Brandon Fisher
Master Black Belt
I can definetly respect that.
Nunchaku Video
- Thread starter Monadnock
- Start date
chinto
Senior Master
cool, I know that for some reason people like Bruce Lee were facinated by the nunchuku.. I personaly am not sure why some people find flails so interesting.
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Monadnock
2nd Black Belt
To each their own, maybe?
newGuy12
Master of Arts
Oh! Practical nunchaku! Thank you, sir!
I like the physics of it -- a "force multiplier". But I agree, it's not that effective of a weapon, overall, and I use the heavy-duty red oak ones. Very traditional. The flashy ones are nothing more than juggling.
I'd take chucks over a knife, and rank it perhaps even with a bo, depending on the situation, (how much room you have to swing, mostly), and the practitioner, but it's no match for a sword, unless you take them by surprise, nor would I want to pit them against a skilled escrimador, they're a primarily aggressive weapon, with little defensive capability (similar to a knife).
My guess about Bruce Lee (and probably other actors) use of nunchaku is simple... They look impressive on film. They're solid enough and visible enough to be seen, they're exciting and they move fast... but they're not so long or fast that they "disappear" in use. Why did they become so popular for demonstrations and such? Well... to start with, Bruce used 'em! Then a lot of the reasons for film use apply -- and there's the simple fact that they lend themselves to some pretty flashy & exciting demos, too.
chinto
Senior Master
ohh with out a doubt.. just that flail weapons have never been nearly as effective as some would have you beleave in combat...
chinto
Senior Master
I would rank a bo much higher as an efficent and effective weapon agenst just about any weapon. historicaly most swordsman from every culture tended to try and stay away from good staff men! ( ya in europe and asia and any where else you want to look....) but as far as ranking it about the same as a knife, well to a point, but they are a lot easier to take away from some one then a knife is to take from a good knife man... but like an axe you are right they are a weapon that agression is a good thing to have in use of, but a really good chuck man told me long ago " in a real fight 2 or 3 strikes with the chucks after hiding them as long as I can for suprise and if its not over throw em and go empty hand!" He was and still is I am sure better with them then I will ever be! a good bo or kama or maybe eku or even sai before the nunchuku any day for me thanks!
chinto
Senior Master
ehh yes and no on that. I do not thing that they handle like say the chinese steel whip/chain or the rope and dart.
I would also tend to say that in general the flexible weapons are not as effective in most situations as most other weapons are. In most situations there is efectivly a teligraphing of strikes with them as they are flexable and fallow the arms movements. that is not to say that some weapons like the manrikigusari are not effective in some situations, but they tend to be more specialized and special perpouse in nature I think.
chinto
Senior Master
yep that is true, he would have liked the 'flash' and exotic nature of the weapon on the screen... like you said very exciting and well adaptible to screen and demonstrations too. I know for instance Kama do not win now or even years ago usualy in weapons kata as, well, most of the judges I think had no clue what the weapon was capable of or what the traditional kama kata were showing. ( I personaly hate the 13 inch long holed aluminium kama with out any edge) our dojo if you do a demo or compititon kata with kama you use sharp steel real kama. ( for training you put duct tape on the edge to make any cuts a lot less serious... you can still get cut if you are not very carefull though!!) but there is not the theatrical flash to the kama that there is to say the nunchuku or even the bo, and the judges have a better idea of what the sai and tunfa are for I guess... ( me I dont do turnements really but my sensei has and some of our dansha have and said kama like say the kata chinto dont tend to win as the judges do not understand the kata or in the case of the kama how the weapon works or is used.)
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Monadnock
2nd Black Belt
Hmm, I don't see why. They've been used in civilizations all across the globe.
chinto
Senior Master
simple, you must effectivly tellegraph where the weapon is headed by the nature of any flail weapon. that is why the "morgan stern" ( ball and chain) was never really populer in europe and I would submit that the nunchuku was not as populer a weapon with any one who had a choice in asia.. ( the same would I submit be true of any flail weapon anywhere.)
It is almost imposible to faint or otherwise misdirect with a flail weapon in genreal. That is not to say that a flail is not better then nothing by far, but not my first choice. History seems to indicate that most would agree with me.
In Europe as in Asia none flail weapons far out numberd and were selected far more often by most combatents then a flail weapon. I would submit that there is a major reason for this; namely that none flail weapons were more effective in combat.
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Monadnock
2nd Black Belt
While I agree that the flail may not be the first choice of weapons, I do not necessarily agree with that statement.
Zero
Master Black Belt
Nunchuku is one of the weapons I train with so I always appreciate the skill involved in pulling off even flashy moves but although not knocking the guy, as it was a great show (but also weird and spaced-out!!!), I can't really get into aluminium/light-weight chuks etc.
Although a lot of the moves, in fact all can be performed with standard hard-wood nunchuku and at speed, some moves are not practical if the weapons were to be used in combat - be it now or back in the day when they were supposedly implemented. The hand/wrist swivels look quick but I always was dubious of these kind of moves as if you made contact with an opponents weapon - bo or whatever - or even part of an attacker in all probability you would loose your nunchuk as you are not holding onto it at all, it's just flicking/wrapping around your outstretched hand.
On the ability of the chuks against other weapons, as said below, it depends on the environment. Relatively close, tight quatres they are effective but in good honest training and sparring against bo practitioners and wooden katanas I generally find it hard to actually get in and use them to effect. I have also generally been able to break up and 'knock down' a chuk weilding 'opponent' when training with the staff - but weapons of similar reach or shorter such as knives and even sais I am more happier to square off against.
Although a lot of the moves, in fact all can be performed with standard hard-wood nunchuku and at speed, some moves are not practical if the weapons were to be used in combat - be it now or back in the day when they were supposedly implemented. The hand/wrist swivels look quick but I always was dubious of these kind of moves as if you made contact with an opponents weapon - bo or whatever - or even part of an attacker in all probability you would loose your nunchuk as you are not holding onto it at all, it's just flicking/wrapping around your outstretched hand.
On the ability of the chuks against other weapons, as said below, it depends on the environment. Relatively close, tight quatres they are effective but in good honest training and sparring against bo practitioners and wooden katanas I generally find it hard to actually get in and use them to effect. I have also generally been able to break up and 'knock down' a chuk weilding 'opponent' when training with the staff - but weapons of similar reach or shorter such as knives and even sais I am more happier to square off against.
