What nunchaku did Bruce Lee use?

Answer 1

The first time Bruce uses nunchaku on film is with his favourite wooden set at the time made by friend George Lee when playing Kato in LA, in the episode Hunters and Hunted in 1966. Light wooden batons, 3 deep grip grooves.

In Fist of Fury he used a black worn wooden set, tapered batons with 3 light grooves, believed given to Bob Baker then passed on in HK. He also used a rubber set for the film's showdown, grip grooves down the batons. These Kato and Fist sets are with a UK collector, never displayed. A makeshift rubber set was used in the dojo but fell apart so didn't survive.

He uses 2 sets of very lightweight nunchucks in Way of the Dragon to actually hit actors with, vinyl covered, swivels, given to friends, lost in time.

In Enter the Dragon 3-4 sets were made for Bruce and Han's guards, tapered wooden batons covered in vinyl with swivel clips. Bruce actually uses a different pair for his display scene, another for the cave trap, and another for on set photos. 1 of the sets is again with a UK collector, another set was with the World of Bruce Lee museum, presumably back with the Lee family.

Finally he uses a lightweight set in Game of Death covered in yellow vinyl with cord not chain, believed with Dan Inosanto or a close US friend.

Answer 2

Strangely a red pair unlike any that the real Bruce ever used or owned. They are a modern set made to look old, red sticks, metal caps with ball bearing swivels for the chain, nothing like Bruce's real sets usually plain wood, some vinyl covered, some lightweight/flexible.

Answer 3

The first time Bruce uses nunchaku on film is with his favourite wooden set at the time made by friend George Lee when playing Kato in LA, in the episode Hunters and Hunted in 1966. Light wooden batons, 3 deep grip grooves.

In Fist of Fury he used a black worn wooden set, tapered batons with 3 light grooves, believed given to Bob Baker then passed on in HK. He also used a rubber set for the film's showdown, grip grooves down the batons. These Kato and Fist sets are with a UK collector, never displayed. A makeshift rubber set was used in the dojo but fell apart so didn't survive.

He uses 2 sets of very lightweight nunchucks in Way of the Dragon to actually hit actors with, vinyl covered, swivels, given to friends, lost in time.

In Enter the Dragon 3-4 sets were made for Bruce and Han's guards, tapered wooden batons covered in vinyl with swivel clips. Bruce actually uses a different pair for his display scene, another for the cave trap, and another for on set photos. 1 of the sets is again with a UK collector, another set was with the World of Bruce Lee museum, presumably back with the Lee family.

Finally he uses a lightweight set in Game of Death covered in yellow vinyl with cord not chain, believed with Dan Inosanto or a close US friend.

The UK collection of Bruce's movie used nunchaku and training gear were diplayed for the first time at the Bruce Lee Tribute SENI 2014 London and can be seen here YouTube 'Bruce Lee's movie nunchaku, weapons & props SENI museum' along with his pads, sunglasses & kali.

Answer 4

Bruce owned and used many sets of nunchaku, maybe 15+? Mid sixties his friend George Lee started developing prototypes with Bruce, 3 or 4 were made usually black wood, and those tapered batons took shape with chain and grip grooves.

In '66 as pictured in his Barrington Plaza appartment bookshelves, he had a white wood set and 2 black wood sets, one used when playing Kato for the first time on screen and his beach JKD pic sessions. 1 black and the clearwood set were auctioned, the Kato set is with a UK collector.

Several more similar wooden sets mostly black were made and believed one such set Bruce took to HK and then used in Fist of Fury, quite worn, given to Bob Baker who sold or swapped them in HK, changed hands and now with a UK collector, as is the roughly made rubber pair he also used in Fist fighting Mr Suzuki.

His light weight double nunchaku sets were gifted to friends, probably Betty Ting and Unicorn Chan, believed one set passed to Steven Chow in HK.

About 4 sets were made for Enter the Dragon for Bruce and the guards to use. 1 was found at Golden Harvest now with a UK collector, 1 kept by Bruce/Linda, the others either taken by GH staff or even actors as a memento, not seen since.

Finally the soft yellow cord set used in Game of Death is likely with his friend Dan Inosanto.