hey folks I am thinking of buying a Nunchaku. This is NOT some thing to SHOW for, rather , I wanna be able to use it effectively and realise the ART of using such a weapon. This has been a recent interest only. I would like to hear from people who already have it/use it to see what you think of the nun chaku. is it easy to use? Is it highly dangerous to use? do u get bored with it easilly? how are your experiences with using it. thank yous
The Nunchauks are NOT easy to use..To use them effectively you will need proper instruction from a Sensei..You can pick up a DVD that will give you a basic understanding on how to grip, swing, etc..etc..Pick up a set of the foam rubber ones until you master the basics to avoid a concussion..Keep us posted..Also check with local law enforcement concerning their legality..
There are quite a few nunchaku swinging members of MAP (where is SpinStorm? Haven't spotted anything from him for a while ). Take notice of Dr Syn - they are not toys, and can be as dangerous to the user as to those around him. Get some propper training, and you will never get bored with them - great for blocking and 'defensive work' as well as outright attack. Between training sessions practice... but find a big enough area so that you are not taking out the light fittings as some members have been known to do Training last week was fun - nunchaku against walking stick. I'll leave the results up to your imagination
I've got nunchaku, both rubber ones and wooden. I am absolutely hopeless at them, but really just want to have a feel for them for when I do get to use them formally. I've got Demura's book, and have picked up some of the exercises. I would say that the rubber ones are not really all that good, as they don't have the right feel to them. The downside of the wooden ones is that they really hurt when you hit yourself! As I say, I don't think I'll make Bruce Lee standard piddling about in my own back garden, but I am building up a comfort factor with them. FYI, I had to take along my martial arts licence to the shop when I bought the wooden ones.
You serious? I hope i dont need a license to get a nunchak. what did you have to prove? that you were a responsible martialartist? that this wasnt going to be used as an offensive weapon ? thanks
What they said above. ...AND... when you get to the point where you are moving to behind back/behind head changes and grip changes.Buy a helmet...and wear it. While doing a right to left hand switch upwards across my back, I kinda remember a white flash and nothing else until I woke up and founf myself lying in the garden with my nunchuks sitting beside me. Helmet. Really! And practice on a bag if you dont just want to be a tricker. And if your doing that, wear fingerless bag gloves. They bounce back and crack fingers/bones in hands. Sound bad? Try a three section staff!
Nunchaku seems to be one of the most popular weapons that many MA practitioners learn, either formally via kobudo lessons or via self-teaching, regardless of base-style. I compare it to learning Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" on guitar. It's a must-have, must-learn thingo. Although some people may be naturals at it (as in other endeavours), most people will find it difficult at first. It's definitely a co-ordination tester & builder, as you'll probably find out soon enough! As the others have said, it can be dangerous to both you and people/things around you. Outdoors away from fragile things or inside a padded school, always look around you to ensure that you're out of hazard's way et vice versa. The helmet idea is a good thing. The rubber/foam chux is also a very good idea. Back in the day, I only had wood & metal chux. I wish I'd had rubber/foam chux instead in the earlier stages of learning! You could very easily crack your skull, break your nose, lose some teeth, lose an eye, whack a nut, crack a shin, break some toes, damage a shoulder...still wanna try it? hehe j/k Whether you get bored is totally up to you. Too much of something may not be good, although there are a few exceptions :Angel: I've had a few interesting experiences with various chux in my childhood, but I won't bore you with them here. You'll have more than enough of your own very soon to tell us, I'm sure! Some advice: Don't go fancy yet with around-the-necks, between-the-legs, reverse catches, double-chux. Stick to the basics, then try much later to get a bit more daring as soon as you've mastered the basics to the point of being able to do them with your eyes closed with ambidextrous techniques. Learning is fun, but it can also be frustrating and challenging. If you really want to do more than just fling them around (although that's what you really need to do at first in order to get used to them) by training the way they were meant to be used back in Asia, then you should try specific training drills that develop you speed, accuracy and power. Targets would be needed. Just don't give it up and, before you know it, you'll be pretty good at them. Good luck and let us know how you progress!
Every so often the 3-section comes out at class, and we each take a turn in the middle of the floor to see what we can do with it I'm sure our instructor uses it as a test of confidence Juego Todo - I've been considering setting up some sort of 'targets' in the back garden. I have a couple of sheds and a 8-foot tall 1-foot diameter tree-stump to play with. Any ideas of targets for accuracy and power testing?
Sorry for the long contrib... What TheDarkJester suggested, about the tennis ball on a rope, is a really good idea. Advanced boxers, for example, use a similar device to test similar skills, most notably their accuracy and speed, not really power. I could be wrong...that wouldn't be the first time After reading about your plans for your backyard, I thought of some kind of a contraption that would've been seen in one of those HongKong-made, kung-fu theatre, chop-socky flicks Perhaps you can attach "branches" to your tree-stump (maybe made of metal or hardwood?) on different levels around it, on which ropes and/or chains would hang. Targets for accuracy could be (use your imagination): -the tennis ball; -rotten apples (or other already inedible fruit) or eggs, so as not to waste any further; -a cricket/Indian rubber ball; -a ping-pong ball; -a 2-inch rubber ball; -a key ring or a coin; -a golf ball; -a lit cigarette (just trying to be creative!); -??? Targets for power could be: -sandbags; -full cans of non-alcoholic beer (don't wanna waste the good stuff ); -meat (hey, why not tenderize it & train simultaneously? i.e. multi-tasking); -rubber tires; -small, light punching bags (be sure to wrap it with a pad so as not to damage the bag); -wrap the actual tree-stump with some kind of pad, just as mentioned above; -??? There would be a few things to consider before embarking on such training: -actual nunchaku may be best (e.g. hardwood, etc.), as the lightweight feel of foam/rubber may not benefit you as much; -helmet or eyewear, as mentioned by the other posters; -shoes or boots, in case you drop the chux on your feet; -fingerless bag gloves, as suggested by Lithanwif; -??? Further to Lithanwif's contrib earlier, it's true about the nunchaku bouncing off of hard targets. All of the smooth, fancy figure-8's, loops, etc. would not occur upon impact. There would be a lot of random, unpredictable after-blows that could cause yourself harm. You should try hitting targets: -while they're still; -while they're swinging; -while facing them; -starting with your back to them, then do a quick turn and strike; -using mostly wrist-action (no, not THAT kind ); -using forearm or full-arm action; -while running to them; -one after another with no prep time; -with your weaker hand, too; -when it's a bit darker; -??? It's not like anybody should carry nunchaku with them unless, otherwise, they're legal to carry them as a self-defence item This would just be cross-training for exercise, co-ordination development and fun, just like learning any other classical/traditional weapon. Anyway, hope this gives you some good ideas to consider. You'll probably come up with more & better ones yourself. You'll find uses for your sheds. May safety & common sense be your guides :Angel:
i got my 1st pair today, whent with the wood, ill be going to weapons class regularly now. this is gonna be a lot of fun
Take notice..My first Sensei knocked himself out in his backyard when prepairing for a tournment, He was already a 4th Dan and still gave himself a serious concussion..
If you want to learn to use them effectively forget all the 'round the head, between the legs rubbish. Find someone who teaches the old Okinawan forms and learn from him or her. From what I remember some twenty years ago it was very simple and straightforward. Not easy to do well, but simple.
Maybe just me, but... ...when I used to train Nunchaku quite seriously, we'd have some full contact. Light wood Nunchaku, Corded...full Kendo body armour....Good ( GOOD! ) sets of bag gloves. Now, I was the only person who tended to do this but, I used a reverse mid grip, then repeatedly flailed them around my waist, as a distract/clear area movement, then switch them back to a normal mid-grip by swnging them up, around my neck and striking across the head at the same time. Worked about 4 out of 5, as my opponent was usually waiting for me to switch to come in and strike with some massive bomb. So, you can switch behind your back/head/legs even, but make sure you use your other hand as a gaurd and distract.
hmmm i've been reading all these posts on the difficulties of learning nunchaku, and im wondering where i went wrong lol im halfway expecting to be laughed at for this but i learned just about all i know of nunchaku from watching Maxi in Soul Calibur... to be more specific, i would go to practice mode and tap a button or comination, and pause repeatedly through each movement from multiple angles to see what he was doing, and i picked it up like that. so yea its dangerous and dont think i was being careless cuz i had a game as a resource lol but im pretty good now at movements all over except the legs. i could use some instruction on different blocking/defensive methods tho.
ok fair enough lol but hey, at least i didnt suffer a myriad of self-inflicted injuries =) maybe one or two but thats low isnt it?
Yeah, but are you hitting a bag with them? sparring? striking anything? No... ..then your dancing. you asking? Im asking! Im dancing! etc.... Old Rikki Fulton sketch ( for the elderly scots peeps here )
