Boomerangs.

[arnisador]

An article on new and unusual boomerang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomerang) shapes from the NY Times:
The Return of the Boomerang

(http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/16/business/yourmoney/16goods.html)

See also this thread (http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=232268#post232268) which mentions the throwing stick.

My understanding is that a thrown boomerang was used for hunting, and that in combat it might be used as a club but not thrown. As close as the Phil. and Australia are, I wonder when this weapon made it to the Phil.?

[lhommedieu]

The article on the throwing stick makes the following observation:


People often ask why a hunter would choose to use a Rabbit stick, rather than a boomerang. The answer is simple: Boomerangs were never intended to be used to hunt game. They were used to knock fruits and berries from trees, and more commonly used for entertainment purposes. A boomerang is lightweight, and prone to breaking when met with direct force along the center of the curve. A Rabbit Stick is much heavier, designed to break the legs of animals such as rabbits, deer, and kangaroos. Attempting to catch one of these weapons in mid-flight is not advisable. Since the target destination is actually the ground in front of the prey, a Rabbit Stick designed to return in flight is not needed.

The boomerang was also used to turn prey, generally flocks of wild birds, towards the direction into which a hunter could take them down with bow and arrow, spear, or net. There was also a sub-set of heavier boomerangs with a smaller curve that functioned pretty much the same way as the Rabbit Stick described in the article.

When I lived in Australia as a kid I could never get my toy boomerangs to do the kinds of things I saw on television. That's probably because they were just that - toys - and not the authentic article. Maybe now as a middle-aged adult with too much time on my hands it's time to get back to throwing them again. That and learning how to play the didgeridoo that's up on my office wall... Thanks for the article.

Best,

Steve Lamade