Steps
Buy a practice pair of nunchucks. That means a foam handle, with either cord or a chain to join them together. Internet martial arts sites will almost definitely have pairs available. It is always better to accidentally hit yourself with foam than wood or metal.
Start off slow. Twirl them around slowly until you get the feel of them, then practice passing from hand to hand and doing figure of 8's. When you get confident, you can always speed up.
Learn some basic moves. Learn to do the figure of 8, passing it underarm, striking left and right and to stop it by wrapping it around your waist. When you learn these simple moves, you will be set up to do progressively trickier stuff. Alternatively,purchase a book on nunchaku basics. Martial artists have used these for hundreds of years. Use their expertise.
Continue on to learn more complex moves, or invent a few. By the time you get to the advanced techniques in the back of the books, you should be able to combine a few moves and invent your own. You can even learn to throw it up and catch it!
Progress on to wood. As light and quick as foam is, you're now ready for the big challenge. the difference between the wood and foam chuks is weight. Start off slow again and get used to the increased weight. Practice all the techniques you've learnt slowly. When you're ready, speed them up again!
Tips
Start by firmly grasping a handle in each hand and without letting go see how far you can move them around your body.
Get used to their range of motion this way before you try swinging them around.
Always learn each move slowly, then get progressively faster. Don't try it fast to start with, or you could end up with a nasty headache! Even foam covered practice nunchaku can cause damage if mishandled!
Warnings
Wooden nunchaku are illegal to buy, sell, own or transport in some states/countries. Always check your local country and area laws before buying/making them. In some states of the USA it is Illegal to buy sell own or transport metal/wood Nunchacku these states are New York, Arizona, California, and Massachusetts.
As there is a very good chance you could seriously injure yourself or someone else with nunchaku. Its best to have someone around to apply first aid in case of accident. Be careful!
Remember that this is a weapon not a toy. They are good for Self-Defence, exercise or just learning tricks with them. Using them in a confrontational situation will get you arrested/jailed in many area's.
People who suffer from joint disorders or carpal tunnel syndrome should bypass these and look into other forms of exercise such as tai chi.
