nunchucks

Nunchaku is an art which is declined in different sports disciplines:

Fighting Nunchaku:

Fighting Nunchaku was created by the French karateka, Pascal VERHILLE in 1980. By studying the different styles and techniques, he created a new method, the “NUNCHAKU DE COMBAT”.

Based on the maximum efficiency of Nunchaku, he gives names to some specific movements that he classifies in “handling” and “attacks”.

He developed 4 Katas, and several exercises such as the “29 maneuvers” and the “39 attacks”.

Competitions in combat are organized thanks to foam Nunchakus allowing the competitors to face each other without danger.

Three types of combat result from it, the “touch combat” related to the fencing, the “semi contact”, and the “full-nunch” related to the box.

The Nunchaku Nenbushi ː

In 1990, Pascal VERHILLE authorizes Marcel RIFFE to use the bases of the Fighting Nunchaku to work a method adapted to the children he named Nenbushi.

The kata nunchaku :

The practitioner learns a succession of movements requiring a great technique and a great precision, then he executes these sequences as if he was fighting against an imaginary opponent.

The artistic nunchaku or freestyle nunchaku (free style):

This time, the goal is not the fight, but purely a question of aesthetics. Nevertheless, this style requires an extreme mastery and a very great technique. It is a question of executing sequences gathering basic handling associated with juggling techniques, using one or two nunchaku, in rhythm to music.

The nunchaku boxing :

Method of combat created in the 1980s in Marseille (France) which consisted of assaults feet / fists and nunchaku foam, giving the possibility of having three distances of combat. Nunchaku boxing fights were fought in three rounds of two minutes each (five rounds for the finals).

The accepted techniques were those of Full-contact (kicks above the belt, sweeps and fist techniques of English boxing), reinforced by the nunchaku blows of which about twenty had been codified. Only pricks to the face and throat, as well as strangulations were forbidden.

This discipline saw several championships of France then of Europe, before being prohibited at the end of the 1990s.

Source : Wikipedia

Nunchaku Connect Team

How to choose your nunchucks ?

On the market, you can find different models of nunchucks.

Not always easy to find your way, especially when you start.

The choice of the nunchucks will depend first of all on the use that we want to make of it.

For a beginner, the foam nunchaku is recommended whether it is to practice combat or freestyle.

A person having an intermediate or confirmed level will use a foam nunchucks during fights and a traditional wooden nunchucks for kata while a freestyle practitioner will use a lighter nunchucks with sticks of a smaller diameter.

Beginners can, if they wish, start directly with a light wooden artistic nunchucks, but it is preferable to start with a foam model, which will facilitate the taking of risks during the learning process and, on the contrary, will limit the risk of injuries.

How to choose your rope size?

Rope size varies from one freestyler to another. Some will prefer a short rope, while others will prefer a long rope.

A short rope will make you faster, but some techniques will be harder to do with a long rope…

If you don’t know the size of your rope yet, the best way to start is to calculate the width of your hand with a centimetre, not counting the thumb. A suitable rope length will make learning easier.

The ideal nunchucks for freestyle is a nunchaku which is light and well balanced in weight while the ideal nunchaku for fighting has a bigger diameter, weighs heavier, the rope and the branches are often longer to allow the user to have a better length during fights.

How to choose your stick size?

The size of the sticks can vary from one nunchaku to another. Fighting nunchucks will tend to have longer sleeves, while freestyle nunchucks are often shorter.

At Nunchaku Connect we offer freestyle nunchakus of different lengths.  You can measure your forearm to know the length which would be more adapted to your size.

Starting with nunchakus of adapted sizes favours a better progression. As for the rope lengths, with experience you can easily go from one nunchucks to another, with different sizes.

What is the ideal weight of a freestyle nunchucks ?

You will find on the market different models of nunchucks.

The lighter the nunchaku is, the more you will gain in speed and the less quickly you will get tired.

A light and well-balanced nunchucks will also be more adapted to make throws.

The average weight of a freestyle nunchucks is 150 grams.

Nunchaku Connect Team

Nunchaku means in Japanese “unit of the same length”.

Like many ancient objects, it is very difficult to know exactly the history of the nunchaku and its origin.

Before it was used as a weapon, nunchaku would have been an agricultural instrument used to husk rice.

It would have been hijacked in 1429 in Okinawa, an island in the south of Japan, by the inhabitants wishing to defend themselves from the emperor Sho Hashi who invaded and united the three parts of Okinawa to create the kingdom of Ryukyu. To avoid the possibility of revolt, he forbade the island’s peasants to possess weapons.

Nunchaku became more known to the general public thanks to bruce lee’s appearances in movies and on television.

Round or octagonal in shape, nunchaku comes in different materials: wood, foam, steel or plastic.

There are some with rope and others with chains, which can be of different lengths.

What does the law say in France?

In France, nunchaku are considered as a handgun (category D), as such, they are on free sale but their sale is prohibited at least 18 years old. Wearing a nunchaku is also forbidden unless it is a legitimate movement (from your home to your dojo), and that you have a license.

Nunchaku Connect Team

The Nunchaku is a weapon that can injure others but also cause bodily harm to its user,
Therefore, we recommend that you follow a few safety instructions when using it.

First of all, during your training sessions we recommend that you choose a ventilated place, where you have enough space to train. If you are not alone, get away from the people around you before you start.

If you are just starting, the ideal is to start with a foam nunchaku. You will then be able to learn new techniques without having the apprehension of hurting yourself and that will allow you to start without fear.

If you train at home, be careful if you are under a lighting. If the ceiling height is too low you risk breaking your light bulbs. Also pay attention to your computer screens, your TV and what is around you.

A smartphone screen placed in the back pocket of a pair of trousers can be broken because of the impacts of the nunchaku when bouncing. Pockets on the front of pants are often too small and smartphones too big to fit in them.

Little tip: A banana bag will allow you to train while keeping your phone on you without risking to break it.

A suitable outfit will help you feel more comfortable in your movements. At the beginning, an open jacket and a sweatshirt cord sticking out can hinder your movements and make you feel a little uncomfortable.

Nunchaku Connect Team

You want to try nunchaku without having to buy one or you simply want to have fun?

We have the solution!

The whip nunchaku:

Get two identical kitchen whisk with a hole in the handle. Pass a rope through the two holes then make a knot.

That’s it, your nunchaku is ready!

Now it’s your turn to play!

Nunchaku Connect Team

Fighting nunchaku :

Fighting nunchaku is a martial art, codified and supervised by federations. One learns there the handling of the nunchaku of combat, traditional kata, as well as to fight.

The fighters are equipped with a protective helmet and use foam nunchakus to avoid hurting their opponent.

The goal is to hit your opponent and score more points than him. Points are scored by referees according to the part of the body where they were given.

A blow to the opponent’s head is worth two points, the body, one point and three points if the opponent’s nunchaku is ripped off.

The artistic nunchaku:

The artistic nunchaku is a different discipline, the goal being not to fight but to practise with its nunchaku a sequence of techniques in rhythm on music.

During the competitions the participants are judged on the technique, but also on the movements, the martiality, the speed, the risk taking etc…

Artistic nunchaku, or freestyle, is a free art that develops concentration, dexterity, motricity but also creativity.

On nunchakuconnect.com you will find a complete training to learn the art of freestyle nunchaku.

Accessible from 6 years old, this discipline is accessible to all.

Nunchaku Connect Team