The Grappling Dummy

[fiercest tiger]

Has anyone played around with a grappling dumy before?

If so are they worth the money as well what bad points did it have apart from not being alive?

FT :D

[IronFist]

I built one but I kinda did it wrong so I don't like it much and I don't really use it.

The skeleton was cable that is kind of thick and holds its shape when bent. The limbs were PVC pipe. I made joints so the the elbows could only bend on one axis. Then I covered them with foam pool noodles and duct tape. The head was a mop covered in duct tape. The body was made from swimming floatation devices and covered in duct tape. In the end, it's a big, bulky, relatively anatomically-correct thing, but it's too hard to hold it in my guard so really all I can do is mount and side-mout stuff to it. Oh well.

I have some pics but apparently they're too big to upload. Hold on while I resize them.

[anerlich]

I made my own - skeleton of clothes hanger wire, then an old full length wetsuit with a hooded sweatshirt stuck inside the top, head made out of about a million old plastic shopping bags with tape wrapped around them inside the hood. an old gi and belt on top.

Doing it again, I'd use foam pool floats for the neck, the head keeps falling down and whacking you when you try stuff from the guard other wise. For feet wetsuit booties taped onto the suit might work.

It's OK for working your top game or seated rear guard, and especially getting reps working collar chokes and grips, and top figure 4's, but getting it into position to work from the guard, or attacking the turtle, after each rep is a PITA. I found a lot of the stuff I really wanted to rep I could do almost as well on a heavy bag, or by looping my belt around a rail or post.

For professionally made grappling dummies you'd be better posting on a grappling forum, more punters there I'd think.

You're from Sydney? I know Elvis and Anthony from Sinosic-Perosh Martial Arts in Concord have a Bubba dummy. They might have some insights.

[IronFist]

Here. The cut out in part of the joint is so the cable in the middle doesn't kink up when you bend the joint. If you didn't have this cut-out the joint wouldn't have room to bend all the way. The second joint pic illustrates this.

[fiercest tiger]

I was thinking of trying to make one as well!

Anerlich,

Cheers as well, i meet Elvis last week and saw the dummmy at the back of his gym. My friend trains under him and i like his BJJ.

Regards
Garry