New or Old?

I'm looking forward to the year of the Ox as this is going to be my black belt grading year.  As part of our I Ho Chuan requirements we have to pick a weapon to master over the year.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the nunchuku and specifically double nunchuku's. My love affair of this weapon started when I saw Bruce Lee use them.  After that, I was hooked!  Fast forward from my childhood to my training at SRKF and specifically Sifu Michael Playter.  Watching his skill with the double chucks and his double chucks form at a Chinese New year's banquet blew my mind.  Since then my love affair has only grown.  I've had my fair share of frustrations with these two as I've dropped them many times at the worst moments.  However I've also performed at my best with then when I didn't want to go swimming if I dropped them from that bridge😄. 

Now comes the question, which pair to choose?  One pair have the chain and ball bearing set up and this is the pair that I've used the most.  The second pair are hand made by a master in the United States specifically for me. However they don't have the ball bearings and the chain and are proving difficult to use right now.  They have a shorter rope and no ball-bearings. These are both nunchucks but they are totally different. The ballance point is different, the way they move is completely different. I like what I know but I can also see that these new ones can take my knowledge of nunchucks to a higher level. 

I've started playing with both today and they both feel like old friends.  I've started to play with a few different tequniques that I like the flow of.  Now it's time to figure out where and how to incorporate them into the current double chuck form I already know.  

My goal this year is to master Sifu Playters double chuck form but to also add in my personal touches to it.  I'm so excited to get back to these old friends and finish what I started years ago.

Mr. Repay