Kobudo weapons (including the Nunchaku), are said to be extensions of empty hands Karate.
The Nunchaku is by far my Kobudo weapon of choice for many reasons, but mainly because, to me, it is one of the two Kobudo weapons that really seem to completely blend well with empty hands Karate; the second being the Bo.
Okinawan Nunchaku
Nowadays, no one can talk about Nunchaku without mentioning Bruce Lee, who personalized this weapon’s technique, and greatly contributed to the rise in popularity of the weapon through his martial arts movies.
Just like the Bo, there are significant differences between the Chinese version and the Okinawan version. The most visible difference is that the Chinese Nunchaku is usually made out of a regular circular wooden stick, while the Okinawan version is hexagonal, which can inflict more damage to opponents.
The technique of the Okinawan Nunchaku would be unknown to the western world today, if not because of Kobudo pioneers and restorers, a prominent one being Taira Shinken, who kept those techniques alive, thanks to an enormous research and restoration work earlier in the century.
These techniques have only been passed down to a handful of students.
Taira Shinken on Nunchaku
Unlike empty hands Karate, not many Katas were initially created for this weapon in Okinawa, and reliable information on its technique is scarce. This explains why many of today’s practitioners simply invent their own swinging moves, while self-teaching themselves how to use this weapon. I noticed that most modern practitioners mainly focus on the swinging motions of the weapon, while this weapon is a lot more than that, and includes blocks, and many powerful self defense techniques that nicely blend with Karate.
It turns out, there are not a whole lot of swinging Nunchaku moves that have proven to be efficient in a real confrontation!
If you are seeking true self defense with this weapon, you need to find a teacher who learnt from a reliable source!
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