Great lion company freestanding dummy

[couch]

Here's my recommendation for a free-standing dummy:

http://www.riograndewingchun.com/subpage.html

I just got the same one about a week ago. While I highly recommend getting it because it does rock - I had a few issues:

-The order form said that it would 2-6 weeks. It didn't arrive for 10 weeks and I had to call and call. I never got a call back or an e-mail back - I only got to talk to Lee when I caught him on his cell. He did apologize and say that my order slipped through the cracks and told me it would be mailed out by a specific day. A week went by and nothing came. I rode him a bit more and said he'd personally take care of it. I told him to call me with a tracking number to prove he mailed it. It came 3 days later.

-All the parts were there except for the pin that holds the leg in. Not a big deal, but still - I expected all my parts. I was tired of waiting so I didn't bother calling. I just went to Home Depot and got a 1 1/2" hex bolt and washers, etc.

Overall...I love my dummy, but the service kinda ticked me off.

Best,
K

[KPM]

Hey Kenton!

Sorry to hear you had problems. I didn't have those problems, but who can say what is going on with the maker. I get the impression his business is a very small "garage" operation. Still...service should be better than that when people are putting out that kind of money! I've only had to do two modifications to my dummy since I got it, and I work the thing pretty darn hard! I had to use small screws to hold the rubber stoppers on the upper arm pins because they kept falling off. The lower arm pin was OK. I also had to put some black electrical tape across the top of the notch in the front of the base because the big pin that attaches the trunk to the base kept backing out. So these are only minor modifications and aren't even visible. I took the leg off and don't use it. It has nothing to do with the dummy construction, just personal preference. I find it gets in the way when I work on things that aren't exactly "classical" Wing Chun.

I just got the same one about a week ago. While I highly recommend getting it because it does rock - I had a few issues:

-The order form said that it would 2-6 weeks. It didn't arrive for 10 weeks and I had to call and call. I never got a call back or an e-mail back - I only got to talk to Lee when I caught him on his cell. He did apologize and say that my order slipped through the cracks and told me it would be mailed out by a specific day. A week went by and nothing came. I rode him a bit more and said he'd personally take care of it. I told him to call me with a tracking number to prove he mailed it. It came 3 days later.

-All the parts were there except for the pin that holds the leg in. Not a big deal, but still - I expected all my parts. I was tired of waiting so I didn't bother calling. I just went to Home Depot and got a 1 1/2" hex bolt and washers, etc.

Overall...I love my dummy, but the service kinda ticked me off.

Best,
K

[sanjuro_ronin]

I just got the same one about a week ago. While I highly recommend getting it because it does rock - I had a few issues:

-The order form said that it would 2-6 weeks. It didn't arrive for 10 weeks and I had to call and call. I never got a call back or an e-mail back - I only got to talk to Lee when I caught him on his cell. He did apologize and say that my order slipped through the cracks and told me it would be mailed out by a specific day. A week went by and nothing came. I rode him a bit more and said he'd personally take care of it. I told him to call me with a tracking number to prove he mailed it. It came 3 days later.

-All the parts were there except for the pin that holds the leg in. Not a big deal, but still - I expected all my parts. I was tired of waiting so I didn't bother calling. I just went to Home Depot and got a 1 1/2" hex bolt and washers, etc.

Overall...I love my dummy, but the service kinda ticked me off.

Best,
K

I Agree, I emailed them a few times and have yet to hear back.

[IronFist]

How about one with a normal stand?

See the link in my sig ::coughcough::

[Ragnor]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I'll probably miss replying to a few but I have read them all.

So as far as i can see, it's a straight choice for me between a free standing frame one or one with a weighted base.

I'm leaning towards the frame ones, maybe because they look more traditional but also because I may have the option to wall mount it in the future. So really, I take it it will majorly depend on the weight as to whether it will move too much?

Toby, That picture of yours looks perfect. I really don't think I could make one though. I'm not chickening out but i'm really not that guy.

But,,,the dummy is what I'm looking for I think, especially if the weight yours is is pretty standard (though it looks a lot more sturdy than ones i've seen on the net.)
I guess one option could be to buy the dummy and make the frame as heavy as possible?

I think what i'm saying is....Come to England, i'll feed you and let you sleep on my floor while you spend your days making me a dummy before disappearing in the night like some sort of wooden dummy Littlest Hobo.

[Ragnor]

Sorry, I'm probably really boring people know but I watched this youtube clip and thought it was good for showing that the frame ones can be pretty solid. Can I ask from you experienced guy though. Is he striking hard in the vid. It certainly looks that way but am I being fooled by the dummy not being very stable?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7iEnp8JxTwk

[Toby]

^ If mine moved that much I'd be pretty annoyed. It's obviously fairly light. Trunk's skinnier than I like too. Basically you're trying to emulate an opponent, so for me an 11" trunk is still much skinnier than me (even my waist ) but it was still workable to lift and woodwork.

You could always approach a semi-retired woodworker and ask how much to make one for you? If you supplied the materials etc. Like I said, secondhand wood (all of mine was recycled housing timber) and a raw trunk from a timberyard (cheap because they don't have to process it).

Or yeah, just choose a commercial one. I'm sure there are plenty in the U.K. Ring up some kwoons and ask where they got them from. My school resells the ones we use, or a bunch of students have just made their own like me.

If you want to make your own it's really not hard, even for an amateur. But I understand if you're not confident to try, it's a big job. Not hard, just lots of measuring and lots of hand labour. IMHO though, the end result of making your own is much more satisfying than buying one. Logistics could make it difficult though, e.g. if you lived in a flat in central London or on a second story floor.

Lastly, if my choice was frame or base I'd choose frame unless I didn't have the space. Occasionally you want to tread close to the base of the trunk (e.g. practising throws, sweeps, etc) and if it had a base that stuck out from the trunk it would annoy me.

[bakxierboxer]

... Can I ask from you experienced guy though. Is he striking hard in the vid. It certainly looks that way but am I being fooled by the dummy not being very stable?

He's not doing any more than what I'd call "heavy touching", as opposed to any kind of "striking" or "hitting" at all.
The dummy is both light and "loose" (construction-wise).

OTOH, there is a time and place for "heavy touching" and dummies "of that sort".
(although neither of those is "the last word" in training activity or equipment)

[Ragnor]

Someone has told me that you can get all weather ones for your garden and was thinking I could install this at my parents. Apparently they are really sturdy as you bury them in the ground. Anyone had any experience of this??

[Ragnor]

He's not doing any more than what I'd call "heavy touching", as opposed to any kind of "striking" or "hitting" at all.
The dummy is both light and "loose" (construction-wise).

OTOH, there is a time and place for "heavy touching" and dummies "of that sort".
(although neither of those is "the last word" in training activity or equipment)

Ah right. Seems like there are no videos anywhere of someone really putting a freestanding one though it's paces.

[bakxierboxer]

Ah right. Seems like there are no videos anywhere of someone really putting a freestanding one though it's paces.

I'm fairly sure that there are (or used to be) some "heavy duty" videos about.
Can't say that I remember the names though....

[Toby]

Someone has told me that you can get all weather ones for your garden and was thinking I could install this at my parents. Apparently they are really sturdy as you bury them in the ground. Anyone had any experience of this??

It's more a matter of what you put on the wood that makes it weatherproof. Mine's outside. I've got exterior decking oil on it to protect it. You're supposed to top it up every year or so but I've never done it and the wood's still OK (could do with a top up I guess).

If you want a buried one then it's just a matter of getting an extra long trunk and burying a couple of feet of it. The problem is dummies feel better if they have a bit of movement, a bit of "life". If they don't move at all that's not so good. You want it to have movement, but springy movement not movement due to sloppiness or due to lightness (that's e.g. easily pushed around).

[TenTigers]

I had heard that originally, they were burried, and that the springyness is a recent innovation?
If you bury it, you should coat the part that is in ground with tar or some other sealant.
Century Inc. sells a mook yan jong, and if you have a school, or establish a wholesale account with a minimum order-you can get whoesale prices.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Anyone ever try one of those spring mounted ones like WLE sells?

[Dale Dugas]

I had heard that originally, they were burried, and that the springyness is a recent innovation?
If you bury it, you should coat the part that is in ground with tar or some other sealant.
Century Inc. sells a mook yan jong, and if you have a school, or establish a wholesale account with a minimum order-you can get whoesale prices.

actually when you sign up for a wholesale account at Tigerclaw which is the wholesale division of Kung Fu Magazine, you can get their dummy for a whole $170.00 less than century.

so support Tigerclaw and our forum, as well as save big time.

Ok, enough of my Gene impersonation. Back to being Big Bald and full of Baguazhang.