Cowabunga! Nunchucks Are No Longer Banned In New York
Michelangelo can finally crawl out of the sewer.
The world just got a little brighter for one Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
After 44 nunchuckless years, a federal court in New York has ruled that the city’s ban on the martial arts weapons is unconstitutional and thus void, allowing the state’s twirly bonk stick owners to finally dust off their dreams of becoming the next Bruce Lee.
If you outlaw nunchucks, only outlaws will have nunchucks.
— Frank Morano (@frankmorano) December 18, 2018
New York’s nunchuck ban was initially put into place in 1974, a time when martial arts films were experiencing a boom of popularity in the West. The ban was a reaction to concern that people inspired by such films would use martial arts weapons to mug and injure others (though they were probably way more likely to hurt themselves). Possession of nunchucks in New York carried a penalty of up to one year in prison.
However, in a 32-page decision handed down by US District Judge Pamela K. Chen late last week, the court found that the New York Penal Laws banning nunchucks violated Americans’ second amendment right to bear arms. In her judgement, Chen found that the district attorney had not demonstrated that nunchucks “are not typically used by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes”, and had thus failed to disprove the presumption that the weapon falls under Second Amendment protections.
Never knew New York outlawed nunchucks because of a cultural fear of martial arts after Bruce Lee popularized it in his movies in the 1970s. That’s a pretty bigoted law. Glad to see it overturned.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) December 18, 2018
The case was initially brought by lawyer and nunchuck enthusiast James Michael Maloney. Maloney states on his blog that he was charged with misdemeanour possession in 2000 after police found nunchucks underneath his couch, and eventually plead guilty to a violation. As any good origin story should, this sparked in him the burning desire to right this wrong, and he instigated legal proceedings in 2003, representing himself.
Maloney had only hoped for “a declaration that the criminalization of the mere possession of nunchaku in one’s own home is unconstitutional”, so last week’s judgement far exceeded expectations. New Yorkers can now not only own nunchucks, but they can also manufacture, transport and sell them.
*sees New York has removed ban on nunchucks
*moves back to New York
— FᎪᎢ ᏩᎪNᎠᎪᏞF (@sofarrsogud) December 18, 2018
In a blog post on Sunday, Maloney stated that “the Court granted relief somewhat beyond what I had asked for (but I am not about to complain)”. The lifting of the ban means Maloney can finally teach his children his self-invented martial art style ‘Shafan Ha Lavan’, of which he is the only practitioner.
The case is still open to appeal, because nothing ever really ends in law. But for now, Michelangelo is free to crawl out of the sewer.