what is better pvc or a hollow mook jong?

[curtis]

I was doing some homework ON one of my favorite topics the mook jong.

Ive been running into a lot of places(on the internet) that sell Pvc dummy's, (No one seems to be complaining about them) and wooden dummy's that are hollow. (which Ive heard a lot of complaints about.)
which is better? and why? wouldn't a hard wood hollow dummy be better than a plastic one?
What do you think???

[Chief Fox]

Not necessarily. It's really all just personal preference. But if you think about what you actually use a wooden dummy for, correct positioning, then what it's made out of shouldn't matter. Some people like the feel or sound of wood, some people like the fact that a PVC dummy is cheaper. I say, if the duumy has the correct proportions then it shouldn't matter.

Be advised: I would only buy a PVC dummy if it had wood arms and leg. PVC arms and leg, in myopinion, would break too easily.

If you do get a PVC dummy I would also weight it with sand bags or mount it to a wall so the dummy has the feeling of mass.

I have a wooden dummy that I made on my own. I thought about making one out of PVC but I guess I just really wanted the challenge. CHECK IT OUT (http://www.mccarriedesign.com/wooden_dummy/)

Hope this helps.

[kj]

Not necessarily. It's really all just personal preference. But if you think about what you actually use a wooden dummy for, correct positioning, then what it's made out of shouldn't matter. Some people like the feel or sound of wood, some people like the fact that a PVC dummy is cheaper.

I agree that proportions and positioning are important. Some are also concerned with a particular type of play and responsiveness with the dummy. From that perspective careful selection of materials and construction (e.g., hollow vs. solid) are more relevant.

Regards,
- Kathy Jo

[dfl]

which is better? and why? wouldn't a hard wood hollow dummy be better than a plastic one?
There's no question which is better.
Because the original dummy designed for WC practice was made of wood, not PVC.
A hollow dummy would be different from a solid one because it has different mass and being empty, the properties are different.
Upon rereading, I read the original question wrong. My answer was directed to wooden (solid) dummy vs. pvc, whereas the original question was hollow wooden dummy vs pvc. I have no experience with hollow wooden dummies. Sorry!

I say, if the duumy has the correct proportions then it shouldn't matter.
Yes, it does.

I agree that proportions and positioning are important. Some are also concerned with a particular type of play and responsiveness with the dummy.
kj is correct.

Where is anyone selling hollow wood dummies?
Try this place (www.wingchunstore.com)
Someone from this place used to be on kfo. If you do a search, you may be able to find his posts.
I did a lot of homework before I got my dummy (a PVC one from Raven Studios (little-raven.com/RS/MA/Jong.html)) about a year and a half ago. I looked at the solid wood ones available at my local MA store and didn't like the positioning of the holes. Since I am constrained to an outdoor installation, I limited myself to PVC dummies (after all, a well made wooden dummy is literally a fine piece of hand-crafted furniture (costs like it, too). You wouldn't want to leave it out in the elements).
There were only 3 places I knew of back then, Raven Studios, Great Lion (www.woodendummy.net), and Ashville WoodCrafters (www.angelfire.com/biz2/woodendummy/prod04.htm). I am not sure if the last one is still in business as its website got hacked and I heard friends were unable to contact the store by phone. Raven Studios' prices (at the time) appeared to be a bit better than Great Lion's, and since I got a recommendation from Joy, that's who I went with. Besides being an excellent craftsman, Carina was very patient and delivered on all my design change requests, so I got a made-to-my-own-specs dummy for under $400. Of course, I had to pay shipping and build my own frame to get it set up.
I have to add that straight from the store, the dummy is not suitable for proper training because it is hollow. I had to add gravel in specific places to eliminate the twin evils of lack of mass and hollowness (which causes an undesirable vibration when hit).
But after it's tuned properly, I have a dummy emulator which provides at least 95% of the benefit at half the cost of a properly made wooden one, not to mention preserving a tree.