wooden dummy question

[Shaolin Dude]

if you know how to use one, you could pretty much play with it free style right? remember jackie chan used one in rumble in the bronx, you could just play around right?

[Mckind13]

RIGHT? RIGHT? RIGHT?

If you knew how to use it it would probably answer your own question.

:P Right? Right?

David

[KPM]

The answer is Yes! Yes! Yes! :-) The dummy is used for far more than just doing the prearranged form. There are short drills you can do prior to actually learning the formal form. Some teachers may show "bits and pieces" of the form as drills and allow you to string them together in various ways prior to learning the form. After getting the dummy form down well, you can rearrange things at random or "free lance" entirely....almost like shadow boxing. Your use of the WCK dummy is limited only by your own imagination. :-)

Keith

[Amp]

Sure.

You can even hang your coat on it.

: )

[Vyvial]

The dummy theory that i subcribe to is that the form is meant to be open ended and constantly evolving with your kung fu, the sections can be played in any order or trained seperately. I have also believe that the dummy was never a "form" until after YM's death, he taught many sets to different people and his students arranged them into forms in order to keep them organized and teachable, they then bragged about knowing the "true" dummy form.

I do however think it is a waste of time to play the dummy before you are ready, my def. of ready is through Biu Je. Also all the dummy is good for is just refining your form and energy. It can't give you any more kung fu but it can make it prettier. Better to train with a human because a dummy will always be just a dummy.

So you can make your own set up but why? A lot of thought and many, many years went into putting the different "true" dummy forms together. More time than we have in our lives.

[Vyvial]

In the dummy form that was passed down in my family, about half the movements are from Biu Je. The footwork the stepping (Huen Ma) and many hand positions are opened up first in Biu Je. So if one hasn't trained those in the form then why train them in the dummy? Many schools teach Biu Je and the dummy at the same time, though I don't.

My opinion is that the Chum Kiu level student needs to focus on Chum Kiu energy and footwork within Chi Sau. After Biu Je, you develop an energy that is not so good for Chi Sau, you can apply this energy to the dummy.

So yes it can be learned at anytime and Wing Chun can be trained in many many ways and most are not wrong but some methods are just better and waste less time. I feel that a student should focus on what's necessary. What's necessary? It's whatever the student and Sifu decide it is.

A good Sifu will give the dummy form to a student when they are ready, not because they finished some form or achieved a rank.