The nunchaku is a martial arts weapon that consists of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope. Nunchaku-do, though not popular yet in the U.S., has been growing at a steady pace in Europe.

Ever since the days that Bruce Lee flashed this elegant weapon on the big screen, the nunchaku has achieved celebrity status among its practitioners and developed a loyal following among non-martial arts students. There are schools of nunchaku-do all over Europe that teach this Okinawan weapon. As of this writing, there is only one school of nunchaku-do in the U.S.

Some of its aspects include kata, which is the practice of forms fighting against imaginary opponents, and sparring. Sparring is one of my favorites.

Being a big fan of combat sports such as professional wrestling, UFC fighting, boxing, muay thai, and kickboxing, I have found nunchaku kumite to be just as dynamic and unpredictable as the other sports.

Nunchaku kumite, or sparring, involves participants who wear protective helmets with a face cage or a plexiglass visor covering the face. Each player wields a foam padded safety nunchaku that is lightweight so that the centripetal force of a speeding nunchaku handle does not cause too much damage to his opponent.

In order to score in this method of combat, a player must perform a twirling technique before striking his opponent. Failure to do so and then striking will not earn him any points.

There are other variations of nunchaku sparring in which no twirling technique is required before striking your opponent. This is called freestyle nunchaku sparring. This is similar to Bruce Lee and Danny Inosanto's fight seen in the movie classic Game of Death.

I have had the privilege to try out this sport with great fun and enjoyment using the ActionFlex safety nunchaku. Nunchaku sparring is no different than boxing in that anything goes when it comes to ring fighting.

Like boxing, nunchaku sparring is great exercise that will test your speed and agility in ring combat.