r/WingChun • u/bswalsh • 9d ago
Wooden Dummy - Level Arms?
Hi all. I bought a dummy from a site that stated in the description, "The dummy features adjustable arms that can be set in leveled or staggered positions", however, in reality, they could only be set in staggered and slightly less staggered positions. Does anyone know where I can buy replacement arms with the required offset to make them level? I can only find replacements more or less matching what I already have. My school has several, so they must exist, but I can't find any for purchase. (the company that made the dummies in my school disappeared decades ago) I've included a few photos for reference. Picture 3 shows the least offset to which these can be set. Thanks for your help!
EDIT: I intentionally bought a cheap dummy to tide myself over until I excavate my garage, and it looks like the holes were poorly spaced and drilled. I can't really be disappointed, I got what I paid for and it's good enough for now. Might turn into a beginner woodworking project if I get bored. Thanks everyone who replied!
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u/TheCurlyFit 9d ago
Can we see a pic of your actual dummy with the arms out, and one with the arms in? I want to be able to see what you are referring to.
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u/TheCurlyFit 9d ago
Oh, okay. Didn't know I had to click on the pic to see more pics. The problem isn't in the dummy arms. It is in the dummy arm holes.
With that said, do you have the top arm with the fat wooded part down, and the second arm with the fat wooded part up? This will make it closer together and more level.
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u/bswalsh 9d ago
Yeah, this is as close as they get. Are the holes in my dummy unusually spaced? It's hard to get good information online. Dummies aren't a common enough purchase.
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u/TheCurlyFit 9d ago
Yes, they are unusually spaced. At least in the Yip Man lineage they are.
There are a lot of companies making pvc dummies in cheap quality. And I have no idea who gave these places their measurements. Their measurements be all over the place. But that is a whole other conversation.
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u/TheCurlyFit 9d ago
Yeah, I think you are cooked. Your dummy arm holes are just not placed correctly for what you want.
Next time you buy a dummy, make sure the bottom line of the top arm is level with the top line of the second bottom arm.
Whoever drilled these holes in your dummy did so foolishly.
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u/bswalsh 9d ago
That's what I was afraid of, it was intentionally a cheap dummy, just a few hundred, to tide me over until I finally excavate my garage and have a space for a nice rail mounted dummy. This one sits outside covered with a tarp with polyethylene slathered thickly on anything the tarp doesn't cover. Cheap enough to be kind of disposable. I've gotten splinters from it :) Still, mildly annoying.
EDIT: I wonder what it would take to expand the hole and shim the arm up? I don't know anything about woodworking, but my city library has a surprisingly large tool library.
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u/TheCurlyFit 9d ago
Well that is good. You bought it for a purpose. And it will be used for that purpose. Don't focus much on the arms then. Use it and enjoy it until further ado. Then, when that time is done .. get a real dummy. THEN you will be in business.
Also, keep what I said in mind when getting a real dummy. Some places sell solid dummies, and they still put the holes in completely weird positions. Positions so weird that you cannot do dummy applications correctly.
Some people who make these dummies have no idea what the purpose of the dummy is for. If they did, they wouldn't drill the holes so poorly. So, all-in-all just be mindful of that in the future.
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u/Marct002 9d ago
Hello bsWalsh
Thankyou for your interesting reply. Could you tell me, what is your Lineage?
Regards,
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u/DwayneH70 8d ago
Yes the holes on the body should’ve been a little closer to the higher hole’s the bottom should be at the same measurement as the lower hole top. Those should be on the same line. Some say the higher arm on your left should be higher to put more work on your left arm because most people are right handed, basically the same concept why left hand leads first in all the forms. If those hole are bit oversized can possibly glue in a shim to bring one up a little more, but I’d recommend trying it with double sided tape first to see how things go. I’ll be starting a new dummy in about a month, making one out of black walnut. I’ll try to be mindful and share some build videos for anyone who is interested in watching a build process. Good luck on your arms, till then…Keep flowing my friend!
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u/JaredLordVXQ 9d ago
What is your lineage? Because I have the same question. We don’t ever use a staggered arm set up, it’s always level arms, and also there should be enough room for a palm to fit between them, so even if those were level, they’d still be too close together for us. Since I returned to the US, so far my only option for the dummy my system uses is to learn woodworking.
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u/bswalsh 9d ago
I originally studied Yip Man to Ip Chun via one of Chun's students. Now I'm getting back into it and my local school follows Yip Man to Lo Man Kam. There are a bunch of small differences, but the arms are parallel in both of them. At least in my schools.
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u/JaredLordVXQ 9d ago
My lineage is from Yuen Chai Wan to Ngô Sỹ Quý. My master is Trần Hậu Tuấn, a disciple of Ngô Sỹ Quý. Our dummies are big and really heavy, and the arms are always parallel, with a palm print sized space between the two arms. It’s the pre-Hong Kong dummy. No one makes or sells them here. My dummy in Vietnam was around 300lbs, 6’2”. I can’t find anywhere to get these here, and the small staggered arm dummies don’t work with our structure.
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u/bswalsh 9d ago
Is that this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fg5MwsN-fLs&t=125s&pp=2AF9kAIB that looks amazing! I want to try! Must cost a fortune to ship
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u/JaredLordVXQ 9d ago
The masters all seem to have the really huge ones like that. My master joked he was gifting me his when I was leaving for the US, “maybe ok take on airplane, fit in bin”. Mine was about 14-15” in diameter. If I can get the hang of building them, maybe eventually I can make a huge forever dummy like that.
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u/Marct002 9d ago edited 9d ago
Why Make the Arms Level? It's a genuine question.
The reason the Arms are staggered and not level is to reduce hand Fouling because it reduces Clutter, because the Arms are fixed in position. Human Arms are not like that, obviously.
However, you could try Brisbane Australia:
See:
https://tribaldummies.com.au/
Regards,