Mike's nunchucks

[Time Mistress]

The nunchucks seem to be a weapon you either have an automatic affinity for or you don't. Unfortunately, as I found out at my first chucking class a few years back I don't. The chucks fit into a catagory of weapons known as "flexible weapons" and are considered among the hardest, most dangerous martial arts weapons to master, even more than the sword. The nunchucks, three-sectional staff, rope & dart, and mariki gasari (steel whip) all fit into this catagory. (In fact I find it interesting that there are four main marial arts weapon catagories and four Turtles so we get a master of each branch, though I'm sure it wasn't orignally planned that way by Eastman & Laird.)

Anyway, the reason the flexible weapons are so dangerous is there is actually a moment when a a flexible weapon is completely out of control. A master of these weapons needs to know how to constantly move and catch their weapon on the rebound (Mike's natural agility would come in very handy here). Because even after you smash your opponent, the weapon will still ricochet back to you. This is something I realized quickly in my first chuk class, my Sifu (Chinese for sensei) switched me from the wooden chucks to the rubber ones after I managed to whack myself in the chin and my back with the chuks a couple times. It's a good thing he did though beacuse the chucks can be a VERY dangerous weapon. At full spin the nunchuck generate 80 pound of pressure per squre inch. It only take 4 puond of pressure per square inch to cave in the human skull. My Sifu has known people who have knocked out teeth or even knocked themselves unconcious while learning the steel whip (manriki gasari). The fact that the Mirage comic shows us a pre-teen Mike with good steel whip skills (as well as the first season of the old toon) should speak volumes for Mike's talent as an equal to his brothers in skill level.

[ThemanthatwouldbeRaphael]

Which issue had Mikey using the chain whip?

[Rooish]

Does anyone know a lot about nunchakus? They seem ridiculously hard to use ... to the point where I barely see how they could be used offensively. So you spin them and hit someone--nice, but you can just smash someone with a club and do a bunch of damage that way, too, without it ricocheting back. What is the advantage a nunchaku has in a fight, besides being good at disarming?

[Time Mistress]

Mike used the chain whip in Vol. 1 #9, the Pre-Teennage Mutant Ninja Turltes issue. Karai has also used the chain whip a bit in the new series, particulary in City at War.

While a club or bat like Casey's can certainly deliver good damage, the chucks can deliver a great deal more, as I said. Bats and clubs don't have the "give" or flexibility that allows for a quick recovery after a strike. If you miss or your opponent dodges you can be in a heap of trouble when they counter attack. A blunt instrument like a club is slower and heavier, and roughly in the time it takes Casey to make one strike with it, Splinter's staff which is light and flexible could make about four stikes. While Mike's chucks could make about eight stikes in the same amount of time.

And it's not that hard to deal with rebound, once you know the basic moment of the weapon and the basics of how to move your body to bring the chucks back under your control. If you spin a chuck forward as somebody you have the ability to be attacking and defending at the same time. Can't do that with a club. And if you use a chain whip or three sectional staff, you automatically have distance and range over a club, about he same range as Don's bo acually.

For a beginner a bat would be a better choice probably, but to someone with even a few years of decent training a chuck would be the superior weapon. Practice breed instinct, and to someone with Mike's years and training the overcoming the basic difficulties of control would be second nature.

In short, a club is a one trick pony kind of weapon, dangerous but predictable. You swing it, it hits something. Whereas nunchucks are one of the most adaptable weapons, unpredictable and constantly in motion. In essance Mike's weapon's greatest weakness and greatest strength are one in the same.

[Sage Ninja]

honestly the nunchucks facinate me. And the fact that they are such a hard weapon to use that requaires such coordination, agility, and focus really impresses me that Michaelangelo could even use one let alone two.

Especially since Michaelangelo has always been portrayed as the slacker turtle that has such a hard time focusing and being a bit absent minded and easily distracted (He is also frequantly impatient too)...and even in some mediums a bit klutzy (old toon). I mean taking all that into consideration I can't beleive Mikey uses nunchucks for a weapon.

I think it really sheds some light on his innate skill and mastery to be able to wield the nunchuka. I'm amazed Mikey never did himself considerable damage growing up training with that weapon. Do you think he started off useing one or two?

I also wonder if Splinter didn't give Michaelangelo the nunchuka as a way of forcing him to focus and to teach him about the connection of mind and body at the same time.

for those of you who know about nunchucks how much skill and mastery is needed to weild two nunchucks at the same time and fight effectively? Is it even realistic that Michaelangelo uses two nunchucks or is matical arts fiction to use two at the same time, like Leo's use of his swords.

Also I'm wondering about the psychology of Splinter giveing the nunchucks to Mikey. I've heard it said by others that the nunchuck is such a violent weapon that can do so much damge and death, that they wonder why Raphael doesn't use the nunchucks instead of Michaelangelo, who has a more violent nature. And I can't help but wonder if maybe Splinter did that on purpose because of their Persoanlities. I mean if you look at Michaelangelo he has the weapon to render alot of damage and death but isn't very likely to use his weapon in such manner unless he has too. What do you all think?

[Time Mistress]

Yes it is physically possible and realisitc for Mike to use two nunchucks. But it is a very advanced thing to use two. There is no way he would have started using two right off the bat.

I agree that Splinter did probably choose the nunchucks to help Mike's mind/body connection and to help his focus. But I think Mike's natural talent and agility gave him a natural affinity for the weapon that his brothers didn't automatically have. Nunchucks require quick reflexes, instinct over strategy, and creativity. All of which play to Mike's greatest strengths. So while the weapon was chosen to teach him to overcome some weaknesses it was also the best he was natually suited for, as I believe is the same with each Turtle.

[Jo Dawn]

Indeed. I agree. Mike was always supposed to be the most 'naturally' gifted of the four. And I do think that it greatly helped his concentration level. Can you just imagine... little Mikey most likely loved the challenge without even knowing it.

[Sage Ninja]

I bet Splinter half thought that giving Michaelangelo the nunchucks to work with would "nock" some sence and disaplign into him. Time Mistress said that to use two at the same time takes years of practice and mastery and Michaelangelo probably didn't use two at first. And yet in Tales of Leo we see a fairly young Mikey weilding two nunchucks at the same time harrassing Leo. Which sort of begs the question, how much natural talent does Mikey have for the nunchucks, since he obvisouly has some mastery over them at such a young age.

I agree that Splinter did probably choose the nunchucks to help Mike's mind/body connection and to help his focus. But I think Mike's natural talent and agility gave him a natural affinity for the weapon that his brothers didn't automatically have. Nunchucks require quick reflexes, instinct over strategy, and creativity

And I suppose you also need good coordination in order to use nunchucks as well. Which is why I find it so unrealistic that Michaelangelo in the old toon was so adapt at useing the nunchucks but was portrayed as being a bit klutzy at the same time. Big contradiction. Also, Time Mistress I notice that many times Michaelangelo holds his nunchucks in a "ready" sort of position under his arms. Is that a proper way to hold them or is that just a facy fictional way that the writters have him hold them?

[dejawolf]

i saw bruce lee using nunchucks in underarm position too.

[Time Mistress]

Yes the underarm position is correct. If fact if you are using two nunchucks it would be the only way you could "chamber" them, that is have them at the ready. To use one nunchuck, you can either chamber using the same method used for two or the method where the chuck is over the shoulder and held in position under the arm with your other hand.

A few fact/fiction things:

1. Mike would probably have to be a black belt before using two chucks, now he could still be young and have that black belt, but there is just a lot about the Turtles early training we still don't know. So it depends on how advanced they were in Tales of Leo as to whether or not it's realistic.

2. Those Purple Dragon and Foot Clan guys must have a lot of broken bones and ribs from Mike's chucks, but of course being a cartoon they're not going to show it.

3. I don't think it's necessary to have Mike's chucks in constant motion when he is fighting. There is a proper overhand and underhand spinning motion to the nunchucks that works in a figure eight motion. But just whirling them in a circular motion (like in the first movie when Mike tells the Foot guy, "Keep practicing") is pretty impractical. Unfortunately, animators feel the need to have Mike's chucks perform this useless motion way too often because it "looks cool."

[heretic888]

Originally Posted by ThemanthatwouldbeRaphael

Which issue had Mikey using the chain whip?

He didn't. He used a manriki-gusari (a Japanese chain weapon) in issue 8, I believe.

[heretic888]

Originally Posted by Time Mistress

1. Mike would probably have to be a black belt before using two chucks, now he could still be young and have that black belt, but there is just a lot about the Turtles early training we still don't know. So it depends on how advanced they were in Tales of Leo as to whether or not it's realistic.

As an aside, there is no "black belt" in classical Japanese budo, including ninpo. There are kyu ranks and dank ranks, but no multicolored belts. And even the kyu/dan ranking is a product of gendai budo, not koryu budo.

Its unlikely Splinter used any type of formal ranking system when training the turtles, nor would such a ranking even be necessary in their case. He probably just introduced them to new material when he felt they were individually ready.

[SpiderHulkThing]

I have several sets of nunchucks. I used to really be able to use them well. Some of my friends would want me to show off my skills. It was always funny when they tried to mimic me and ended up hurting themselves. Not bad enough to really hurt them, but you know, still funny. Of course, I used to bruise myself when I'd get cocky with them.

And if used properlly, they can deliver 80 lbs of pressure. They can be very dangerous.

[Time Mistress]

I don't know anything about budo/nippo. Like I said, my style is Chinese. I was just going by the limited knowledge I had. I agree that Splinter wouldn't bother with rank and all that. But if Mike's using two chucks he is definately one skilled little kid. That's all I was trying to say.

[Sage Ninja]

Originally Posted by heretic888

As an aside, there is no "black belt" in classical Japanese budo, including ninpo. There are kyu ranks and dank ranks, but no multicolored belts. And even the kyu/dan ranking is a product of gendai budo, not koryu budo.

Its unlikely Splinter used any type of formal ranking system when training the turtles, nor would such a ranking even be necessary in their case. He probably just introduced them to new material when he felt they were individually ready.

I agree that I don't think Splinter used any sort of ranking system with the turtles, because I imagine that the turtles would resent it if he had put some visable mark that one was more skilled than the other. But I have always wondered on the use of the bandannas and knee and leg paddings. I wonder if they are supposed to mean any thing or if they hold about as much importance as clothes and have no meaning behind it.Or even why their bandannas are colored? Do you think Splinter choose the color for them or do you think they choose what color to wear? In the old toon when I was a kid and I was taking kenpo I thought their colors signified what rank they where and that why they wore them.

But if Mike's using two chucks he is definately one skilled little kid. That's all I was trying to say.

now that I rewatch that scene I noticed all Michaelangelo did was twirl them before he attacked Leonardo, which I guess even a beginner could do right? However Michaelangelo was quite young at the time and yet he was obviously doing weapons training. I would think that the turtles would get into weapons training when they where a little older and advanced but here is little Mikey already with his signiture weapon. Just how advance where the turtles at tots age if Splinter was already introducing wapons in to their training. Also is it true that the chained nunchuck is a fairly recent thing? I read some where that more commonly the nunchuka was fashioned together with horse hair rather than a chain.

Also what other "flexable" weapons could you imagine Michaelangelo useing other than the nunchuka. I was watching Inyusha last night and it was foucused on a character named Kokaku and he uses a weapon that is basically a sicle blade with a handle and chain (I think its called a kursuri gama) and I saw how flexable it is as a weapon, and I wondered if it is the same family as nunchuka and if it is realistic that Michaelangelo would use it?

[triplexxx]

Originally Posted by Sage Ninja

I agree that I don't think Splinter used any sort of ranking system with the turtles, because I imagine that the turtles would resent it if he had put some visable mark that one was more skilled than the other. But I have always wondered on the use of the bandannas and knee and leg paddings. I wonder if they are supposed to mean any thing or if they hold about as much importance as clothes and have no meaning behind it.Or even why their bandannas are colored? Do you think Splinter choose the color for them or do you think they choose what color to wear? In the old toon when I was a kid and I was taking kenpo I thought their colors signified what rank they where and that why they wore them.

Yeah it would be sadistic for Splinter to do that. And no, it don't mean anything. Their bandana colors are meant for nothing more than to tell them apart. I'm guessing the turtles chose which colors they wanted, but it's only a guess.

[dejawolf]

heres 3 little girls using double nunchucks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=339lH_Ymdhk

this guy got some insane single chuck skills:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJFVLrJpbvI

and another one single and double chuck:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6U6GxnvlE8&NR

[Rooish]

Wow. Okay, I am learning how to use nunchucks now.

[Warhorse]

Wow. That one guy is like, needs his own show or shot as a stunt double or something. He's really good. I cringe just watching those videos, waiting for one of those nunchucks to whack someone in the head.

[Roseangelo]

Wow. All of those videos are insane in an awesome way.