Nunchaku, nunchucks; Talk to me.

[lukey]

Im interested in learning how to use nunchucks. Could people with experience here please give me some tips. What is the best way to learn; with a set of foam nunchucks I presume? Is it better to learn from a book or an insructional dvd? Can anyone recommend a very good book or dvd for me to buy? Also, is there much differance in quality between differant sets of nunchucks or is ok to start out with a cheap set?

thanks

 

[baronsamedi]

Do you plan on learning katas to impress people or do you plan to carry them as a self defense tool? Make sure you buy a ball bearing pair and not the kind that are held together by a cheap rope. The ones held together by a cheap rope don't rotate as well. I prefer gripping the round ones as opposed to the octagon shaped ones. A set of foam nunchucks isn't a bad idea, because you should start slow but you need to swing them fast enough to have enough centripetal force to do certain motions. If you plan on using them for self defense beware the recoil. I saw a guy use his new pair of nunchucks on a heavy bag. The first swing he took bounced off the bag and gave him a black eye. He refuses to touch them again.

 

[Volund]

Best way to use nunchucks in real life is by strangling people with the chain in the middle, and using the wooden handles as levers.

 

[spartanMMAn]

so your in a streetfight and you whip out some nunchucks awsome lol but there are alot better weapons have you seen full contact nunchuck fights on youtube?

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

i just bought a pair of wodden ones and taught them to myself no books or vids

just go slooooooooooowly lol or youll regret it when you hit yourself with them

 

[kenzo242]

There are so many better more practical weapons than nunchucks. Like escrima sticks, kobutans and knives to name a few.

 

[ShaolinShaman]

you gotta just zone out and fuck with them a lot. your gonna hit yourself, but after a while they get really comfy. I practice on my bob/bags and its easy to learn how to gide the recoil- you make it swing to the other side, every recoil is an extra hit.

best weapon if you dont want to fight- just whip telescopic ones out and swing them and everyone will gtfo

 

[Seppuku Sam]

Heres how to pick up the chucks. Make your first pair from some cheap and soft wood, say a broom handle. Or try these here on You tube mabe from magazines and cord. Just keep it simple at first.
Watch some old Bruce lee...say, Enter the Dragon to get the juice flowing.

If you dont hurt your self too bad and you want to get serious, go buy two good pair of chucks...one a tradtional wood set with a rope connector and the other a more modern set with a chain connector and a swivel. Get Fumio Demura's book " Nunchuch: Karate Weapon of Self Defence"....it will give you some of the historical perspective surronding the weapon and how it was tradtionally used. If you begin to get any good at spinning it and you think you might be "bad ass" with it......go out in the yard and test your self with it by attempting to his stuff with it, like tree limbs and leaves. Good luck.

 

[460rowland****]

They make damn good weapons but it's often times illegal to carry them for protection. My home state allows you to carry them only if you gotta concealed deadly weapons license. But since I use that license to carry a handgun, the chucks stay in my house. Not much room left for them on my waistband.

 

[ShaolinShaman]

Whatahhh

 

[computer fogie]

Why would anyone think of nunchuks as a self-defense tool? I mean, if you want to look cool, OK, but come on. What happens when the guy you are attacking gets pissed when you bruise his forearm? Oops...

 

[Sir Galahad]

Start with the rubber ones. You'll hit yourself in the head or elbows when you start.

 

[nobleblack626]

It depends. There's a billion types of foam ones. The last set I got were really foam fluffy and I could really use them right so I went to town with with electrical tape. And their now almost as hard and as heavy as my real ones.

I'd say get the ball bearing ones. Some of the issues I've had with padded nunchaku were the padded part works it way down as you get faster, stronger with it. and sometimes it'll pinch you. You can fix these issues with electrical tape.

I learned by one of my masters just tossed me one , oneday. He showed me stuff here and there. He told me to do whatever thing with each arm. Then one day he tossed me another one. Then I just kind of went on my own from there, progressing, challenging myself etc. At the same time I don't treat it like a fuckin spirit baton like some of the people on youtube do. But I will do stuff like run and use them, use them blind folded.

I know some of the movements for technical attacks, blocking, chokes from my master, books, dvd etc. But then I thought "when the hell am I actually going to have these around in a fight?" You're more likely to have a stick or knife.

 

[Dusk Alumni]

^^ actually watching bruce lee is not a good example. because he holds the nunchaku way too close to the middle. its clear his using the light and safe ones in the movies. with the proper heavy ones you can't use them that fast holding them that low. gotta hold closer to the top

anyway to answer ts.. umm well i started nunchaku at like purple belt in hapkido when i was around 14. and i started with the proper hard-wood heavy ones, no foam or hollow soft wood. yeh clocked myself in so many places and so many bruises. but you get used to it and with skill wont do it anymore. if a 14 year old can do it. so can you.

after you master one. learn to use two. its one of those useless skills you'll never forget even 10 years later on

 

[nobleblack626]

^^ actually watching bruce lee is not a good example. because he holds the nunchaku way too close to the middle. its clear his using the light and safe ones in the movies. with the proper heavy ones you can't use them that fast holding them that low. gotta hold closer to the top

anyway to answer ts.. umm well i started nunchaku at like purple belt in hapkido when i was around 14. and i started with the proper hard-wood heavy ones, no foam or hollow soft wood. yeh clocked myself in so many places and so many bruises. but you get used to it and with skill wont do it anymore. if a 14 year old can do it. so can you.

after you master one. learn to use two. its one of those useless skills you'll never forget even 10 years later on

Yeah by dvd I meant instructional. I constantly stay close to the top for control, flipping etc I prefer real ones just because once you get the hang of it it's alot easier to work with & trust. But people in CA freak when they see you using real nunchakus.

 

[mafu]

yeah just got a pair of foam ones.. just watchin different youtube vids.. gettion ideas.. i fire twirl so im thinkin i can use them in my act.. as for weapons im not sure if there that practical.. id probably go with the kali sticks...

 

[hughes fan]

Given the truth that they are one of the most unreliable weapons out there I would suggest getting to know how to use a stick as well because you can get nun-chucks that change into sticks and they are easier to control and there are some good restraints and submissions that you can learn with the stick

 

[Raid3n]

Get ones with blades on the end of then. That way when the samuai's cut the chain in the middle you can still stab with then.

 

[Onericali]

nunchaku are great for getting your left and right hands in balance..

good for wrist strength and coordination

if you buy a cheap swivel, it might break on you

im going with rope for a while until i find a swivel i trust.............

 

[Hogey]

Why would anyone think of nunchuks as a self-defense tool? I mean, if you want to look cool, OK, but come on. What happens when the guy you are attacking gets pissed when you bruise his forearm? Oops...

Nunchucks don't even look cool. When I picture Nunchucks I think of some nerd swinging them around.