How to Buy a Wing Chun Wooden Dummy

The martial arts tradition of the Wing Chun wooden dummy goes back hundreds of years to a time when the dummy was an integral part of martial arts training in the Shaolin temple. Today, the dummy is still widely acknowledged as a superb training tool that never gets tired and rarely breaks. Follow these steps if you are looking to buy a Wing Chun wooden dummy.

Instructions

1. Buy from a dedicated manufacturer. Even though a Wing Chun wooden dummy looks like a few sticks of wood attached to a base, in reality it is a carefully designed and produced piece of equipment. Dedicated manufacturers such as the Muk Jong Kong Company specialize in making these dummies. While the dummy won't come cheap, it will be meticulously designed and made.

2. Check out compact wooden dummies. A regular, full-size wooden dummy can dominate the space in a room. A compact version of the dummy is small enough to put into a corner to be used when needed. Also, buying a compact dummy will save you a few hundred dollars, so check out producers like Immortal USA for their compact dummy selection.

3. Buy used. A Wing Chun dummy is generally a very expensive piece of equipment. Because the dummy is built to last for years, if not decades, buying a dummy secondhand saves you lots of money without costing you much quality. Advertise in online classifieds and in your local martial arts studios to find a good secondhand dummy.

4. Consider whether the dummy will stand on its own or need an additional stand. You can choose to buy free-standing dummies, wall-mounted dummies or dummies that rely on a specially designed stand. Each version has a different martial arts use, space requirement and, of course, cost. Before you buy, decide which Wing Chun wooden dummy is right for you.