A nunchaku is two sections of wood (or metal in modern incarnations) connected by a cord or chain. there is much controversy over its origins, some say it was originally a Chinese weapon, others say it evolved from a threshing flail, one theory purports that it was developed from a horse's bit. Chinese nunchaku tend to be rounded, whereas Japanese are octagonal, and they were originally linked by horse hair. There are many variations on the nunchaku, ranging from the three-sectional staff (san-setsu-kon nunchaku), to smaller multi-section nunchaku. The nunchaku was popularized by Bruce Lee in a number of films, made in both Hollywood and Hong Kong.