they are not illegal to won. just illegal to posses publicly and illegal to use. as long as they are just a display then its ok. i believe. If they were completely outlawed in California then how do the martial arts classes and tournaments posses them? they would all be breaking the law.
Wow good question, maybe there are licensing and waivers for such style of weapons. Such a nun-chucks they are illegal if caught with. It in all my police officer training manuals and handbooks. My dad was a police officer and I was studying to become one. However laws change all the time, maybe my penal code book is outdated...I don't know for sure. Either way they are sweet and I'm watching and bidding
It REALLY sucks for CA residents but they are illegal to carry, purchase, import or even make your own shuriken. People that use them for martial arts events as you say have either brought them in from another state or purchase them illegally. Law enforcement is rarely going to intervene at a Martial Arts Tournament or school but the law is clear that they are illegal and if they wanted to they could easily charge individuals for violating the law. I have a friend I studied with in Japan that has a school out in California. He has been charged twice under this law. Of course he's not going to remove them from the curriculum but every once in awhile you'll run into someone that just wants to charge and prosecute this law. Both times he had to pay a fine and lost the shuriken, over 50 the first time.
California actually has a range of penal codes specifically passed for martial arts weapons. PENAL CODE SECTION 12020-12040
12020 even specifically mentions shuriken.
12020. (c) (11) As used in this section, a “shuriken” means any instrument, without handles, consisting of a metal plate having three or more radiating pointswith one or more sharp edges and designed in the shape of a polygon, trefoil, cross, star, diamond, or other geometric shape for use as a weapon for throwing.
normally if used as a "Novelty/Decorative item in the home you are ok. As long as you are not out in public with them and they are not being used as a weapon.