Mook Yan Jong (Gua
Jong)
Wing
Chun Wooden Dummy
I have decided to pause making
complete wooden dummies so that I can invest more time to
the turning side of my business.
My sincere apologies for any inconvenience. If you would
like to contact me about having a dummy made I can point
you in the right direction.
I do however still produce dummy arm
sets, and miniature wooden dummy gifts.
Wing
Chun wooden dummies can be made to a size of your choosing
and in a timber to suit your budget. They can be wall
mounted or on a stand alone base. Arms and legs are
available as replacements or for making your own dummy.
Above:
Ash wooden dummy on painted freestanding base.
The
wooden dummy is the ultimate piece of training
equipment for a Wing Chun kung fu practitioner.
It improves body posture, grounding and footwork, trains
position, distance, timing and correct release of energy. It
can be used for practicing drills and for honing your kicks.
It will never replace a real training partner but it is the
next best thing and will always be there when you wish to
train.
CUSTOM
MADE DUMMIES
Other timbers available.
Each dummy
will be made to its owners dimensions, from kiln dried
timber. The body will be laminated from for either ex 9"
wide *2.5" thick boards or ex 9" wide by 3" thick boards
using modern adhesive and biscuit joints, this produces an
extremely strong body that will not crack or split due to
the natural movement of the wood. Once the body blank is
produced it will be turned down to its finished diameter on
a lathe and sanded to a smooth finish. Then it will be
marked for the arm, leg and support strut hole positions,
the holes will then be cut. The finished hole sizes are made
slightly larger than the finished arm and leg shaft sizes,
this allows the wooden limbs to move when in use
The arms are made from solid ex 3" square kiln dried timber,
this ensures that they are extremely strong will last many
years and will not break during use.
They can
be commissioned direct from DT Woodturning, delivery
mainland U.K. is available, but collection is preferred.
Give Dave a ring to discuss your requirements.
FREESTANDING
BASE FOR EXISTING WOODEN DUMMY
Freestanding
wooden bases are now available for practitioners who would
like the versatility that it offers. These are made to suit
your existing wall mounted dummy bodies specifications. Your
existing dummy body sits directly onto it's new base and
does not need any of the existing wall frame. When
weighted with two 25kg bags of sand the base will weigh in at
around 110kg (17stone) Add the weight of your existing dummy
body to this and you are looking at around 145kg (23 stone)
WOODEN DUMMY PARTS
Also available are Wooden Dummy parts, these can be
purchased separately for you to build your own quality dummy
at a reduced cost.
Wooden dummy
parts
Directions
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The top set of dummy arms are made offset to allow
for them to sit level when in the dummy body
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Top section of dummy
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Dummy leg
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Top section of wall mounted stand
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Bottom section of wall mounted stand
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Side on view of wall mounted stand
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Detail of turned peg locking pins in
Oak |
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Offset top dummy arms available in beech (Strong
hardwood timber) either as replacements for
broken arms or for use in making your own dummy.
Bottom arms cut centrally are also available. Each arm
comes with locking pin. They are provided smooth
sanded and ready for staining or oiling.
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Black walnut dummy body on lathe
Also
available
Butterfly knives
(Baat Jaam Do)
and
Wing
chun (Ving Tsun) long pole (Luk
Dim Boon Gwan)
up
to 8ft 2" long made in Ash Medium
weight but extremely strong
Purpleheart wood (Extremely attractive
timber with a good weight) ideal for the serious Wing
Chun practitioner.
E-Mail:
dave.thomas@dtwoodturning.co.uk
If you
would like to learn the Wing Chun (Ving
Tsun) System
in:
Port Talbot Port
Talbot Wing Chun Society Website
 |
Contact |
Home page
Wing Chun (Ving Tsun)
Wooden dummy frequently asked questions
Q. Do you buy in your dummies readymade?
A. No the complete dummy is made by me.
Q. Can you build
me a freestanding base for my existing wall mounted dummy to
sit on?
A. Yes. I will need various dimensions and
the timber type of your existing dummy body. Would
normally require the dummy body at my workshop for
modification.
Q. If I purchase
a freestanding base for my existing wooden dummy. Will I
still need to keep my wall mounted stand?
A. No. The freestanding base comes with all
the components needed to mount your existing dummy body onto
it. So you can either sell on or store your wall mount
frame.
Q. Can you make a totally custom made dummy
to my specific dimensions?
A. Yes. Just send me a drawing with some
dimensions and I will send you a quote. Or pop in to the
workshop and discuss.
Q. Can your
freestanding model be converted to a wall mounted dummy?
A. Yes
Q. Which is the best timber to make a dummy
from?
A. Hardwoods tend to be best as they will
stand up to harder use, timbers such as Ash, Sapele
and Beech are all good. If you are staining the
dummy then timbers such as Tulip wood (yellow Poplar) and
Pine are OK but will be more susceptible to damage. If you
are after a dummy that looks great then you could use Black
Walnut, Oak, Cherry, Elm or Yew. These are all rather
expensive timbers but look great. If you are going to have a
dummy that is outdoors then you could use Green (fresh sawn)
Oak. But I would reccomend that you have a Dai Jong
type.
Q. What type of
finish do you put on your dummies?
A. Danish oil is the preferred finish that
I use, it penetrates the wood and also forms a good seal to
protect it. The advantage of this over a varnish or lacquer
is that you can sand it back and simply apply more when
needed, varnish would give a distressed look over a period
of time which is difficult to re-finish.
Q. Which make
of Danish oil do you use?
A. I use Rustins Original Danish Oil and
have done for over 30 years. If you are re-applying oil to
your dummy I would advise you to use the same make.
Q. Can I site my dummy outside?
A. I would not recommend having your
dummy outside, the weather and the Sun will cause the timber
to split and due to the excess movement the glue joints
might start to open up. It will also start to rot the wood.
If you want a dummy for use outside Green oak in my opinion
is best to use, the arms and leg can be made from any timber
as they can be removed from the dummy and stored indoors
after use. The best option for a green oak dummy would be a
stake in the ground or post dummy, the body of this type of
dummy is longer than normal and sits in a specially prepared
hole. You don’t need a frame or stand for this dummy. This
type of dummy (Dai Jong) pre-dates the more modern wall or
freestanding types that we use today.
Q. Do you practice Wing Chun?
A. Yes I am a Wing Chun practitioner, I
train and teach Ip Ching lineage. For more information visit
www.porttalbotwingchun.co.uk
website.
Q. How long will my dummy last?
A. Your wooden dummy will last a lifetime
with proper care and when you pass on someone else will be
able to care for it.
Q. How heavy are your dummies?
A. This depends on the timber used, on
average in hardwood the dummy body will weigh between 35 –
50kgs
A freestanding model with a filled base weighs in from 23 -
29 stone 150kgs to 190kgs
Q. Can I visit you at your workshop to try
out and discuss your dummies?
A. Yes indeed this is my preferred way,
you can then discuss with me (Dave) the various options and
try out the workshop dummy so that we can get the dimensions
and timber choices right.
Q. Do you give
any guarantees with your dummies?
A. Yes if you have any problems with your
dummy and providing I am still alive give me a ring and I
will sort it out I am 67 at the moment so should be around
for another 5yrs or more.
Q. Do you sell arms and legs for me to
make my own wooden dummy?
A. Yes take a look at this page http://www.dtwoodturning.co.uk/woodendummyparts.html
Q. Why are the top arms of the dummy
different to the bottom arm?
A. The Two top arms have offset shafts,
when they are placed into the dummy body it allows the
two arms to be almost level. The bottom arm has a
central cut shaft. Some lineages will also set the
top arms on their sides this increases the span of the arms.
Q. How long does it take from
placing order to supply of a dummy?
A. At best It can vary from 16-24 weeks, but
as I have to keep up with demand for the various joineries
that I supply turnings for it can sometimes take a lot longer.
"I am not in the business of churning out run of
the mill wooden dummies as fast as I can to increase my
turnover I work alone and to very high standards, the dummies
I make will last for many years and with a little care will
outlive their owners. They can then be passed down to the next
generation along with their Wing Chun." Dave Thomas
