SteyrAUG

For those who haven't paid attention to many of my posts (I'm assuming that's most of you), I am something of a vintage nunchaku nut as evidenced by the fact that my FB page is devoted to the subject. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-Nunchaku/523048834442599?skip_nax_wizard=true And for any of you old timers for whom the name "Dolan's" has special meaning, you will understand why I might be having a really good day. Finally snagged a pair of (No. 168) 14" Round Rosewood Swivel Chain nunchaku. To say these are rare somehow doesn't quite cover it. I've been looking for a pair of these ever since I was nice enough (aka stupid enough) to give my pair to a student back in '83. Just never got around to replacing them and by the time I tried around 1990 I discovered to my horror that Dolan's was no more. I've searched for a pair ever since and finally "all is right with the world." https://www.facebook.com/523048834442599/photos/a.523134734434009.1073741829.523048834442599/613053172108831/?type=1&relevant_count=1

Does Iowa count?

Sadly I can easily top that story. Don't read if you want to keep your faith in humanity. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/13/wisconsin-home-invaders-beat-blind-husband-raped-pregnant-wife-police-say/

My wife already knows to stand back before the shooting starts.

Probably for similar reasons that most people who do spin class or step aerobics are female.

Seems to be, but that could be because (unless I'm mistaken) you have never trained in, or been a member of a Koryu!? K. Probably best for all if you simply continue with that assumption. But I consider any unmodified "pre Meiji" system to be koryu. As a result I've actually studied quite a few koryu systems and styles. So have a lot of other people.

I do, but again we never studied any system exclusively so it really doesn't matter. The reason I ask is because I’m interested in how you got it to work. A Koryu system is the sum of its constituent parts. Take techniques / kata out of any said system and they most likely become useless (or at least less useful). Practicing kata out of the context of the system may look and feel very nice to do, but unless you know how to connect the dots it’s a pretty empty experience. That’s why I was interested in the systems from which you say you have knowledge of kata and how you linked them up to the bigger picture of your training. K. Well I can spend about 5 years showing you how we did it, but that probably isn't practical. I don't know that it could be explained in sufficient detail over the internet without me writing a book. But suffice to say it wasn't nearly as difficult as you make it sound. The systems I studied weren't nearly as confining as you suggest and there were plenty of common denominators. I found that the techniques we were using worked just fine outside of their parent system or even combined with methods of other systems. Connecting those dots wasn't terribly difficult for anyone with a decent foundation. Certainly we weren't the only school practicing Kenjutsu's "greatist hits." I have found most schools have similar fundamentals and it is only advanced techniques, kata and concepts that set them apart. My experience seems to be different from yours. As stated previously, it was hardly anything revolutionary.

I do, but again we never studied any system exclusively so it really doesn't matter.

While I understand the commercial aspect you are objecting to, I also understand the guy who is running a commercial business not wishing to see potential profits go out the door. For me I'm lucky enough to be in a position where I really only care about the martial arts. I do have some rules however about things like weapons. Nobody is going to be swinging around a 440 stainless "samurai sword" and their nunchaku are probably not going to be from AWMA or Century. We do weapon on weapon contact training and I don't need a half a nunchaku flying through the air and tagging somebody in the head. And to make sure nobody gets a Chinese knockoff I generally prefer to be the provider of high grade weapons.

Probably not very fair to expect any dojo to let a "new guy" come try it out and spar with everyone. They have no idea if you have solid technique and good control or not. I do know when I was involved with a local kyokushin group in the early 80s it was some of the roughest sparring I had been exposed to. But long before we were even allowed to spar we had to do lots of kihon and kata until everyone was satisfied that we were good to go and wouldn't go overboard or get killed during sparring, even if it did at times feel like we might get killed.

In most cases of ED the government gives you something close to market value for your property. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

Actually ED means exactly that, where a government can come take over private property if they deem the public need to be sufficient. If they have a highway in mind they can actually take your residence. Government aside, I personally find it disturbing. I feel indebted to Sensei Demura for all he has done for the martial arts community for decades. It would be sad to see any established dojo be lost for the sake of some landscaping, let alone one as significant as Demura's. Sadly he lives in a beautiful state where the government has some serious discretionary power over it's citizens. One only need to think about the fact that an individual cannot even legally possess nunchaku in their home to realize something is wrong.

Did you study with a ZNKR group? I think "Mae" is the first of their 12 Seitei-gata. Have you studied any older systems? K. Nope. The All Japan Kendo Fed. actually encompasses many systems so I'm not sure if the Kenjutsu or Iaijutsu systems I studied are older than those representative systems or not. I do know Mae is as common to most systems of Kenjutsu and Iaijutsu that I've seen as Naihanchi / Tekki is to most Karate systems. It's also found in most of the Iaido I've seen. I've studied some very old systems, not quite "Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu" old, but still pre Meiji and thus what I'd consider "koryu." As an example the Kendo I practiced growing up used a bokken for the first couple years only putting on armor and grabbing shinai a couple times a week to practice the techniques we had drilled the other days of the week. Eventually we graduated to steel blades at intermediate rank still using armor and shinai once or twice a week to "spar." There were no multiple point matches, single point and the match is over because somebody is dead. There were no strike backs allowed (because you would actually be dead) and shinai "flicks" (or any other movement that could not be done with a katana) were not permitted or counted. Matches were single point and the survivor got a fresh opponent except in cases of "ai uchi" where both parties died. Then the next two in line were up. I studied with a teacher of no particular fame who grew up in Kyoto and taught us an amalgamation of various ryu which we simply considered "kendo" or "kenjutsu." So on one hand in terms of pedigree we were less authentic than some budo systems but on the other hand in terms of technique we were more orthodox than many established systems. My teacher of course didn't consider what he was doing unique enough to declare a new system and promote himself to grandmaster or soke as was sometimes the practice in the US at the time.

Doesn't sound like any kind of legitimate Kenjutsu I've ever studied or even heard of. As for wanting to spar with live blades with somebody you "just met"...well I don't think I'd be interested in that either. I have done some live blade "exercises" with people I've trained with for years and that's as close as I get to sparring with anything like a katana. I've seen a couple examples of what happens if somebody gets careless, complacent or simply has an accident when working with live blades. It's an experience I can do without personally.

You are not crazy. The more you value the martial arts and his instruction, the more you feel like your membership fees just don't adequately pay for things. I would agree with Zaine and just ask if you can barter it out. Explain why. It also works both ways. I remember when you never paid your instructor for lessons directly. Club fees were always put in an envelope with your name on it and you left it on his desk when he was not in his office.