Freestyle nunchaku
Freestyle nunchaku refers to the use of the nunchaku weapon (used in martial arts and popularised by Bruce Lee and other martial artists) in a more visually stunning, rather than combative way. Nunchaku-do competitions are now held where marks are awarded based upon visual display rather than predefined kata.[1]
There is a community of freestyle practitioners from around the world who, through collective experimentation and exploration, have compiled a comprehensive breakdown of freestyle and its parts.
Physical Competitions
[edit]Freestyle is one of the disciplines of Nunchaku-Do (a sport based upon nunchaku combat freestyle and kata organized by the Nunchaku International Academy, North American Nunchaku Association, and the Stichting Nunchaku Nederland/World Nunchaku Association) freestyle routines are generally judged on the following criteria.[2]
- Pace and rhythm
- Consistency of speed
- Variation in techniques
- Control and movement
- Use of double nunchaku
- One risk element with one nunchaku
- One risk element with two nunchaku
- Dropping the nunchaku
- Uniqueness and creativeness in composition
- Visual aestheticity of the entire presentation
- Application on the entire competition field
- Time span of the freestyle
- Showmanship and entertainment
- Budo/Wushu spirit
International Online Tournaments & Battles
[edit]The general interest in freestyle nunchaku has, concurrently with the increasing possibilities of sharing skills and techniques that online video sharing communities such provide, expanded to the point where a freestyle nunchaku movement autonomous from the World Nunchaku Organization has formed.
The Freestyle Nunchaku Forum (FNF) holds tournaments that all members can participate in. These tournaments are held by participants submitting videos that adhere certain rules (which are relaxed, such as length of video and whether other weapons freestyle can be used). When all of the videos are in, members of the forum can vote on who they think is better. The annual "Chuck Off" has varied categories such as: Singles, Doubles, Fire and Glow, and Director. Similarly, the annual "World Cup" welcomes all sort of nunchaku entries, where editing is allowed and compilations are encouraged to present the highest technicality, difficulty, and visual astonishability the player can possibly bring.
The forum also hosts what are called Ladder Battles. Here participants are ranked by number. Those wanting to move up the ranks can challenge any of the three people above them to a "battle". The two people involved submit videos of their freestyle that adhere to certain rules that are agreed upon. Then, forum members have a certain length of time to vote on who they think is the best.
Major Tournaments
[edit]| Tournament title | AKA | Founding year | One-shot and no-editing rule | Total rounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freestyle Nunchaku Forum World Cup (Previously Freestyle Nunchaku World Cup) | WC (Previously FNWC) | 2008 | No | 1 |
| Golden Combo Tournament | GCT | 2019 | Yes | 2 |
| Nunchaku Digit Challenge | NDC | 2021 | Yes | 1 |
List of Champions
[edit]| Year | FNF World Cup | Golden Combo Tournament | Nunchaku Digit Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Michael Magi  France
|
- | - |
| 2009 | Matt Csesznyak  England
|
- | - |
| 2010 | Levi Levier  Romania
|
- | - |
| 2011 | Stéphane Oberlé France
|
- | - |
| 2012 | Renato Monte  Brazil
|
- | - |
| 2013 | Sweetwind  China
|
- | - |
| 2014 | Tanguy Guinchard  Switzerland
|
- | - |
| 2015 | Levi Levier Romania
|
- | - |
| 2016 | Vladmir Boolatov  Russia
|
- | - |
| 2017 | Howard Lee  Philippines
Danil Mushinsky |
- | - |
| 2018 | Naufal Bintang  Indonesia
|
- | - |
| 2019 | JJ Nunchaku  Belgium
|
Tanguy Guinchard Switzerland
|
- |
| 2020 | Naufal Bintang Indonesia
|
Andrea Barra  Italy
|
- |
| 2021 | JJ Nunchaku Belgium
|
JJ Nunchaku Belgium
| |
| 2022 | JJ Nunchaku Belgium
|
Ali Mirani  Iran
|
JJ Nunchaku Belgium
|
| 2023 | JJ Nunchaku Belgium
|
Daria Kascheeva Russia
|
JJ Nunchaku Belgium
|
| 2024 | JJ Nunchaku Belgium
|
Daria Kascheeva Russia
|
Alvin Cheng  Hong Kong
|
| 2025 | Devin Arkfeld  United States
|
Cristian Rodríguez  Chile
|
Alvin Cheng Hong Kong
|
Countries Champion Count
[edit]| Country | WC | GCT | NDC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| England | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| USA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| China | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hong Kong | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Russia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Belgium | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Romania | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Switzerland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Indonesia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Philippines | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brazil | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Iran | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Italy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
World Cup - Podium List
[edit]| Year |  1st Place
|
 2nd Place
|
 3rd Place
|
4th Place | 5th Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | SixtyFourWarrior/Michael Magi
|
NinjaRob
|
ChuckNasty
|
 Lokos
|
- |
| 2009 | Matt-Chez/Matt Cseszynak
|
Yetibutt
|
SetsunaJulien/Julien Cayla
|
- | - |
| 2010 | Levi/Levi Levier
|
67Steph67/Stéphane Orberlé
|
Yetibutt
|
- | - |
| 2011 | 67Steph67/Stéphane Orberlé
|
psionics/Howard Lee
|
SweetWind
|
SetsunaJulien/Julien Cayla
|
- |
| 2012 | Renato Monte
|
67Steph67/Stéphane Orberlé
|
SetsunaJulien/Julien Cayla
|
nunchakstyle010 | - |
| 2013 | SweetWind
|
- | - | - | - |
| 2014 | Monkey-of-Nunchaku/Tanguy Guinchard
|
- | - | - | - |
| 2015 | Levi/Levi Levier
|
Heyson Xu
|
Alexey Bobrishev
|
nunchakstyle010 | - |
| 2016 | Vladmir Boolatov
|
psionics/Howard Lee
|
 Monster Nunchaku ADC
|
 Ricardo de Jong
|
van3D
|
| 2017 | Danil Mushinsky
|
Naufal Bintang
|
Shade
|
 nachtschattenvogi
|
- |
| 2018 | Naufal Bintang
|
SweetWind
|
 Gia Huy
|
Jordan Phang 27
|
- |
| 2019 | JJ Nunchaku
|
SweetWind
|
Naufal Bintang
|
- | - |
| 2020 | Naufal Bintang
|
SweetWind
|
kungfu_nunchaku
|
- | - |
| 2021 | JJ Nunchaku
|
Naufal Bintang
|
SweetWind
|
wesyleywest/Wesley Gosali
|
- |
| 2022 | JJ Nunchaku
|
Naufal Bintang
|
SweetWind
|
Jessy Denis
|
- |
| 2023 | JJ Nunchaku
|
Cristian Rodríguez
|
Lin Qing Fu
|
- | - |
| 2024 | JJ Nunchaku
|
Daria Kascheeva
|
Cristian Rodríguez
|
Jessy Denis
|
- |
| 2025 | Devin Arkfeld
|
Jessy Denis
|
Aydin Zoghi
|
- | - |
Golden Combo Tournament - Podium List
[edit]| Year | 1st Place
|
2nd Place
|
3rd Place
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Q1 | Tanguy Guinchard
|
Sergey Voronoy
|
 Tatu Kalliömaki
|
| Q2 | Naufal Bintang
|
Devin Arkfeld
|
Przemek Walczak
| |
| Q3 | Lin Qing Fu
|
 Jukensh Nunchuks
|
Andrea Bharrai
| |
| Finals | Tanguy Guinchard
|
Devin Arkfeld
|
Lin Qing Fu
| |
| 2021 | Q1 | Naufal Bintang
|
Tatu Kalliömaki
|
Arjuna DImsyam
|
| Q2 | Devin Arkfeld
|
Adrian Grabski
|
Miko Boby Pratama
| |
| QF | Naufal Bintang
|
Muh. Farhan AR
|
Arjuna Dimsyam
| |
| SF | Naufal Bintang
|
Cristian Rodríguez
|
Ali Mirani
| |
| Finals | Andrea Barra
|
Naufal Bintang
|
Cristian Rodríguez
| |
| 2022 | Q1 | Yasin Kazmi
|
Dorian Geradin
|
Alireza Naseri
|
| Q2 | Cristian Rodríguez
|
Arjuna Dimsyam
|
Romain Pernot
| |
| SF | Cristian Rodríguez
|
Naufal Bintang
|
Dorian Geradin
| |
| Finals | Ali Mirani
|
Romain Pernot
|
Cristian Rodríguez
| |
| 2023 | QR | Cristian Rodríguez
|
Daria Kascheeva
|
Ali Mirani
|
| SF | Daria Kascheeva
|
Cristian Rodríguez
|
Romain Pernot
| |
| Finals | Daria Kascheeva
|
Aydin Zoghi
|
Cristian Rodríguez
| |
| 2024 | QR | Aydin Zoghi
|
Jessy Denis
|
Daria Kascheeva
|
| Finals | Daria Kascheeva
|
Aydin Zoghi
|
Perry Vollering
| |
| 2025 | QR | Cristian Rodríguez
|
Devin Arkfeld
|
Andrea Barra
|
| Finals | Cristian Rodríguez
|
Andrea Barra
|
Jessy Denis
|
Nunchaku Digit Challenge - Podium List
[edit]| Year | 1st Place
|
2nd Place
|
3rd Place
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | JJ Nunchaku
|
M. Sajid Ala Muhib
|
Andry Wijaya
|
| 2022 | JJ Nunchaku
|
Naufal Bintang
|
River Lin
|
| 2023 | JJ Nunchaku
|
Daria Kascheeva
|
Cristian Rodríguez
|
| 2024 | Alvin Cheng
|
Bryon McCroskey
|
Ben Tucker
|
| 2025 | Alvin Cheng
|
Bryon McCroskey
|
River Lin
|
Countries Podium Count
[edit]| Country | WC | GCT | NDC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 9 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
| England | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| USA | 7 | 4 | 2 | 13 |
| China | 9 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| Hong Kong | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Russia | 6 | 5 | 1 | 12 |
| Belgium | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Romania | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Switzerland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Indonesia | 9 | 11 | 3 | 23 |
| Philippines | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Algeria | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Brazil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Iran | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Austria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Italy | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Chile | 2 | 10 | 1 | 13 |
| Vietnam | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
References
[edit]- ^ "- freestyle competitions Archived 2005-02-09 at the Wayback Machine" World Nunchaku association, Nov 2006
- ^ "- Freestyle Rulebook 2003[permanent dead link]" world nunchaku association, 1 May 2003
External links
[edit]- freestyleforum.net Archived 2006-11-03 at the Wayback Machine - International freestyle nunchaku forum
- nunchakututorials.com - A complete free site with all the freestyle tricks and moves