In the last blog, we looked at Kata Jion. This one is on Kata Nunchaku. This Kata helps you learn how to master moves using a nunchaku – a weapon made of two steel rods connected with a chain. The weapon has quite an interesting history.

It is believed that when the Japanese invaded Okinawa, they banned the usage of weapons of any kind. The common folk who were essentially farmers, made this weapon out of two sticks and a rope, making it look like an agricultural tool rather than a deadly weapon.

The key movement in Kata Nunchaku is to catch the nunchaku, either from the front or the back. To do the backward catch, hold the nunchaku with your left hand and lightly swing it over your left shoulder, onto the centre of your back. Keep your right hand ready to hold it and repeat this, switching hands. Allow it to fall into your palm, instead of trying to grab too soon.

Now to do the front catch, hold the nunchaku with your left hand and lift it over the same hand. With the right hand, grab the end of the nunchaku hanging loose and repeat the step, switching hands.

Let’s explore the sequence of movements now for the Nunchaku Kata. Start by holding the nunchaku extended, straight in front of you, parallel to the ground. Twist and jump forward, landing with your left leg behind your right leg, towards the right. Now turn to the left, move your left leg forward in a forward stance, and swing the nunchaku with your right hand. Then pull it down and do a backward catch with your left hand. Lift it up and swing with your left hand. Then do a front catch with your right hand, join your left leg backwards, twist and take the nunchaku to the other side. Now turn and move your right leg forward. Again swing, backward catch, lift with the other hand, swing, and front catch.

Turn back to land in a back stance, move forward with a nunchaku twist towards the right, swing with the right hand, backward catch, lift it up, swing with the left hand, and front catch. Picture this as having completed the bottom part of the alphabet ‘I’.

To complete the rest, join your front leg, and move your left leg forward in a back stance. Move three steps forward in a back stance to trace the straight portion of the ‘I’. Slide into a forward stance, lift the nunchaku, twist it, perform a side kick, and land in a back stance. Pull your leg back, turn towards the right, keep your right leg forward, swing with the right hand, backward catch, swing with the left hand, and execute a front catch.

Now turn back in a back stance, move forward with a forward stance, swing with the right hand, backward catch, swing with the left hand, and end with a front catch. You’ve now finished the top part of the ‘I’.

Turn back, twist the nunchaku, switch to a horse stance, then perform a scissor-move side kick, land in a horse stance, and step forward in a horse stance again. Swing with your right hand, do a backward catch, lift up the nunchaku, swing with your left hand, do a front catch, twist and switch to a cat stance, land on your heel, join your leg, spread your legs, keeping the nunchaku in front of you and parallel to the ground, bow and end the Kata.

Wasn’t that an interesting Kata to learn with a new weapon? You need to learn to control the nunchaku without hurting yourself and only practice can help you achieve this. So go through the sequence of movements and train regularly. In the next blog, we will learn the Kata Bassai Sho. Continue reading and training in Karate.