While perusing youtube, I decided to check out a few freestyle nunchaku demonstrations. Back when I was younger, I was a real freestyle freak. My friends and I invented a bunch of specialized moves that would look great on video, now that the technology’s there to put them out there for people to see. Back in the day there wasn’t even an internet, much less an easy way to get video. I can do it on my digital camera.
I mentioned it to my wife and she just shook my head and told me I was too old to be messing around like that and I’d kill myself. I wasn’t sure whether to be amused or offended. I mean, seriously. It might take me a while to get up to speed, but it’s not as though I couldn’t perform the techniques anymore. I haven’t done it seriously in probably ten or twelve years, but every time I’ve pulled out the ‘chucks, I’ve been able to duplicate every single manuever I’d mastered back then. Just quite a bit slower.
That’s when I realized she’s never actually seen me work them. She never allowed me to do it in the house, even though I’ve never once broken anything in a house while practicing. She could ask my first wife if she wanted–not that she would.
It’s a bit disappointing to realize that your wife has so little faith in you when it comes to something like that. Telling me I’m “too old?” What’s up with that? Sure, I’ve got my aches and pains and an injured left shoulder, but it occurs to me that it might work as physical therapy. I am trying to avoid having to have surgery on it, after all.
I’ve perfected techniques I’ve never seen anyone do, except those I’ve personally taught. Now don’t get me wrong, these aren’t combat techniques. They’re strictly for show. But they’re beautiful to watch when done correctly. And at one time I was damn good. I mean, “holy crap, look at that,” good.
So I think I may spend a couple of months practicing with my chucks again, trying to get my speed up. Once I do, I’ll record it and put it up on youtube just for the hell of it. I love the idea, and I’m even more determined to do it since my wife decided I was “too old.”
Man, that was cold. And totally untrue. I don’t ordinarily say this, but in this instance, she has no idea what she’s talking about. She really has no idea how good I actually was at one time.
I’m so glad I still have my nunchaku hanging in my closet. If I had to go out and buy a new pair, I’d probably just give up the idea. But I don’t.
So I guess I’ll post more on this later. If you don’t hear from me about it again, it’ll probably be because my wife was right and I accidentally brained myself. But, seriously, I don’t think that’s going to happen. It’s really like riding a bike and nothing at all like playing pool. The only thing you lose is speed, not skill. I know because there were times in my youth that I couldn’t practice for a considerable length of time because of injuries. I had to work myself back into condition, and bring my speed back, but once I’d mastered a technique, I never lost the ability to do it.
Too old. Hah! We’ll see about that.
