I've never had VR or anything like a Wii... but you're absolutely right it reminds me of those controllers I've seen! With a little practice it's very comfortable and intuitive.

Those figures are little artist mannequins that are built like very posable action figures to help work out poses and use as reference. They're usually found under the name Figuarts or Body Kun but can be kind of tough to shop for as there are a lot of cheap counterfeits around that don't pose well and fall apart!