Wooden Dummy Training

How many of you Kung Fu practicioners use Wooden Dummies to toughen your forearms etc.? What are your thoughts on this as a training tool?

I dont mean to sound, assertive and arrogant, but if you are using the wooden dummy to strengthen your forearms then you are not using it correctly. If I used the wooden dummy to strengthen the forearms then I would have to replace an expensive piece of equipment more often than I could afford!
A wooden dummy, is used to learn positioning, it is used to learn how to get into an opponents centre line, how to destroy their guard, how to position your foot work, how to combine the skills and different movements together, it can also teach speed and coordination,
but as for strengthening forearms......

Its a great tool, and there is the wooden dummy form that you learn as part of wing chun, it has 108 moves if I am not mistaken, and it basically ties together what you have learned up to that point. Its good for practicing correct positioning of blocks, even before you get taught the form.
I dont know the form myself, but I do practice the blocks and some movements on it and it has helped with my kung fu.

I dont know if other styles of kng fu use it.

I have a wing chun dummy and use it all the time. I use mine to toughen the forearms/shins. My brother has a choy li fut dummy each has it's likes and dislikes.

In wing chun the main focus of the wooden man is sensitivity training and the the conditionig of the forearms is secondary. I like to use mine for both.
I regret not getting one earlier.

Kevin

Its your perogative, but i think there are cheaper, and less space consuming ways to strengthen your forearms/shins.
A good wooden dummy would cost at least $300, a good tree in the park is free!

Ah I see, so for forearm conditioning should I do that with a live student?

that would be best, better than wood thats for sure!
the inside of your forearm is impossible to condition. If you beat your forearms against each others, not with excessive force, but enough so that you feel it the next day.
Drink lots of milk, and maybe put some dit dat jow (chinese ointment) on before and after the excersize to make sure your bone heals properly.

I use my dummy for everything conditioning/sensitivity training/attacks and counterattacks/ it can be used in any number of ways. I don't like to get caught up in the belief that just because one group of kung fu people use it one way and another group use it in a different way then all it leads is to which group is correct.
I believe they both use it correct. As for space my basement is a entire workout area heavy bag, dummy, double end bag so space is not much of a problem.

Kevin

Old post but I like wooden dummies. We have one at my kungfu school and I use to to practice mostly blocks. I would say doing blocks with forearms would help strengthen, condition and get your blocks better.

I really think there's got to be a better way. It's like carrying clay jars full of sand with your fingertips - sure, it's gonna make your claw stronger, but so will a couple hundred reps on a gripmaster. That way you don't do any internal damage.
Leave the dummy for practicing techniques. Find a more modern and constructive way to condition your arms (or do more chi sao).
I'd be willing to bet if the Shaolin Monks had a Bowflex back in the day, they'd use it

Haha yeah I am sure they would use that.
I use the wooden dummy to condition myself blocking something though. I used it to learn a Pai Lum block because I was taught it using the wooden dummy.

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"I'd be willing to bet if the Shaolin Monks had a Bowflex back in the day, they'd use it "


I really disagree. Several monks are world class travelers and you don't see them adding a bowflex to their training regime. There's nothing wrong with forearm training on a wooden dummy. I study choy li fut and the primary purpose of the dummy is for conditioning. I know in other gung fu systems they use it differently. Their is no set way to use one. It's just a training aid. The nice thing about a dummy is that it allows you to use more force than your partner would be willing to accept.

Kevin

What, you don't think they did knuckle pushups on wood and hit rocks and stuff for any other reason besides that there wasn't better equipment? I've also been told by a monk (albeit a Buddhist monk) that most Shaolin kung fu practitioners stopped training after age 25 because their joints couldn't take any more (sounds kinda like old school MT, no?)
And not to seem disrespectful, but aren't the 'shaolin' monks of today basically just a 'blue man' style dog and pony show of CMA?
Not that I really care what anyone does to condition themselves - I just really want to continue training past my centenial birthday

I agree to work out with weights and current machines. But conditioning yourself in different ways is helpful, and as long as you dont injure yourself down the road it will help out. You dont see any things on machines that help wrists or fingers. Plus you also practice technique using something like the wooden dummy.

I think you should use old methods and current methods to work out. Old methods for technique and conditioning, and current methods for strength and muscle.

If you beat on the wooden dummy who is the bigger dummy?

I know that was supposed to be a "smart" joke, but you can do better than that.

I use wooden dummies to practice trapping... as I thought was what they were for. The only bones I really conditions are my shins, and I use trees for that as I lack a bag of any sort.

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I know that was supposed to be a "smart" joke, but you can do better than that.

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Sorry, could not resist... In W.C.K the dummy is used as was stated before to train angles and to learn how to use foot work.Of course you can hit the dummy hard but since W.C. block don't use forse agaist forse why bother to train incorrectly.A hard bridge is not needed but other style like Choy Li Fut they it's needed so it really depends on a particular style.