Presentation: Panel Discussion – The Enigmatic Wooden Dummy

Before I start, THIS IS THE LAST WEEKEND TO REGISTER. Don’t forget. Remind your students, spread the word!

Now, The Mook Yan Jong (wooden man) serves as an icon for Wing Chun, a best friend for those isolated from their clubs and instructors, a challenge for students and instructors alike, and a strange mystery for many. This panel will discuss and compare differing approaches and outcomes that are possible through practise with the dummy, along with some discussions and best practices for approaching this iconic wooden man as a newcomer or senior exponent. The panel will feature a range of experienced guests, including several instructors, AND the dummy makers from Original Wooden Dummy as well.

Like many of us, I have a repertoire of unanswered questions about this, log thing, which while very specific in design typically earns a different answer from anyone I ask. I have become a little obsessed with it in the last year or so of my studies, built two of my own from scratch in addition to one I purchased from an old Jim Fung student just recently who claimed it was built “to specification”. They are all so different! One I’ve built even has the high and low arms on opposite sides. It feels weird to do the form on it, but is it wrong?

I’m quite interested in the mountings and their varying levels of springy or hard feedback, the dimensions of the arms (some instructors are totally rigid about how they should be shaped, others quite open to variations).The shape, weight, dimensions, and mounting of the dummy all change the way it feels to practise on, but how does that shape us as a practitioner? Is there a bad shape or is the underlying principle consistently present regardless?

I have a list of questions, like this, that I hope will spark an enlightening and in-depth conversation about the dummy amongst those with some answers, and I’d like to offer you guys the chance to add to that list. You can add your questions (no more than one or two per person please) via the contact page, and I will collate them for use in the discussion. You don’t have to be attending to ask!

Then, Original Wooden Dummy has one to give away!

Should be a fun night.

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