Was the yo-yo originally designed as a weapon?
We can’t find any historical reference where a yo-yo was used as a weapon. It’s believed that this story originated as part of a marketing campaign in the 1940’s to capture kids’ imaginations. (Remember World War II had just ended, and many kids had fathers who fought in that war.)… Still, it’s possible that this was true. Who are we to squash a good yo-yo story! ; ).
