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| The nunchaku is a challenge to learn, but with today's foam chuks, it is easier than in the old days when all we had were nunchaku we made ourselves from whatever wood and chain we could find. It resulted in many bruises and in some practitioners not being able to have children (just kidding). But we mastered the weapon after many bruises. Most people today have it easy as they start with foam chuks. The problem with foam chuks is that they are very cheaply made with a breakable plastic cylinder that shatters. Nunchaku was designed as a blocking, striking and grappling weapon that did not require many release (swinging) strikes. Kata will teach you proper muscle memory, blocks, strikes, etc. |
Nunchaku (ヌンチャク), a traditional karate weapon of kobudo (沖縄古武道), can be found at the Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai Hombu in Mesa Arizona. This traditional karate weapon is taught along with the empty hand of karate as has been the case for karate and kobudo for centuries on Okinawa. Classes in this Okinawa weapon are taught to all of our adult and family students at the border of Chandler with Gilbert & Mesa Arizona on Kobudo nights at our dojo (martial arts school). Children are also introduced to kobudo weapons as they train with their parents.
Members of the Mesa Karate school (dojo - 道場) and learn to use the nunchaku, not like a twirlers baton seen in many schools where a martial artist is more of a danger to oneself than to others, but instead, students at the Arizona Hombu learn to use this classical kobudo tool as it was intended: a weapon of self-defense along with kata and bunkai.
Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai members can receive certification in this karate weapon after about a year of training where they learn kihon (基本) (basic blocks, strikes, stances, chokes), several kata (型) (forms) along with bunkai (分解) (practical applications) and kumite (組手) (sparring). One must also come into the dojo with the proper spirit of learning 'Self-Defense' rather than 'Self-Offense', if they want to learn.
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| Both men and women learn to use the nunchaku at the Hombu dojo. |
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| Ben attacks with knife only to have it parried by nunchaku during kobudo class |
