Styles that use the wooden dummy? Where did it originate?

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Southern Chinese Kung Fu
1

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone knows which styles of kung fu use the wooden dummy with three arms and bent leg i.e. the one used in Wing Chun?

In my ignorance, I used to think this was only a Wing Chun device, but then I saw it being used in Hung Kuen as well:

You can see a bit in this clip from the excellent “Way of the Warror” documentary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNPGv5UJMeA

Was this wooden dummy a big part of Southern kung fu styles, which was incorporated into Wing Chun? If so, when did it get into Wing Chun?

Or was it developed by Wing Chun and then exported to other styles like Hung Kuen?

2

Mook Yan Jong

Many styles from all over China used wooden training dummies, it is not excslusive to Wing Chun.

It is a training tool

A short list

Hung Gar
Wing Chun
Choy Li Fut
Eagle Claw
Praying Mantis
Black Tiger

and so on

3

it originated with the use of a tree to condition and develop ranging and force.

after a while devices started to take on different shapes such as the arms and so on.

even in the west, medeival knights would use dummies to train on. It’s common to use a dummy for training “lethal” techniques.

even marines stick bayonets in man shaped effigies.

4

Do all those dummies have the same form as the wing chun dummy though? In other words, the three arms and the single leg with a bend in it?

I’d be interested to learn who it was that introduced the dummy into wing chun and when. I wonder if it’s just the Yip Man branch of the art that use it or if all the branches have it.

5

Not all styles use the same exact setup. In Lai Tung Pai our dummy has the same arm setup but the leg angles in instead of out as we do more circular type trapping and pulling of the leg.

6

Yeah, in CLF the Ching Jong has arms that are inverted compared with the Wing Chun dummy; the single arm is on top. Additionally it is on a spring so you can pull it down and it will spring back upwards.

7

Also with the CLF dummy the leg can be either straight or bent. You can also add an attachment to the top of the dummy that spins allowing one to work techniques such as sow choy, chuen lah & biu jong.

Many say dummies came from the wooden man hall of Shaolin but I am not sure if that can actually be verified. CLF has 18 jongs, which are supposed to have come from Choy Fook who brought the ideas from Shaolin. Whether or not this is accurate or some were created by Chan Heung is anyone’s guess.

8

variations aren’t as important as purpose.

they’re all training devices with a set of goals. A few of the more pertinent goals being…

  1. condition through repetitive striking of hard surface

  2. ranging against an approximate

  3. using structure and force feedback to understand technique

9

Many clubs use it even if it isn’t offically part of their style. A good tool, but as with most things, only when used correctly.

10

JKD uses them aswell

  • the spacing of the upper arms can vary
  • both upper arms can be level
  • upper arms can be staggered
  • height?

benefit ive found are structure, sticking,flow, hand speed, total commitment to strikes