Freestyle nunchaku refers to the use of the nunchaku, traditionally a weapon, in an artistic and visually impressive, rather than combative, way. While it has origins in the martial arts, freestyle nunchaku is essentially a form of object manipulation - an activity based on the dexterous handling of a prop. Unlike other forms of object manipulation, freestyle nunchaku covers a wide variety of activity. Indeed, the emphasis and meaning of the activity can vary largely between performers. Each performer may have a unique style to the art. While some performers take great influence from the martial arts, for other practitioners, freestyle nunchaku better resembles other object manipulation such as poi, staff, various forms of juggling, or rhythmic gymnastics.