my new toy!

[matsu]

hey guys
oops i just bought a wooden dummy... couldnt resist one.

bought from company called legend MA online-(kamon, have you heard of them?)

i did a wooden dummy seminar with sifu james sinclair, there were four of us-2 being rank beginners ... wow. i loved it, four hours of real intense training.but OMG it was so hard to do!!

and i know a lot of people told me it was way too advanced. and i wouldnt be able to benefit from it at my level but even now i feel i learnt some real fundamentals and it has affected my stance my footwork and my guard application already.

it arrives thursday and i will need a few private lessons to get me where i want to be with it but i am reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel happy!

this was one of the first things i ever remember about seeing wing chun, it was one of the things i wanted to learn so it wont affect my real learning in class but i know i will benefit long term.
so thanks to all the guys who said "yeah go for it"

matsu

 

[bully]

Niiiiiiiiiice, which one did you get?

Prices look really good.

I have been talking to Cameron Charles from here today....

http://www.ttwdc.co.uk/

He seemed a really nice guy and chatted to me for ages. More expensive but he will hand build for my height etc.

I really want one too and think it will help my training.

I am deciding where to get one over the next day or 2.

Got any vids Matsu of you using your dummy??

 

[mook jong man]

You've made me jealous now Matsu you @%$#$%%#&.

I love the wooden dummy , 10 years in Wing Chun and i have never had my own dummy , i used to stay back after i taught my classes on a saturday and practice on my sifu's wooden dummy for a couple of hours and it improved all my techniques out of sight , i was lucky i had the keys to the school .

Do you know the whole wooden dummy form yet ? If not it doesn't matter you can just take techniques from what you learn in class and train them on the dummy , just make sure you don't clash with the arms of the dummy but use shearing deflection , you will know when your doing it correct because you won't have little golf ball sized bruises up your arm .

Have fun with it , i think the wooden dummy is to Wing Chun what the heavy bag is to boxing .

Another thing is unlike human partners they never get bored , tired or whinge about your lack of control.

 

[KamonGuy2]

hey guys
it arrives thursday and i will need a few private lessons to get me where i want to be with it but i am reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel happy!
matsu

You spelt 'real' wrong

 

[bully]

Ordered mine today from link in my last post.

The freestanding one.

He said it will be ready in 2 weeks and is starting it today!!!!

Can't wait, will be counting down the days.

Let me know how you get on whne yours arrives Matsu.

 

[matsu]

hey guys.

it arrives tomo and a mate will bung it up on the wall sunday first thing ,... and from then on i will use it practically everyday...


kamon, you spell real like this when you are reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelly happy or if you come from essex like wot i duz!

i was shown the first part of the form by sifu on sunday and i will work on that slowly and carefully.
i was also shown a few techniques/drills to work on.

bully- good luck with yours....no videos or photos.. i dont do cameras at all.... ever!

thanks for the support, will keep you all posted.
matsu

 

[bully]

I will take a pic of my dummy when it gets here....

No pics of the dummy trying to use the dummy from me either ;-)

 

[graychuan]

To all of you, my brothers in the arts...


There is a reason why old, even ancient arts, are available to benefit us knuckle-heads in the later generations...People like us.

I say this sincerly and completely without ego. I say this as a word of encouragement and to benefit all of us.

MATSU!, dont be hard on yourself man. You actually went to a seminar with a competent Sifu and exposed yourself to the training before you invested in the dummy. Doesnt sound like a dumb thing to do at all. BLESSED IS THE STUDENT THAT CAN REALLY TAKE SOME RESPOSIBILITY FOR THIER OWN TRAINING! And make the investments neccessary to train correctly.
MookJongMan, I salute you! Its is only intelligence to take full advantage of what the universe layed right in your lap. Staying after class to practice more! I did the same thing when Sifu Ali brought his to our Louisville School. And as I dont have any qualms about pics or videos:lfao: ( I cant help but to laugh at myself) you can see where I worked just the first section of the Form and our 8 basic blocks drill for almost a year. Loved er' minute of it! I'll be happy for you when you can own one.

All the same for you too, bully. It starts with just laying your Tan-Sao and Fook across the arms to get the feel. You will do that a lot. In fact...you may not ever be able to walk past the damn thing with out doing a quick Jik Chung or Bong-Sao on the pass for about the first 4 months or so...no big deal, man... just let that ride.:ultracool
Learning just the first section gives you an idea of stepping and the 'feet following the hands' idea. You have YGKYM, Trin-Ma, Garm -Sao, Hie-Yun-Sao, Jut-Sao, Man-Sao, Wu-Sao, Lop-Sao, Tan-Sao, Bong-Sao, Wong-Jeong, and Gong-Sao all in the first section!

Sorry to come across so energized but I know exactly what you guys are experienceng and I'm happy for you. Be proud and be real.

Love, Peace, & Chitlin' Grease,

Chris Gray

 

[mook jong man]

I watched your video Gray , nothing wrong with your dummy work mate . Looked pretty nice and fluid to me !

That dummy in the first video could you tell us how that was constructed and is it plastic or wood , and the arms don't look tapered like the traditional ones does that make any difference to the feel of it in your opinion ?

The reason is , i could probably get the materials together to build one , but the tapered arms would be a problem unless i took them to some wood turning guy to get em machined on a lathe.

I'll tell you a funny story , two of my classmates wanted to build their own dummy and they were lucky enough to find a bit of telegraph pole lying on the side of the road .

They took it home and halfway through construction they found out it was infested with termites.

Just in case anybody didn't know , the original wooden dummys were set into the ground and didn't move , but when the art went to Hong Kong they all lived in high rise apartment blocks so they had to have them mounted on a frame like the ones we see today.

 

[bully]

I watched your video Gray , nothing wrong with your dummy work mate . Looked pretty nice and fluid to me !

That dummy in the first video could you tell us how that was constructed and is it plastic or wood , and the arms don't look tapered like the traditional ones does that make any difference to the feel of it in your opinion ?

The reason is , i could probably get the materials together to build one , but the tapered arms would be a problem unless i took them to some wood turning guy to get em machined on a lathe.

I'll tell you a funny story , two of my classmates wanted to build their own dummy and they were lucky enough to find a bit of telegraph pole lying on the side of the road .

They took it home and halfway through construction they found out it was infested with termites.

Just in case anybody didn't know , the original wooden dummys were set into the ground and didn't move , but when the art went to Hong Kong they all lived in high rise apartment blocks so they had to have them mounted on a frame like the ones we see today.

There are some plans on the net(taken from here) with exact meaurements....how close and original i dont know....

http://www.wckfc.com/news/dummy/index.htm

I too was going to make my own and i had a half a telegraph pole.

The thing with Tel poles is they are injected with bitumen and they weep for years. Also the finish is pretty rough and they surface split too.

If you speak to your local Telco i am pretty sure they wouold sort you out with one, mine delivered it to my house...i do work for them though ;-)

In the end i wanted a dummy that would work well, look good in my living room if need be and be built for my height. My DIY skills aint that good so i am paying for one instead.

Cant wait still....

Graychuan, you are totally right. Even when i popped into my sifu's house to look at his dummy, i was moving around it with Tans etc. I am going to start with very very basic exercises and progress it wih my Sifu's help. He hasnt got that much experience with the dummy so when we get stuck i think we are going to have to plan a UK trip for a weekend seminar maybe.

Cant wait...have i said that already!!

Bully

 

[matsu]

hey guys.... completely gutted. my dummy was NOT delivered as specified so they are going to get a distressed and aggravated customer phonecall today:shooter:

i was told that yip man changed the wooden dummy to a frame so that it did in fact move, as real people move when hit/touched so it would add realism to the techniques.

i too bought a telegraph pole and was going to get it made with a friend but like you bully, i knew i was never gonna be happy with the finish or the quality.

graychaun- thank you for your kind words. i am truley motivated and i tend to knock myself down at times with fustration at my ineptness but i wont give up!
and ive saved the vids of you working i am sure they too will help me a i progress.

bully- if you ever get a chance to see master james sinclair in action -jump at the chance.!

thanks again guys
matsu

 

[matsu]

YAY..... it arrived!!
fix it to the wall sunday and i,m gonna get divorced cos when my GF realises how much time i,ll be spending on it she gonna hate it!!


matsu

 

[bully]

Nice one, nothing worse than something not turning up when it is supposed to.

Wish mine was here...

 

[bully]

Wahoooooooo

It arrived today and looks awesome.

Going to build it on the weekend.

Top job by Cameron Charles from here:

http://www.ttwdc.co.uk/

He crated it up and delivered it to Portsmouth for me, it was then shipped across to Jersey and dropped off today at my house.

It is sitting on my lounge floor at the mo without its weighted base.

I am resisting temptation to start messing with it, as it will fall over and more than likely knock me out or something. The dummy beats the dummy ;-)

Pics will follow when it is built and in place.

Matsu, how you getting on with yours?

 

[matsu]

hi mate

a few things i found with using my mook. one- its arms are not in same position as the one my sifu has and that has caused a few minor irritants and two- its outside and its bloody freezing in the uk from now till, well all the time!!

my training for first 4 weeks was everyday- i neglected my morning gym sessions to work it.
i now try just weds and at wkends.i just now need an extra 2 hours everyday to get a session in and go gym and train and work and see my kids and sleep!

it has helped me move around with my footwork and angles already.
i understand the forward energy of my blocks better, wether i can do it better under pressure is another issue!!
i also find it has helped me work into multi techniques as opposed to the "point scoring mentality and muscle memory my yrs in karate has enslaved me into! again wether i can repeat them under pressure is another tweak i need to put right.
oh!!.......and it hurts you if you hit it too hard!

as the ad says ... "i,m loving it"

good luck with urs

matsu

 

[bully]

Well we built her tonight and put it in place.

Had a quick play and cant wait to start my drills tomorrow.

Had been for a long cycle after work so was too knackered for WC.

Here she is in my "Alpine" chalet as MJM calls it ;-)

 

[mook jong man]

Nice set up you've got there mate !
That dummy is a beauty , i have never seen one like that before , how does it stand up ? is it on a weighted platform or is it bolted to the floor ? Does it spring back at all like the ones that are mounted on cross members . Tell us a little bit more about the mechanics of it , and the finish on the timber is amazing .

 

[KamonGuy2]

I like the way he calls the dummy a 'she'. That is true dedication. Bless

 

[naneek]

im so jealous of bully and matsu i want one too!!

 

[matsu]

to be honest in my haste and over enthusiasm i ordered a dummy that,although cheaper than counterparts isnt quite the same as my club one.
the arms angles and spacing isnt quite right and parts of the form moves are quite difficult to perfect as i have to move further around to get into position

bully- that is a beaut mate!!

but it is a great dummy, its well made and i use it to drill myself in all the things i learn in club and lessons.
i am using it to practice the changes i have been taught in single chi sau, just drilling them to get that muscle memory.
i believe it has helped my positioning, my ability to work multi techniques(as opposed the kararte bred point scoring") and correcting my faults in many of the new techniques i learn............... but i,m still crap!!

so although i could have bought better and dearer i am glad its on the wall.
and for some reason mine has no gender. its an IT! :angel:
matsu