Martial arts have been around for centuries and continue to be popular even today. There are dozens of styles to choose from, and each style often has its own unique training methods.
One style of Chinese kung fu called Wing Chun (sometimes also spelled Wing Tsun and Ving Tsun) has perhaps one of the most iconic training methods around: the wooden dummy (called "mook yan jong" in Chinese).
The wooden dummy is a wooden post roughly 8.5" in diameter with three arms and a leg that stick out of it and is used by Wing Chun practitioners to train their form, skill, and sometimes to increase striking power. While Wing Chun was the first style to use the dummy as part of its regular curriculum, other styles have adopted either similar versions (such as the Choy Lay Fut dummy), or choose to use a dummy in their own training (such as a karate student training his karate techniques on a Wing Chun wooden dummy).
While many people feel their training would be improved with a dummy, there is often one significant deterrent to their getting one: the cost.
Wing Chun wooden dummies tend to start anywhere around $600 and can go upward to $1,200 or more in price! While the training benefits are vast and they tend to last for years (they are hardwood, after all), that price often makes them unrealistic for individuals who wish to purchase one.
As a result, many people decide to try and build their own. There are a few problems with this, too, however. One is a lack of reliable wooden dummy plans. If you are looking for wooden dummy plans, here are some things to keep in mind:
The top arms should be level - Many dummies have upper arms that are offset in height. This can create imbalances during training. The shanks on the upper arms should be offset which allows them to rest at the same height even though the holes in the body are at different heights.
The diameter of the body should be between 8.5 and 9.5" - This allows the upper arms to be set at the correct angle. Any larger or smaller and the proportions will be changed.
The wooden dummy plans should include specific instructions for how to make the dummy - For example, the holes that the arms go in are square. Do you know how to cut square holes in a cylindrical body? Simply being told "this hole should be x inches wide by y inches long may not give you enough information to be useful.
It is possible to build a wooden dummy for a fraction of the cost of buying one retail, but it is not necessarily an easy undertaking, so be sure to do your research before you begin, especially if you are not used to working with tools and building stuff.
To learn more and for the most comprehensive wooden dummy plans available, please visit this link!
No comments:
Post a Comment