This is the pair of nunchaku used by Hollywood legend Bruce Lee in “Enter The Dragon,” one of the most consequential action movies of its time and one of the most important martial arts movies in history.
These are stunt nunchaku that were made specifically for screen use, they have wood handles covered with high-density foam and a resin-treated leather protective coating. They are said to have been made to Lee’s exact specifications.
Above Video: This clip shows the fill fight sequence, Bruce Lee gets his hands on the nunchaku at the 4:26 mark and performs his famous high-speed moves with them.
The scene where Bruce Lee uses these nunchaku, or “nunchucks” as they’re often referred to, take place in an underground cavern. There full sequence is a few minutes long, with Lee making use of his empty hand fighting style at first, followed by a staff, a pair of wooden sticks, and finally the nunchaku which he takes off an enemy combatant.
The exact origins of the nunchaku remain unclear, many believe they are descended from early South East Asian grain threshing tools, while others believe they came from Okinawa, where guards would clap together sections of wood joined with a rope as a warning.
Wherever they came from, the widespread fame of the nunchaku is today largely thanks to Bruce Lee and his use of them during Fist of Fury and Enter The Dragon, where they entered the public consciousness for the first time (for most viewers).
The other major proponent of the nunchaku is the character Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, though it seems most likely that this character’s use of the weapon was directly inspired by Bruce Lee.
Bruce Lee’s use of nunchaku led to the weapon becoming an overnight sensation, with countless toys made to replicate them, un untold numbers of kids smacking themselves in the face trying to copy Lee’s moves from the film.
This screen-used pair of nunchaku from Enter The Dragon are now being offered for sale by Julien’s in an online auction. They come on an acrylic “floating” display stand and housed inside an acrylic case with an identifying black display stand, and they are accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Mary Lee on behalf of her late husband, George Lee, who was a friend and former student of Bruce Lee’s.
If you’d like to read more about them, see the images, or place a bid you can visit the listing you can see it here.
Images supplied by Julien’s + Warner Brothers / Golden Harvest
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