Hey guys,
I’m in the market for a mook jong and I know someone who is selling one made of Pine.
I haven’t seen it yet so I can’t comment on the condition, but I’m wondering if anyone has seen or tried one made out of pine.
Any problems that might come to mind?
J
A friend has started making a few dummies - his first one was in pine (cheaper in case he stuffed up). It’s not too bad, if a little light compared to some others. The biggest problem he had was that since it’s a ‘softer’ wood it cracked a bit easily when making the holes for the arms.
Jeff,
I’ve had my current mook since '99. It was custom made by a sihing of mine who is a carpenter specializing in custom furniture.
It has a pine body and burled maple arms and leg (the arms are really dark so it’s a two-toned affair). It has been outstanding so far. Slight discolouration where I kick and strike it.
No cracking or splitting as was mentioned above. However, this is Midwestern Northern White Pine so quality is different than what you may get in ANZACland???
Mok Jongs
On the subject,
Can anyone with a good sense of knowledge answer the following questions, cause I to am in the market for one…
Thanks,
-ADD-
Re: Mok Jongs
I’m a noob with my own homemade one, but here’s my opinions:
1. What kind of wood is good, better, best.
Hardwood, hardwood from a similar climate, local hardwood.
2. What kind of wood is not?
Softwood from a completely different climate.
3. What are the proper mesurements for the body, leg, and arms?
(i) Measure up the ones in your kwoon, esp. the one you like the best.
(ii) Ask your sifu if he has plans.
(iii) Buy my friend Ironfist’s plans :D. He’s active on the main forum and the training forum.
(iv) Search the internet. Plenty of plans out there.
4. Wall mounted or free standing?
I like free standing. My wc brother just made a wall mounted one and he’s happy. However, he made brackets in the wall (heavy hook-type brackets that the jong hangs off) that allow a bit of movement of the jong.
5. Should i get a traditional size/height jong if I am 5’11 or adjustable to my height?
I like one that’s right for me. I’m 6’2" so a traditional one might not fit me as well. IIRC my upper arms are at about my armpits. My lower arm is 12" (?) lower than that. My knee is at the same height as my bent knee (23"). My leg enters the jong 5" higher than that.
6. Where is a good place to get one? website???
Make it yourself. Otherwise search this forum. This comes up every now and then and lots of links have been posted.
Hope that helps.
Hi,
Pine should be fine as long as it has been treated properly. Telegraph poles are ideal as they have been soaked in creoste for years, at least in the UK thats the case. You can also pick them up for free sometimes.
The arms will definitely need to be hardwood though, oak is best but a cheaper hardwood like cherry will do the job.
Stu
Hey guys,
Thanx for all the responses.
I haven’t seen it yet but I think the arms and legs may be made out of pine as well and that scares me (for breaks). We’ll see.
It’s taking me longer than I thought to buy one, mostly due to myself. I’ll let you guys know what happens.
J
The “responsiveness” of the dummy is an important selection factor for many. Obviously weight and density of the wood will impact the play of the dummy, as will tolerances of the holes vs. arms/leg, and also the mounting methods and slat material.
We (me and those following similar guidance) prefer very dense wood (e.g., hard maple or oak vs. a softwood like pine), and a dummy body weighing 70 pounds minimum; ours is about 72 pounds with about an another 9 pounds when arms and leg are included. Up to about 90 pounds should be okay without a completely different dynamic. We went with ash or pecan for slats providing a good combination of durability and give.
Other important dimensions are the spacing of the arms. We prefer a very narrow spacing between the upper arms to enforce precision and encourage ability to move in tight spaces.
You can get one made to your personal measurements, though there is at least as much room for error in doing so as there is in obtaining one that is nominally built to accommodate people of most statures along with a stand to accommodate some height adjustment. Recommendations for personal measurements also very, and as always, you pays your money and takes your chances. A lot of folks aren’t that fussy, in which case it may not matter much.
FWIW, we recently had a dummy crafted to our specs by Carina Cirrincione, and it came out great. In addition to her own specs, one like ours is now available by request.
Weight aside, a pine dummy won’t hold up like a hardwood. I would definitely not go with pine for arms and legs even if comprosing elsewhere. Whatever you choose, good luck with it.
Regards,
I don’t remember the character anymore, but when I saw the character for the type of wood used in mainland China to make dummies, it wasn’t hardwood.
I may be wrong here but dont they use ironwood and rosewood for dummies in China / HK? I thought they were forms of hardwood?
Could well be wrong though…
Personally I like my hardwood. It’s the right weight for me. We’ve got some of the shaped hollow board ones in the kwoon and they are too light for my liking. I like a bit of resistance (ideally the same weight as me).
Originally posted by stuartm
[B]Hi,
Pine should be fine as long as it has been treated properly. Telegraph poles are ideal as they have been soaked in creoste for years, at least in the UK thats the case. You can also pick them up for free sometimes.[/B]
I studied wood chemistry and stuff and believe me, you DO NOT want to repeatedly punch anything that has been soaked in creosote!
I wouldn’t really go with pine at all for similar reasons… the resinates are great for making antiseptic but a very strong irritant esp on broken/rough skin. Apart from the fact that the fibres will deteriorate quicker than many hardwoods under lateral impact stress.
Rene, dunno how accurate China’s words for woods are, but for example, in English, the word teak describes over 150 varieties of some quite different species of trees, as does mahogany. And don’t forget, balsa is a hardwood. The dummies in the WC HQ and Sifu Ng’s kwoon on Nathan Road almost definitely had tyloses, which means they are hardwood.
Originally posted by Mat
[B]I studied wood chemistry and stuff and believe me, you DO NOT want to repeatedly punch anything that has been soaked in creosote!
I wouldn’t really go with pine at all for similar reasons… the resinates are great for making antiseptic but a very strong irritant esp on broken/rough skin. Apart from the fact that the fibres will deteriorate quicker than many hardwoods under lateral impact stress.[/B]
Mat,
Thanks for the excellent advice and explanations. 
Good post Mat.
Hey guys,
This is awesome info.
I really appreciate it.
J
Originally posted by Mat
I studied wood chemistry and stuff and believe me, you DO NOT want to repeatedly punch anything that has been soaked in creosote!
Yeah, that didn’t sound good to me either. In Oz you can get old phone poles that aren’t treated - good hardwood ones. They’re probably rare as hens teeth nowadays. My parents used them as verandah posts and roof supports in a house they built. Newer ones are treated (with whatever they use in Oz) and I wouldn’t want to be hitting that every day.
I knew that creosote was carcinogenic. Here’s something I just found on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry site , with respect to this substance. :eek:
How likely is creosote to cause cancer?
Long-term exposure, especially direct contact with skin during wood treatment or manufacture of coal tar creosote-treated products, to low levels of creosote has resulted in skin cancer and cancer of the scrotum. Cancer of the scrotum in chimney sweeps has been associated with long-term skin exposure to soot and coal tar creosotes. Animal studies have also shown skin cancer from skin exposure to coal tar products.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that coal tar creosote is probably carcinogenic to humans. The EPA has also determined that coal tar creosote is a probable human carcinogen.
woodendummy.com has a very good website for jongs for sale. They custom design them and use Teakwood(a type of hardwood) from Asia. Has anyone heard of this type of wood? Any advice would be appreciated, im in the market for a jong!
We have excellent dummies made. You can order them via this website:
Marty
Hey everyone,
Just wanted to continue this on this thread.
Well,
I bought a mook jong!
I took everyone’s advice on this thread and while I was mulling it over in my head what to do (about a month and a half ago) a local guy who built our club’s mook jong said he’d make 2 more. The one we’ve got in the club is great, I think it’s about 6 or 7 years old, has taken alot of abuse and it looks like brand new.
He makes them out of Maple and Birch. On top of that, he only charged me $950 (Canadian) which IMO and from the other mook jongs that I’ve seen on the net, he probably could have charged double that.
Anyways, I’m pretty excited because he called me last night to say that it’s ready. I’m hoping I can pick it up this weekend.
So anyways, I just wanted to say thanks for all the info.
Now, I’ve got a mounting question 
Do any of you guys have any photos of how you mounted your mook jongs?
I’m trying to decide if I want to put it in a fixed place or use a portable stand.
I’m wondering if a portable stand may move when you are doing your form.
thanks again,
J