# weapons



## rabbit (Apr 23, 2008)

I think it would be cool if at my studio we did weapon sparring. We never practice striking a target with a nunchaku. Heck, i dont even know what half the moves in my nunchaku form do. I don't think i would know how to defend myself with a nunchaku. With common sense I think some people could figure out how to use the weapons. 



I think it would be cool if we used different weapons in sparring. three section staff vs nunchakus and things like that.


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## thardey (Apr 23, 2008)

The hard part I've run into with nunchaku sparring is that by the time you lighten them enough to be relatively safe, they behave so differently that you can't catch them properly.

As for striking with them -- get a bag, stand far back, and strike with your arm fully extended -- then simply "recover" like you do for your forms. Don't change your strike (other than fully extending) from your form. The nunchaku will "recover" to the same spot as in your forms, even though they've bounced wildly to get there.


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## Imua Kuntao (Apr 24, 2008)

Like using a stick you must hit as hard as possible or your nuchacku could be taken away by whom you are defending against. When striking a heavy bag and are swingging straight across strike at a slightly different angle, you will see how to control the weapon.


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## thardey (Apr 24, 2008)

Imua Kuntao said:


> Like using a stick you must hit as hard as possible or your nuchacku could be taken away by whom you are defending against. When striking a heavy bag and are swingging straight across strike at a slightly different angle, you will see how to control the weapon.



Good point - it either needs to be going at a dangerous speed, or out of reach. If the enemy gets a hand on it at all, it becomes useless.

It's primarily an aggressive weapon. You can to traps and some blocks defensively, like the police (it think) trained, but it's biggest advantage is in the speed that it generates.


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## harleyt26 (May 2, 2008)

Hold the nunchaku about one inch from the end without the string.Swing the nunchaku so that it stays straight/parallel to the other stick giving you the most advantage of the total length of both sticks and the string.In this method you can also generate the most centrifugal force with the weapon.They will appear to be moving slower this way but in actuality they will be moving just as fast at the same time they will cover more area and have much more power.When striking a person/target/object with the nunchaku swing it at the target and pull back very fast and hard pulling it through the target.By pulling continuously during and after the impact the bouncing of the weapon will be minimized as much as possible.We build our own weapons makiwara out of landscape timbers,basically fashioned like a cross 6 foot tall.A 8 foot timber placed two feet into the ground works well,and wrap them with rope or carpet remnants.
Actual sparring with the weapons is difficult but not impossible.It takes a lot of protective gear which is cumbersome and somewhat difficult to move well in.The protective gear can also instill a false sense of safety,you may not feel the necessity to work on the blocks and deflections adequately if it does not hurt to get hit.
Tom Hodges


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