The Best Nunchucks For Beginners & Pros

For centuries the nunchuck (or nunchaku) has been a staple weapon in martial arts. In short, if you think about martial arts weapons, the nunchuck is one of the first thins that immediately springs to mind. Whilst its status was made iconic by the likes of Bruce Lee, nunchucks were also used in Okinawan Kobudo as one of the main weapons. In other words, there’s a lot of history surrounding this weird pair of weapons.

In modern day, nunchucks are purchased almost always for fun. There are much better ways of defending yourself, but nothing provides entertainment and the difficulty in learning a weapon with such a high skill ceiling of hand eye coordination quite like nunchucks.

Why Should You Buy Nunchucks?

Nunchucks rely on holding one of the handles whilst swinging the other. This is done by the inter-connecting chain that lets them swing. For most people, buying nunchucks provides a good way to practice your hand skills and are a fun activity.

However, they can also be used for self defense and fighting. If you get good enough, then nunchucks can possibly knock people out. With the correct practitioner using them, they can be classed as a deadly weapon. To summarize, nunchucks are ultimately weapons, so make of that what you will.

Are nunchucks legal?

In most US states, nunchucks are legal. However, there are a few places where it’s illegal to carry them. For the most part, this is a rarity though but you should always check before carrying them on the street. As for the global laws on nunchucks, this depends from country to country. For instance, in the UK they are considered as a weapon, and carrying them can be considered a criminal offense. Obviously, nunchucks can do serious damage so this makes sense.

Criteria for buying quality nunchucks

The nunchucks on the list below have been picked on the following criteria:

Price & Affordability

Nunchucks are not expensive. Just like any other product, you will find that as you’re willing to spend more money, the quality of the product improves. However, even top quality nunchucks are relatively inexpensive and cost under $40. At the lower end of the range, you will find cheap beginner nunchucks costing between $10-$15.

In summary, nunchucks are great for those who want to try and learn how to master this strange weapon. Even if you give up, it’s such a small amount of money, it doesn’t matter.

Quality & Durability

High quality nunchucks are usually made of rubber (which will sting, but not hurt you badly if you hit yourself whilst practicing). Beginners nunchucks are often made from hardened EVA foam, which is much more forgiving.

As you will have guessed from the materials, higher quality nunchucks made of rubber are much more durable. If you haven’t learnt how to use nunchucks worth, it is best buying a foam pair since they are cheap. By the time they have worn out, you will have learnt enough to know whether you want to buy a more durable pair.

Apperance & Design

The last thing you should be concerned with is how your nunchucks look. Unless you a professional showman, the design and apperance of nunchucks shouldn’t really matter. Safety and quality are much more important for a beginner who wants to learn how to use nunchucks.

MSGumiho nunchucks

Made from rubber with a solid steel chain, these nunchucks are highly durable and won’t break easily. They’re also fitted with ball bearings which allows the nunchucks to bend freely. In short, this allows you to train without fearing that they’ll fall apart like cheap alternatives.

Because of their design and use of rubber, these nunchucks are arguably better suited for experienced practitioners. With that being said, they’re probably too hard for kids to use who would be better off training with foam nunchucks for safety. For everyone else, these are an excellent product and should be considered. Compared to certain nunchucks, they may cost a little more, but are well worth it.

Zlixing Nunchucks – Beginners Choice (Made Of Foam)

As you can see, these nunchucks come as a pair, so you’re getting four sticks in total. This is particularly useful if you intend to train with a friend or sparring partner. With this in mind, the Zlixing nunchucks are pretty inexpensive when you look at them from this angle. You’re essentially getting 2 pairs for the price of 1.

Available in multiple colors, these weigh a mere 0.2lbs and are made from foam. This means that you can train with peace of mind that you won’t get injured. Arguably, lighter nunchucks will also improve your technique due to really having to force some of the more nuanced moves.

CKINCC nunchucks

Made with a combination of steel, foam, and rubber, these nunchucks are useful for those of all levels and are good to practice with. Some people also prefer training with chains instead of rope because it supposedly allows more swing and is harder to break. A steel chain has much more longeivity than a rope, but will hurt more if you do happen to make a mistake and hit yourself.

With this said, the CKINCC nunchucks are also good for kids and beginners. They’re also pretty plain without any flamboyant design, which may be a good thing if that’s what you’re into as a practitioner. It also helps keep the cost from being unneccesarily high.

Marcolo nunchucks (For Experienced Users)

The heaviest and most well made nunchucks on this list are the Marcolo nunchucks. These are made from hardened rubber so be careful when you’re training. Rubber may only seem like a small upgrade from foam, but it hurts a lot more when hitting the skin. They’re also on the heavier side of things and weigh 10.7 ounces. This is either a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective. However, they will undoubtedly improve your wrist and grip strength which is important when yielding nunchucks.

In other words, they’re best suited for adults and are ideal if you’re experienced when handling nunchucks.

Menoly nunchucks (budget option)

If you’re after something decent and cheap to train with, then the Menoly nunchucks are worth consideration. At under $10, they’re affordable and they also hold up surprisingly well. These are 28 cm in length and are made from sponge that is coated in padded foam. Both of the sticks are connected by a rope.

They also come with a handy travel bag which is useful in terms of organization. Due to the materials used, these can be trained safely and can be used by kids. They are not heavy or forceful enough to do any real damage to yourself, even if you make a big mistake.

Horbous kids nunchucks

As the title suggests, these nunchucks are aimed at kids which is great if you want to get your child into using nunchucks from an early age. These use a combination of non-toxic EVA foam and a rope that combines the two sticks.

As a result, they’re easy to hold and use if you’re a youngster. Training with nunchucks is even more important at this age as it helps improve hand-eye co-ordination, timing, flexibility, and awareness. Priced affordably, these are easy to use and serve as a good introduction to using nunchucks.

Nunchucks Facts

Who taught Bruce Lee nunchucks?

Bruce Lee famously brandished nunchucks in some of his movies and helped popularize them. He was taught by a martial artist named Dan Inosanto in America. Inosanto was good friends with Bruce Lee who was one of his students and Inosanto specialized in Silat. This makes sense, considering that Silat is also based on using smaller weapons such as knives. In return, the pair also trained Jeet Kune Do together which eventually lead to Inosanto mastering the martial art.

Can nunchucks hurt?

As mentioned earlier, metal nunchucks can easily kill if hit with enough force. However, most nunchucks these days are made from plastic or foam. The reason for this is that they’re not meant to hurt people or cause damage. Instead, they’re made to train with in a safe environment. To summarize, nunchucks can hurt but it really depends on what type of nunchuck you’re using.