ORANGES, NJ — When he was crafting his new martial arts system, Eldridge Hawkins Jr. had a straightforward-however-strong imaginative and prescient: it needed to be “practical.” Apparently, this Essex County grasp of the nunchucks has nailed his goal – After which some.
Recently, the North American Nunchaku Affiliation, A pair of of the revered nunchaku organizations On the earth, turned The latest group To acknowledge Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu as an official martial arts system.
Hawkins – the system’s founder – is a former West Orange refacetnt who served as mayor of Orange from 2008 to 2012. He was inducted into the USA Unified Martial Arts Hall of Fame earlier this yr. Study Extra: Ex-Mayor Inside the Oranges Earns Spot In Martial Arts Hall Of Fame
Based mostly on Hawkins, Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu is a “full” type that goals To mix The prolonged-lasting martial arts weapon with more conventional placing methods.
He writes:
“Particularly, this new nunchaku type fuses numerous parts of rivals katas and swinging strikes of the American-type nunchaku system (as taught by founder Grand Master Michael Burke, Ninth Dan), with the shut quarter stopping of Chinese language Kenpo Kung-Fu/Fusion Kenpo (as instructed by Professor Harry Baker, Tenth Dan), Ed Parker’s Kenpo Nunchaku educatings, Jujitsu, and [my] personal unique methods. Extra specifically, a quantity of of the strikes, locks, throws and more of Kenpo and Jujitsu have been augmented wright here relevant to facilitate self-protection methods using the nunchaku and on A daily basis objects Aprolongedside facet The regular empty hand methods.”
As a Outcome of Most people don’t typically stroll round metropolis with a pair of nunchaku, Hawkins’ system teaches college students to strike, lure, choke or fullly differentwise administration an attacker with widespread gadgets Similar to sticks, belts And even socks. It’s A method that’s practical and meets nationwide and worldwide teaching regulars of established martial arts organizations, he said.
Several of his friends in the martial arts have backed up his clgoals.
“I loved the [Ken-Fu] self-protection and thought it was very useful and sensible,” said Chris Pellitteri, prefacetnt And founding father of the North American Nunchaku Affiliation / American Kobudo Affiliation.
“Most nunchaku methods don’t Confacetr self-protection – it was refreshing to see,” Pellitteri said.
Tright here are a quantity of fullly different teams Which have agreed with the North American Nunchaku Affiliation on this level, collectively with the American Style Nunchaku Federation, Unbiased Karate Schools of America, and America Martial Arts Federation.
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Hawkins, now 42, started his martial arts profession at Purple Iron Dragon Karate Academy in East Orange when he was 7-yrs-previous. He earned his first black belt in 2001 in Chinese language Kenpo Kung Fu. By way of the yrs Hawkins positioned in and gained a quantity of tournaments wright hereas studying Differing Sorts of martial arts, incomes a grasp-diploma rank In a quantity of types collectively with Fusion Kenpo, U.S. Ju-Jitsu and American-type nunchaku.
The earlier politician, Who’s understood to his college students as Shihan E. Hawkins, is the senior worldwide rank examiner In cost Of teaching for the American Style Nunchaku Federation, a member of America Ju Jitsu Federation Senior Masters Caucus, and has recently been apleveled to the position of Vice chairman in America Martial Arts Federation.
Regardless of a quantity of knee surgical procedures, Hawkins has used educating and his work with Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu To maintain lively in The sport – and lifetype – that he’s come To love. And his fellow martial artists say it’s good that he did.
“I congratulate Master Hawkins on The mannequin new Ken-Fu recognition from NANA and thank him for his ongoing contrihoweverions to the martial arts group and American Style Nunchaku Federation,” said Grand Master Michael Burke, prefacetnt of the American Style Nunchaku Federation.
The Ken Fu Nunchaku Jutsu technical committee – which helps Make constructive the regular Of teaching regulars – consists of Professor Harry Baker, Tenth Dan of Baker’s Purple Iron Dragon; Grand Master Michael Burke, Ninth Dan; Hanshi Bruce Bethers, Ninth Dan, As properly as to fullly different black belts Ashanti Shakir, Rodney Armstrong, Sabu Rashidi, and Hawkins’ father, Eldridge Hawkins Sr.
See current Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu system rank requirements right here. college students or any dojo sensei Considering about studying more can go to the UFC Clinic, 498 Primary Road in Orange, or go to The subsequent webwebsites: https://kenfununchaku.com or www.FusionKenpo.com.
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