A point of curiousity

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Gryphon Osiris

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Joined
Jul 23, 2008
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I'm one of those that can't except that as "It just is", being somebody who likes putting things together and understanding how it works I tend to question everything.

With that explained; I was wondering the other day why Chinese Nunchucks are illegal in 5 countries and 4 states in the US. I did some digging, some google searches, read a few web pages about how stupid it is that they are banned, but have yet to find out any good reason why they are banned. The best I could do was find out that the California and New York laws went into effect in 1974, during the height of the chop-socky kung-fu movie craze.

Mind you, I have no interest nor want to learn how to use these things, however I cannot find a single good reason why so many places find them to be such horrible things. As a fencer I own fencing foils, which are by design a blunted flexible sword, relatively harmless, but still a sword. I also own two rapiers that are combat grade functional but spend their lives purely as decoration. As it stands I haven't seen any laws that make either illegal, and I suspect that unless something drasctic happens, there will never be such a law.

So again I wonder, why make a legitimate martial arts weapon illegal when I have yet to find a single reported case of someone being attacked or fatally injured by one. Perhaps they should also ban Kendo, or boxing gloves, or even police tonfas (originally from Okinawa, fyi).

Any ideas?

ps. I'm just trying to open a discussion of debate, because I am genuinely confused on this point.
 
That I Also wonder ..! Maybe cuz................................Yea there really isnt a reason to bann numchucks
 
Paranoia...
It also could have had something to do with chinese relations at the time the laws were made, and no one really has the guts to get them removed?
 
I don't know, because other chinese martial arts weapons weren't affected. I suspect it has something to do with 70's kung-fu movies, but there is nothing to prove that.
 
I don't really understand why balisongs are illegal in some states and countries. I mean, it's obvious when you are drawing one and someone can easily break your arm before it is completely drawn. I understand switch blades being illegal, however.
 
The interesting part about the balisong is that it's more of a flashy knife than anything. The level of intimidation relating to seeing it being flicked and twirled is incredible. I suspect however it may relate to the 50's and 60's with youth violence in the LA and New York areas, but don't quote me on it.

****EDIT****
from the wikipedia, interesting: They are a pocket utility knife used by people of Filipino society
 
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Yeah, that's part of the reason they aren't banned in some places, because of the fact that they are part of Filipino culture.

I myself own one(don't worry, it's legal in Maryland), and would never use it for violence. There are much easier things to use, not that I would ever do that either though.
 
Good question, it doesn't make much sense... especially when they're simple enough that people could probably make their own, plus a lot of people could probably do more damage with their fists anyway o_O
 
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