THE NUNCHAKU

I have decided to write some things on various martial arts 'weapons' or 'tools' and have chosen the NUNCHAKU as the first one to discuss,since a friend on FACEBOOK has asked me to assist him in learning and training with this device, which was immensely popular at one time and highly controversial, rendered illegal in most states and in some countries. Ironically, I carried and used such a thing while in the Philippines when it was under MARTIAL LAW and one should note that I was also teaching martial arts to various people in the Philippines as well. The ironic thing is that I had much more personal freedom at that time than I do now in the UNITED STATES. For instance, had I chose to do so, I could have carried a pistol or gun if I had joined a gun club in Manila,etc. during that time when guns were supposedly 'banned' and 'illegal'. I could also carry the BALISONG which is again a problematic,legal limbo for most would be martial artists in the US. I could also and did wear a bolo on the streets in many places and certainly in rural areas and I also had a sort of 'reputation' for carrying a spear that I had obtained in the Northern Philippines. I actually had wanted to acquire more of these plus head axes but lack of money and other things prevented from doing so at that time. THE HISTORY OF THE NUNCHAKU is still in need of more research and since most are alreay familiar with the basic legends and assumptions and claims for its origins, I will not go into this area unless it intrudes on things. Since I have written several articles that have been published on the nunchaku, I refer everyone to look at them and also at many other popular books,videos,etc. I acquired my first nunchaku during the 'BRUCE LEE CRAZE' when everyone was twirling such about. The nunchaku was also considered for use by law enforcement agencies but lost out in favor of the tonfa which was transformed into the Bradley Prosecutor, and similar police weapons. When I was a corrections officer some years back, special courses of certification were given to Corrections Officers, but I was not one of them at the time. Actually, I am grateful for not having such because those officers who did were the ones that had to go into the cells of recalcitrant and troublesome,hostile inmates and I knew full well that trying to use such in a regular cell had great drawbacks and some inmates, no doubt,could and would disarm the officer who attempted to use it for restraining purposes. I,personally, prefered 'empty hand/empty arm' methods and on some occasions did utilize such when needed and I had to control such inmates for various reasons. The Nunchaku is a weapon that really requires sufficient space to use in the manner that most manuals display and which most DVDs demonstrate. It can be used in a different manner than in the spectacular twirls and demos seen in tournaments but that takes a lot of practice and few really devote themselves to this aspect which is seen as being boring and sometimes self-evident by those who prefer the flamboyant uses. Ironically, one can make the nunchaku and its several variations and not buy the commercial ones, but these latter often have advantages as well as disadvantages. Small nunchaku can be more easily carried and concealed for use. Also, toy nunchakus can get you into trouble as well. Even if such are plastic,hard or soft,foam rubber, wielding them in public view and in public places can lead to brushes with the law in various ways. Attempts to ban the sales of all these things from real to toy still darken the horizons of most States and stringent laws are on the books in most cases everywhere. Dojos may or may not be exempt and some have 'a special dispensation' if the weapons are confined to the walls of the dojo as decorations, securely placed,etc. or used for practice and exercise in the dojos. As long as no one gets hurt, injured or killed and insurance exists then one can perhaps study and learn and practice such. For that reason, most things are not done in the manner conducive to active learning unless conducted in secret,and authorized sessions(usually law enforcement, and related military and security forces who are given a monopoly on such things,which the general public is prohibited. You figure it out. Amon my nunchaku collection I have one that I always take out to have 'hotshot performers' who twirl the light, plastic, aluminum,etc. devices in fancy maneuvers and dazzling arrays, use. Those who have experienced this device: THE IRON NUNCHAKU soon find they cannot wield this one in the ways they previously displayed, that is, without hittling the various parts of their bodies and receiving a number of impacts. The regular,standard nunchaku(s) do have a tendency to reverberate and sometimes strike the body of the user in ways they do not expect. For this reason, hitting heavy bags,wooden posts, trees, etc. is done to make one familiar with what can happen when something is actually struck rather than just free-flowing in the air unimpeded by solid objects. NOW, the nunchaku can be a great device for improving coordination and the like and since it requires a good deal of open area usually and also footwork, those who cannot really use these devices since they may be confined to wheel chairs, and other means of transport that do not allow them to make full use of footwork, if at all, or standing movements, and the like, plus other conditions that might prevent them from an effective use of such, some degree of reseach and experiment should be done by martial arts teachers and instructors, whom I am afraid avoid this and so neglect the actual needs of people in this situation. There have been some exceptions and these are rare where instructors set up classes for specific needs and special needs. So how does one who finds him or her self in this situation.