nunchucks...

[TrUcUlEnTkNiGhT]

iunno much about nunchucks but what are the best kind if there is any?

[monkeygirl]

I'm going to move this to the Weapons forum.

 

It sounds like you're just starting out with the nunchaku, in which case you'll probably want some foam ones. Century sells foam nunchaku for about $5. Those are great to start out with because they're light, fast, and punishment-free. I suggest starting out with cord, and then progressing to chain as you build your skills.

 

Ikon (NAPMA's company) sells some foam "sparring" chuks....don't get those! The foam is dense and hurts like crazy!

 

When it comes to progressing to the wooden chuks, it depends on what you want to do with them. Performance in katas? In that case you'll want light competition chuks which can run you about $60 a pair. Which is utterly ridiculous...one of the moms at our dojo was pretty handy with wood and made some nice ones for $20 a pair!

 

If you want to do more traditional forms with them, or use them as an actual weapon, you'll want heavier wooden ones.

[tommarker]

I have a strong dislike for foam nunchaku, and would only recommend them if you are especially nervous about cracking yourself in the head. Mostly due to the weight and balance of foam nunchaku being bad a lot of the times. The other reason is that foam nunchaku are cheap and the string tends to fray really quickly. Short of cutting the foam back, they are difficult to restring or re-size the length of string.

 

I prefer wooden nunchaku connected by rope, but I'm an old fashioned guy. I like the more natural feel of wooden weapons. You can also get a pair of wooden rope nunchaku for less than $10US. You have to be very selective though, since the quality of these nunchaku is flaky. Pick them out yourself at a store, and look for a pair that has nice heft to them. If you bang them together and they sound hollow, look for another pair.

 

Go to a camp store and buy some "550 Paracord" in whatever color you fancy and restring the nunchaku as shown here:

 

http://www.seishinkan.com/seishin/sskbuki/howto/nunstring01.htm

 

After that, grab some sandpaper and get all that nasty laquer or whatever they use off the wood. Also look for splintering. After you've sanded them down, put some Tung or Linseed oil on them and let them dry overnight. Hopefully, the grain of the wood will come out a little bit, and they'll look a lot nicer IMHO, and will be less slick than before.

 

You have now transformed a $5 weapon into something that should last you a lot longer, and will give you more satisfaction. Feel free to experiment with the rope types and length. I prefer the length between the chucks to be the width of my fist.

[tommarker]

you can make "competition style" nunchaku rather cheaply by going to a craft store and getting some thin dowel rods, cut them down and string them. wrap the ends with black electrical tape and use a short string so the sticks are really close to each other.

 

Then you can usually get some shiny reflective sticker paper and wrap it around the nunchaku... the result is a pair of lightweight pimped out nunchaku. I have a pair someone online made for me that are a little too light for my tastes, but they definetely catch everyone's attention when you bust them out

[battousai16]

i'd avoid the shiny reflective tape if i were you, i personally hate it. that's just me, though.

[Bdaze]

I am a big fan of all flexible weapons and nunchaku are easily my weapon of choice.

 

my first pair where black, hard and had a chain. i suggest these for beginners because you get used to the weight. Also, you learn clumsy sloppy techniques on foam nunchaku because there is a margin of error. say your doing a rebound of your shoulder, if you mess up with regulair nunchaku, it hurts and you can correct yourself, if you mess up with foam nunchaku, it feels the same as if you had done it perfectly.

 

also, the chain provides much more friction to perform spins and grip changes which, though advanced, are not too dificult for a beginner to learn.

 

 

 

the best way to learn to swim is by jumping into the deep end.

 

ps. I managed to dislocate my thumb with a pair ofr foam nunchaku, so dont be fooled into thinking theyre entirely safe.

[battousai16]

"the best way to learn to swim is by jumping into the deep end. "

 

uh, i know many person who would disagree with you. i would say learn with foam, the back of your head and your elbows and such will thank you later.

[tommarker]

nothing works bad habits out of your technique like whacking yourself in the elbow.

[angel]

Say i made a nunchaku, what are the techniqes to use with it in other words how do i use it like Bruce lee does,

 

Angel

 

Shotokan 6th kyu

[Shoryu]

lots of practice and training always help you improve...and if I were you I'd just buy some or you'll get hurt...