Group Nook Nunchucks Grasp From The Oranges Invents New Martial Arts System Eldridge Hawkins Jr. is the founding father of Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu. He is additionally a former New Jersey mayor – and a corridor of fame martial artist. Reply
Eldridge Hawkins Jr. (in black), the founding father of Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu, demonstrates a takedown approach with assistance from scholar, Gage Knopf. (Photograph courtesy of Eldridge Hawkins Jr.) (Photograph courtesy of Eldridge Hawkins Jr.)
ORANGES, NJ — When he was crafting his new martial arts system, Eldridge Hawkins Jr. had a simple-but-tricky imaginative and prescient: it wanted to be “practical.” Apparently, this Essex County grasp of the nunchucks has nailed his goal – after which some.
Lately, the North American Nunchaku Affiliation, one of the revered nunchaku organizations on this planet, grew to become the newest group to acknowledge Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu as an official martial arts system. Hawkins – the system’s founder – is a former West Orange resident who served as mayor of Orange from 2008 to 2012. He was inducted into the USA Unified Martial Arts Corridor of Fame earlier this yr. Learn Extra: Ex-Mayor In The Oranges Earns Spot In Martial Arts Corridor Of Fame
Based on Hawkins, Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu is a “full” fashion that goals to mix the long-lasting martial arts weapon with extra conventional placing methods. He writes:
“Particularly, this new nunchaku fashion fuses numerous components of competitors katas and swinging strikes of the American-style nunchaku system (as taught by founder Grand Grasp Michael Burke, ninth Dan), with the shut quarter preventing of Chinese language Kenpo Kung-Fu/Fusion Kenpo (as instructed by Professor Harry Baker, tenth Dan), Ed Parker’s Kenpo Nunchaku teachings, Jujitsu, and [my] personal unique methods. Extra particularly, a number of of the strikes, locks, throws and extra of Kenpo and Jujitsu have been augmented the place applicable to facilitate self-defense methods using the nunchaku and on a regular basis objects together with the usual empty hand methods.” As a result of most individuals don’t often stroll round city with a pair of nunchaku, Hawkins’ system teaches college students to strike, lure, choke or in any other case management an attacker with frequent objects similar to sticks, belts and even socks. It’s a mode that’s practical and meets nationwide and worldwide coaching requirements of established martial arts organizations, he mentioned. A number of of his friends within the martial arts have backed up his claims.
“I loved the [Ken-Fu] self-defense and thought it was very helpful and sensible,” mentioned Chris Pellitteri, president and founding father of the North American Nunchaku Affiliation / American Kobudo Affiliation. “Most nunchaku techniques don’t give attention to self-defense – it was refreshing to see,” Pellitteri mentioned.
There are a number of different teams which have agreed with the North American Nunchaku Affiliation on this level, together with the American Type Nunchaku Federation, Impartial Karate Faculties of America, and america Martial Arts Federation.
Article continues under Hawkins, now 42, started his martial arts profession at Pink Iron Dragon Karate Academy in East Orange when he was 7-years-old. He earned his first black belt in 2001 in Chinese language Kenpo Kung Fu. Over time Hawkins positioned in and received a number of tournaments whereas learning completely different types of martial arts, incomes a master-level rank in several kinds together with Fusion Kenpo, U.S. Ju-Jitsu and American-style nunchaku.
The previous politician, who is understood to his college students as Shihan E. Hawkins, is the senior worldwide rank examiner accountable for coaching for the American Type Nunchaku Federation, a member of america Ju Jitsu Federation Senior Masters Caucus, and has lately been appointed to the position of vice chairman in america Martial Arts Federation. Regardless of a number of knee surgical procedures, Hawkins has used educating and his work with Ken-Fu Nunchaku Jutsu to stay energetic within the sport – and way of life – that he’s come to like. And his fellow martial artists say it’s good that he did.