which weapon?

Question

which weapon do you prefer. nunchucks, arnis sticks or a staff?

Answer 1

Personally, I have always preferred nunchaku. The control needed to use these effectively without whacking yourself silly while you swing them, the grace and fluidity those proficient in nunchaku show... I could go on and on. I own 11 pair, ranging from the training foam ones to homemade hardwood ones.

After that, I like kali sticks. Possibly because they are simply an extension of your own hands. They are relatively easy to use, but still require grace and fluidity. I only have three pair of these.

Staff? I've got two, plus a three-sectional. I prefer traditional staff to the flashy, spin-them-around baton-twirly stuff we see more of in tournaments these days. Speaking as an instructor now rather than a weapons enthusiast, staff is the most practical weapon. Why? How many things around the house or work do we have that resemble nunchaku or kali sticks? Rulers won't cut it, pencils won't cut it. But think of what we have that can pinch hit for a staff: brooms, mops, shovels, garden stakes, even umbrellas.

Answer 2

Staff, why? Coz if it breaks in half it can turn into a pair of arnis sitcks. And I know how to use both. The chucks are a bit tricky and only useful against a knife or an unarmed opponent (got an uncle who has fought against a knife fighter using nunchucks in his streetgang days). But against a staff or a pair of arnis sticks, the nunchucks' speed and power are nullified by the staff and stick's reach.

Answer 3

For competition, nunchucks are really good. They look great and flow nicely. Unfortunately, in Caifornia they are also illegal to possess outside of a dojo so it can make transporting them a bit hairly. I personally use escrima in competition because I learned a really great kata that shows very well.

For practical use, there is nothing as good as a bo or jo. Broomsticks, tree branches, bats, canes, poles, umbrellas can all be improvided as a bo or jo in an emergency. This is provided, of course, you are not in small area where the advantage of the standoff weapon is lost. My second choice would be escrima or arnis sticks because, if I cannot find something long or I'm in an area that is more restricted, a nice extension of my hands and elbows is better.

Practically speaking, when am I ever going to just happen to have nunchuks in my back pocket?

Answer 4

Personally a Bo staff is more practical and the katas look great, and have a good flow while performing. In a real combat situation you are more likely to come across a pole, stick etc than a pair of nunchaku lying about.

Nunchaku is consider an advanced weapon because it can cause more harm to the user than the opponent, so it is usually taken up as a second or third choice weapon after learning say the Bo/Jo staff, Tonfa or Sai.

Answer 5

For me, without doubt, STICKS. But I have trained with them more than the other weapons you mention. Chucks are a fun "play toy" and a staff is a little long for me. The closer I am to my opponent the better I feel. I am a very close in fighter.

Answer 6

Staff

Answer 7

A fixed weapon, like the sticks or staff, is probably more practical, as something you may have to improvise on in an emergency situation. It's not likely you'll find something on the street that reacts like nunchuku.

Answer 8

Hi there

I personally prefer the sword but that's just my own preference. The jo is probably the most versatile weapon of them all and has far more applications than most of the other weapons. Each one was designed for a specific purpose. You have to use the best tool for the job so to speak. ;)

Regards

idai

Answer 9

I use a bo staff for tai chi ch'uan. I like it because it gives me the ability to do stretching exercises in addition to coordination and manual dexterity. I suppose that I do not really consider it to be a weapon but rather a training implement.

Answer 10

I don't know if this is considered a weapon in martial arts, but my favorite weapon is "clear knuckles", the hard bullet-proof plastic knuckles that can be used in place of brass knuckles. They are hard to see and they pack a hard, unsuspecting whallop on a street thug who thinks you're going to be his next victim.