When I dabbled in Kobudo some years ago , the flailey stuff with the chucks seemed more about keeping your opponent at a distance with the most useful seeming stuff was more like a kobutan or short stick. On the plus side we did a load with bo , which is always usefull imo , and quite a lot with sai which I found a very fun and interesting weapon.
This much is true - there is a difference in stylistic application between the two though, so caveat emptor when seeking training Much of the nunchaku work I see these days has no base in kobudo or FMA - it's largely kata flash and nonsense
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Nope. A fan is used closed in fighting applications. It is basically a stick. Even when we learn to use the fan splayed out for show in a form. We are taught that in application it would be kept closed. Not as strong as a full on stick, but easier to carry around without it being obvious. For example, a few years ago I had my fan in my carry on luggage with no questions whatsoever. Pretty sure a stick would not have been allowed. I know, you and I are never going to agree on this though.
@ aardia - Yes, I know.I don't disagree that they can be used.In a pinch.I understand the usage. I even have an old tape of Wong,Tat-mau using one on the CLF dummy.Mostly they're used as a "pocket stick" - the majority of fan forms being not about heavy fans w/steel reinforcement and/or cutting edges. So all that opening/closing & waving about ostensibly for opponent's distraction is a wee bit o' a joke.Most of the movements in the majority of fan forms are just "flowers". The majority of the fan forms we're seeing now are either- a) recent additions to a system or simply newly minted,or b) getting taught much more these days in the system they come from .Because their "in". We didn't see hordes of folks doing fan forms in the 70s/80s. Wonder why? It's a poor "weapon" to spend a lot of time on.One doesn't need to waste hours on a mostly meaningless form to learn the simple usage of a pocket stick.Was there any pragmatic purpose to the Karate-ka doing his kata with a fan added to it? Really,what's he getting out of it,except being trendy? Fan forms are "happening" since everyone jumped on the bandwagon due to modern Wu Shu's fan forms. Previously they weren't taught all that much because,well,they're a lousy weapon.Except as a last resort.Like the chain whip belt. And sorry,it is about flash,elegance and toys. Not that it matters if that's what people want to do.Just like it doesn't matter if a CLF teacher wants to include nunchaku in his club's curriculum. Anyhoo,most CMA people only do weapons forms and don't know how to really handle their weapons. Quiz- Where do all these TC people get their fan forms from? "Cause they ain't none in the historical record of TC weaponry. None. Ever.Any of the systems. So why now?