Welcome to the first lesson in the Art of Nunchaku training series with Alex Stick, a 2x martial arts world champion, Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee, and instructor with 40 years of nunchaku experience.
This 20-lesson series is designed to introduce students to nunchaku kata step by step. Each lesson focuses on specific movements, combinations, grips, stances, and transitions that can eventually be joined together into complete forms.
Lesson 1 begins with a simple form. The goal is to help you understand what a form is and how nunchaku movements can be organized into a clean beginning, middle, and end.
What Is a Nunchaku Form?
A form, or kata, is a structured sequence of martial arts movements. In this lesson, Alex explains that a form has three basic parts:
- A beginning
- A series of combinations
- An ending
That structure matters. It gives your training a clear shape. Instead of practicing random techniques, you learn how movements connect, transition, and return to a finished position.
This first beginner form introduces that idea in a simple, repeatable way.
What You’ll Learn in Lesson 1
In this lesson, Alex walks through a short beginner sequence using basic stances, blocks, strikes, swings, and transitions.
The lesson includes:
- Starting from an attention position
- Drawing the nunchaku up into position
- Stepping into a comfortable horse stance
- Establishing a primary fighting position
- Practicing a high block and low thrust
- Moving into a cat stance
- Adding a short jab
- Returning to center
- Swinging the nunchaku around the legs
- Catching between the legs
- Bringing the nunchaku back up over the shoulder
- Ending the form cleanly
The movements are introduced slowly so students can follow along without rushing.
The First Combination: Block, Reset, Thrust
One of the first important lessons in this form is the block-and-thrust combination.
Alex emphasizes that after the block, the nunchaku should return back toward the waist or center before striking again. This matters because the reset helps you regain power and structure.
If you simply move from block to strike without returning to center, the movement becomes weaker and less connected. Bringing the nunchaku back to your body helps you generate better control and power.
This is one of the core principles introduced in Lesson 1: stay connected to your center.
Horse Stance and Cat Stance
This lesson also introduces two important stances.
The first is the horse stance, a stable position where the feet are stepped out to the side and the body settles into a low, balanced base. Alex keeps this stance beginner-friendly. It does not need to be too deep yet. The point is to create a stable foundation.
The second is the cat stance, which is lighter and more mobile. Most of the weight is on the back foot, with the front foot touching lightly. This stance allows for faster movement and easier transitions.
Learning these two stances early helps students understand the difference between stability and mobility.
Leg Swings and Body Connection
Later in the form, Alex introduces basic leg-wrapping swings. These movements go outside and inside around the legs, helping students become comfortable with the path of the nunchaku.
A key detail here is the off-hand.
Alex explains that the off-hand should not dangle loosely. It should stay connected to the body. This gives the movement better structure and prevents the body from feeling disconnected.
He compares a loose, disconnected hand to a hose with a hole in it: energy leaks out. Keeping the hand connected helps the whole body work together.
That is a simple but important lesson for beginners. Nunchaku training is not only about the weapon. It is about body connection, balance, timing, and control.
Practice Plan: 10 Minutes a Day
This first lesson is meant to be practiced for about 10 minutes a day.
That is enough time to walk through the form, repeat the combinations, and begin developing comfort with the movements. The focus should be slow repetition, not speed.
Beginners should practice in a safe open space, move carefully, and prioritize control. Speed can come later. Clean movement comes first.
A good practice approach is:
- Walk through the full form slowly
- Isolate one combination at a time
- Practice the block and thrust
- Practice the stance transitions
- Practice the leg swings slowly
- Reconnect the full form from beginning to end
The point is not to master everything immediately. The point is to build a foundation.
Building Toward Your Own Forms
At the end of the lesson, Alex explains how the larger series is structured.
The movements and combinations have been cataloged so students can learn them one at a time. As you become more comfortable, you can begin stringing combinations together. Eventually, you can use the standard beginning and ending to build your own forms from the combinations you like best.
That is the long-term goal of the series: to help students understand the building blocks of nunchaku kata well enough to eventually create their own combinations and forms.
Final Thoughts
Lesson 1 gives beginners a practical starting point. It introduces basic structure, simple combinations, stance work, body connection, and the idea of practicing one movement at a time.
Do not rush this lesson. Walk through the form slowly. Practice safely. Focus on control, balance, and clean transitions.
This is the foundation for the rest of the Art of Nunchaku series.