The Pole Dummy or "Kwun Jong"

[KPM]

I want one of these! When I have a place big enough to accommodate it I plan to build one. It looks like it would be easy enough.

This is the “pole dummy” from Tang Yik Weng Chun. It is a large frame that holds 7 poles that the practitioner trains against. At one point there was only maybe only 1 or 2 of these in existence. You’ll see below that Sergio says there are 3 and Derek says there are 5 and I found video of someone with at least 1 more. So as people see this on youtube there will likely be more of them showing up in schools and backyards.

Why is it not more well known, like Wing Chun’s Wooden Dummy you might ask? Well, according to Sifu Sergio’s research, Yip Man did quite a bit of cross-training with friends at the Dai Dak Lan when he lived in Hong Kong. From what I understand, the Dai Dak Lan was a warehouse in the fish market area. In China the wooden dummy or Mook Yan Jong was sunk into the ground like a post. In Hong Kong at the Dai Dak Lan is where it is believed that the first wall-mounted dummy was invented. Yip Man saw this, took some measurements, and had Koo Sang make one for him. Yip Man trained with Tang Yik at the Dai Dak Lan and is said to have refined the pole that he already knew and learned a bit more from Tang Yik. But Yip Man never saw the Kwun Jong because Tang Yik kept it on the roof of his apartment building rather than at the Dai Dak Lan. Who knows? If Yip Man had seen and trained on Tang Yik’s Kwun Jong, it would probably be a regular part of Wing Chun today!

Here Sifu Sergio gives us an introduction and background to the Kwun Jong:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rEZD2dyVgU

Derek Rozanski (VingDragon) was a regular active member of this forum at one time. But like a lot of the older guys with good things to say, he either got tired of the nonsense that goes on here, or was just plain driven away. He started out with Andreas Hoffman and became rather disillusioned with what Hoffman was saying and doing. So he sought out some of the original Weng Chun people and has studied Michael Tang (Tang Yik’s descendent) as well as others. Derek built the first Kwun Jong in the US. Here he is talking about it and demo’ing:

Kwun Jong 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lLZbXxbG8I

Kwun Jong 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2utDXKelxo

Michael Tang demo’ing on the Kwun Jong:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCK06...FTvbWv-y6_Jy7A

Finally, someone in the states that has made one for themself just based on photos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTquJeHrqms

Derek has also built a smaller 3 pole version based on the original:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz8hB3eSbUg

I’d be remiss if I did not re-post the footage of Tang Yik himself doing the pole. I know many have seen it already, but it’s worth repeating just because the man was so impressive with the pole!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBic0U0_M0M

So has anyone else built one of these yet and given it a go?