-chuck-nuns? dept.
In Arizona, It's No Longer A Felony To Own Nunchucks
It's officially legal to own nunchucks in Arizona. On Friday, the state's Republican governor, Doug Ducey signed a bill removing nunchucks from a list of prohibited weapons that includes bombs, gun silencers and automatic firearms.
Until Friday, people who practiced martial arts faced the risk of a felony charge for possessing nunchucks in public. Arizona only allowed the weapons to be used in preparation for martial arts competitions.
"The average person can do far more damage using a baseball bat than nunchucks," Arizona Rep. John Kavanaugh, a Republican, told the Associated Press before the legislation passed. "They're not dangerous to anybody. And we really should let kids and adults who want to do martial arts activities legally possess them."
Several states, including Arizona, adopted the ban in the 1970s as martial arts movies, like ones starring Bruce Lee, became popular, according to the Arizona Daily Star. Last year, a federal judge struck down a similar ban in New York ruling that nunchucks were protected under the Second Amendment, the Washington Post reported.
Nunchaku, not dangerous? That's an insult to the Okinawan people!
The exact origin of nunchaku is unclear. Allegedly adapted by Okinawan farmers from a non-weapon implement for threshing rice, it was not a historically popular weapon because it was ineffective against the most widely used weapons of that time such as samurai swords, and few historical techniques for its use still survive.
Previously: New York State's Ban on Nunchaku ("Nunchucks") Found Unconstitutional
Related Stories
Judge rules against New York state ban on nunchucks
A federal court has ruled that that a New York state ban on possessing nunchucks is unconstitutional. Judge Pamela Chen issued the ruling about the famous martial arts weapon last Friday in a Brooklyn federal court, according to The Associated Press.
The news service noted that Chen's ruling recounted the history of the nunchucks ban, which was instituted in New York in 1974 "out of a concern that, as a result of the rising popularity 'of 'Kung Fu' movies and shows,′ 'various circles of the state's youth' — including 'muggers and street gangs' — were 'widely' using nunchaku to cause 'many serious injuries.'"
The plaintiff in the case, James Maloney, was charged with possession of nunchucks, two rigid rods connected at one end by a chain or rope, in his home in 2000. Maloney initially filed a complaint in 2003. The AP notes that he was mainly focused on getting that part of the law that bans nunchucks even in private homes overturned.
Chen said in her ruling that the court couldn't just take that part out of the existing law. She ruled that the state law as it pertained to possessing the weapon was in violation of the Second Amendment.
The judge also found that banning the manufacturing, transport, or disposal of nunchaku was unconstitutional.
(Score: 3, Funny) by nitehawk214 on Monday May 13 2019, @03:14PM (1 child)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7v7avqqzh0 [youtube.com]
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 5, Touché) by istartedi on Monday May 13 2019, @04:56PM
Nah, it's just a coat hanger [youtube.com]
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Monday May 13 2019, @03:23PM (5 children)
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Monday May 13 2019, @03:44PM
I have a similar view about opinions.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 13 2019, @04:34PM (2 children)
How many nuns can you chuck?
(Score: 3, Funny) by EvilSS on Monday May 13 2019, @05:58PM
(Score: 2) by Weasley on Tuesday May 14 2019, @05:41AM
How many nuns would a nunchuck nun if a nunchuck could chuck nuns?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 13 2019, @07:00PM
Often to the user, fortunately.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 13 2019, @03:48PM
Chuck Norris approves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 13 2019, @04:54PM (7 children)
Nunchucks version 2, a.k.a three section staff, is a drop in replacement for nunchucks
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vrW8UKPs5dY [youtube.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by legont on Monday May 13 2019, @05:10PM (6 children)
For simple untrained people a much more effective device is what Russians call "Kisten'". Imagine a nunchucks with a longer chain and one side replaced with a metal ball. It crushes head even if used by a child or a slim woman.
Easy to make versions include a rubber pipe with a large screw/bolt screwed into one side or a large nut attached to parachute cord similar to this one https://i.pinimg.com/736x/e6/d4/85/e6d4853023e0891960c14587f9f57fc5--parachute-cord--paracord.jpg [pinimg.com]
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 13 2019, @05:29PM
This is a modern mace.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Gault.Drakkor on Monday May 13 2019, @06:01PM (3 children)
AKA flail.
Flail: Stick(longer then the flexible section) + flexible section + weight.
Seems that both nunchuck and flails are derived from threshing tools.
(Side note to AC. Mace: stick + end weight, no flexible bits.)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 13 2019, @06:13PM
There are few things you can count on in this world, but being corrected on SN is one of those few.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 13 2019, @09:13PM (1 child)
I believe a flail is just another name for two sticks connected with a chain. I think the spiked ball on a chain is a morning star.
(Score: 3, Informative) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 13 2019, @09:36PM
Still a flail. A morning star is a spiked ball on a stick.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Monday May 13 2019, @07:55PM
To make it even more effective, the weight at the end should be a spiked ball. Then the proper name for it is "morning star", well, even more properly "Morgenstern". I'd give a link, but the my search results only yielded a club with a spiked head, i.e. a variant of a mace, rather than the proper variant of a flail.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 3, Informative) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 13 2019, @06:39PM (12 children)
They should never have been banned in the first place. They're less dangerous than a hardwood dowel of the same length and diameter. Their utility was never because they were superior to a bat against unarmed people. Their utility was because of how they function against slashing weapons and lightweight bludgeoning weapons (work fine against a staff but pretty shitty against anything with a head with some mass to it). So, basically, they're nobody's weapon of choice in the modern world unless they just want to look like Bruce Lee.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday May 13 2019, @07:19PM (11 children)
> They're less dangerous than a hardwood dowel of the same length and diameter.
But they can be carried and concealed a lot easier. Few (wannabe-)gang members walk around with a 2-to-3 ft long stick.
Its in the same category as brass knuckles : They are easily taken with you, and will make any stupid fight a lot more deadly.
(Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Monday May 13 2019, @07:55PM
a pair of 18-24 inch sticks can be carried quite easily under a jacket, and they can be quite effective if you know how to use them. [youtube.com]
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 13 2019, @09:43PM (9 children)
A lead or steel pipe of 18" length if you prefer then. I was only using similar materials for a more precise comparison based on size. Pipes do more damage and do not have near the painful learning curve to be able to use against your opponent rather than against yourself.
Face it, they were banned for the same reason that people are trying to ban "assault rifles". Not because of actual danger but because they're scary.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday May 13 2019, @10:10PM (8 children)
Also because you can't ban dual-use stuff like lead/steel pipes, $5 wrenches, and chainsaws.
Nunchuks are only a weapon. The butcher's union isn't gonna protest the fact they can't tenderize meat anymore without them (and Stallone is too old).
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 13 2019, @10:32PM (7 children)
You can't ban weapons either. 2A.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Monday May 13 2019, @10:36PM (5 children)
The HOA complained about the property values last time I loaded my Howitzer with tactical nukes...
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday May 14 2019, @03:35AM (4 children)
The founding fathers owned warships and artillery. Try again?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday May 14 2019, @04:21PM (3 children)
You're completely right. I see my mistake.
Next time, i will do it the proper way, and arrange for those tactical nukes to be loaded by my slaves.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday May 15 2019, @10:07AM (2 children)
Conflating a defense of liberty with an abuse of it? Yeah, not going to work. Try another tack.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday May 16 2019, @05:32PM (1 child)
Just pointing out that you drew the "founding fathers did it" line where it worked for your argument.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday May 17 2019, @04:39AM
And I pointed out the massive, fatal flaw in your execution of that. How many Internets do I win?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Tuesday May 14 2019, @12:32AM
Thank you, that's the magic word. And it's commonly known as, 2nd. Amendment. And, it doesn't say gun. Does not say gun at all!!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by DutchUncle on Monday May 13 2019, @08:54PM (1 child)
A college friend was doing her emergency-room residency during one of the burst of ninja movies. People injuring themselves with nunchucks was a significant part of the statistics.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday May 13 2019, @09:44PM
The between the legs roll and redirect is a particularly fun one to learn for us men folk.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Gaaark on Tuesday May 14 2019, @12:11AM
You could own all kinds of guns, but not them?
WTF?
Can you own toenail clippers?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 14 2019, @01:07AM
it will look more like Indiana Jones when the guy is swinging the big sword. Bang, you are dead.