How to Build a Wing Chun Wooden Dummy
Martial art training requires the use of a number of things; a Wing Chun Wooden dummy being one of those. Most people purchase the dummy from a martial arts store which can be fairly expensive. However, you should consider building a Wing Chun Wooden dummy at home because the task is fairly easy if you are comfortable at working with wood.
Things Required:
– Telephone pole
– 2 inch x 4 inch boards glued to each other
– Lathe or Grinder
– Sandpaper
– Duct tape
– Power drill
Instructions
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1
Draw the sketch of the Wing Chun wooden dummy. Write the exact dimensions of the wooden parts on the sketch. A Wing Chun wooden dummy can have any dimensions of your choice. However, the height of the dummy should be approximately equal to your height.
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2
Visit the nearest lumber yard and purchase a telephone pole. It would be a good idea to call the lumber yard ahead of time in order to ensure availability of the telephone pole. Make sure that the pole you buy is 9.5 inches in diameter.
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3
Any type of wood can be used to make the arms of the Wing Chun wooden dummy. Just make sure that piece of wood you use is hard. You can also use 2 inch x 4 inch boards attached to each other, with screws or wood glue used for this purpose.
Use a lathe or a grinder to round the wood pieces you plan to use for making the arms and then sand them with fine-grit sandpaper. Wrap a piece of duct tape on the end of the arms. This will make it easier for you to fit the arms to the dummy’s trunk. -
4
Shape out the dummy’s leg in a similar fashion as the arms. Since the leg of a Wing Chun wooden dummy has a slight bend in it, forming the leg would be a relatively difficult task. In order to get more training options out of the dummy, people often use a Wing Chun wooden dummy with three legs.
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5
Use a power drill to drill holes for the dummy’s arm in the trunk. The shims would need to be held in place and for that purpose you would have to cut slots in the mounting portion of the wooden pieces you would use as arms.
Make sure that the arms can move about half-inch on either side. This can be accomplished by attaching the arms to the trunk in a rather loose position. Small piece of wood can be used as shims. -
6
To ensure that your dummy lasts for a longer period of time, consider sanding the wooden parts and applying a protective coat of wood finish.
