Category Archives: Muk-Yan-Chong

Wooden Dummy Chi-sau Insert

The Great Lion Company (www.woodendummy.net) provides some excellent wooden dummy training gear. I have been using their dummies for over 15 years with excellent satisfaction. To that end, I was intrigued when they began producing what they call the Chi Sao Jong.

Great Lion Company’s Chi-sau Unit

As mentioned in a previous post here, I ordered the Great Lion Wooden Dummy Company’s Chi Sao Jong insert. It arrived this afternoon and after putting it together, I am ready to start checking it out. When I have more input I will relate my feedback here.

My first impression, though, is that it is going to be a fun.

For one, it can replace all three arms. Removing all three wooden arms and sliding the unit into the lower arm hole, the upper arms and lower arm are at a good position. The upper arms are angled to resemble a person’s bent arms, and the entire unit can be locked for normal training, pivot via the spring for Chi-sau training, or with the spring removed so that the arms rotate 360-degrees.

I am not approaching this from the viewpoint that the unit is meant to replace a partner; rather, it is simply to enhance or work actions that are not possible with other aids or when a partner is not available. I can already see some positive aspects in it so once I get a better idea about what it can and cannot accomplish, I will post more feedback for those interested in obtaining one.

Great Lion Company’s Dummy Chi-sau Unit

I recently purchased the Great Lion Company’s Chi sao Jong Insert for the wooden dummy and will be testing it. Following this, I will post a review of it on our blog. It looks interesting but I have seen hardly any reviews of it, so I figured I would put it through its paces and see what it can do.

Depending on when it arrives (could be up to 90 days according to their site), check back a week or so after that for a detailed review.

Noi-moon to Oi-moon

While everyone is familiar with the wooden dummy, few will train the same movements in the same way. This is due to the variations in lineage and how instructors envision the applications of the form to be worked. Because of that, we see applications ranging from effective to so obscure that they would be dangerous to enact with even the most unskilled of fighters.

Two actions seen on the dummy is how we traverse from one side to the other. Noi-moon, or Inside-area, and Oi-moon, or Outside-area, indicates our relative position for both limb and body position. In this article, we will be addressing these areas and how the are interpreted for dummy training.

The Muk-Yan-Chong is a stage of training following the Biu-Tze. Some will work the dummy before Biu-Tze, but as we have seen countless times over the years, this mistake is immediately realized when they are pitted against a practitioner who has completed the Biu-Tze phase of training. Why? Because without the Biu-Tze, they have no real grasp as to what the dummy’s transitions are about or what the applications are actually for.

Inside-to-outside is generally based on where the opponent strikes, as well as the opponent’s preferable area of operation. For example, if the strike is so heavy and powerful that remaining on the inside will collapse you, then you should side-step and move to the outside. By contrast, if the attack is powerful on the outside, then moving to the inside might be preferable.

Coupled with this are the associated tactics that we want to attack the weakest point of the opponent. If he/she prefers one range but is apparently weak in another, understanding positioning via Noi-moon and Oi-moon can help you quickly capitalize on these positions and use them to your advantage.

One of the major problems, however, is a lack of understanding the basic actions for some of the movements themselves, which is a direct misleading of how it is applied. For example, many will see the action of Noi-moon Bong-sau moving to Tan-sau as being one continuous application starting with the indoor Bong-sau and transitioning to the outside for a follow-up attack. What they fail to realize (or have never had anyone actually trying to hit them while they did it) is that in real life, it does not work like that.

Noi-moon Bong-sau, or Indoor-area Wing-arm, is one action, while the transition to Oi-moon Tan-sau is another. Bong-sau to Tan-sau cannot realistically be worked like many will train it because if you try it even with a mediocre boxer, you will get knocked down. After all, think about what this transition is doing and the body position it is putting you in if you train it like that:

1. Your Bong-sau is on the inside of the attacker’s opposite arm.
2. This means that your arm is crossed in front and the opponent is to your side.
3. This position creates a negative barrier for you.
4. Your Wu-sau cannot provide any protection because,
5. The opponent’s free hand is driving into your jaw.

If Wing Chun was founded on common sense and logical principles, then where is the logic of being in a movement such as this and then transitioning out of it with Tan-sau? Why would we take such a direction when faster, more efficient responses are so apparent that you would have to purposely keep from using them?

Common sense tells us that if it is dangerous to do in class, it is even more so in the street. We do not purposely put ourselves in “bad” situations in order to learn how to get out them; instead, our training involves preventing those positions in the first place. That is the whole nature of Siu-Nim-Tau and Chum-Kiu to begin with, so why would Biu-Tze and Muk-Yan-Chong be any different?

For those who spar regularly with real opponents bent on knocking you down – as well as those with experience in real fights – ask yourself one question: when have you ever been in Noi-moon Bong-sau? Ever? With over 20 real fights and countless sparring matches, I cannot tell you even one time I have ever found myself in Noi-moon Bong-sau. Not once. So if the chances of being in this position are so slim, why is Bong-sau so prevalent in the forms?

Bong-sau comprises over 75% of the Chum-Kiu movements. Additionally, Noi-moon Bong-sau is prevalent in all sections of the Muk-Yan-Chong. So if Bong-sau or even Noi-moon Bong-sau was considered so useful by our ancestors that they included throughout the forms repeatedly, why do we rarely, if ever, see it in real fights?

To put it another way: if Wing Chun prides itself on economy and logic, and if our ancestors created this art to follow suit on being logical and useful at all angles, then what is the Noi-moon Bong-sau to Tan-sau sequence to supposed to represent?

It is impossible to decipher this question without Biu-Tze, but with Biu-Tze, all things concerning the wooden dummy are immediately apparent.

The actual use of Noi-moon Bong-sau to Tan-sau is this: As your attacker launches the first attack, it places you in Oi-moon Bong-sau. Immediately following the attack, he launches a cross. You are already in Bong-sau but with his arm now replaced with the other, you are in Noi-moon Bong-sau vs Oi-moon Bong-sau.

From here, Bong-sau to Tan-sau is the concept of action but it is this premise that has placed you on the inside to begin with.

I have seen a variety of practitioners who do not even train this movement as Noi-moon Bong-sau; instead, they treat it as an elbow attack and leading to an outside action (similar to Kup-jarn vs Kup-jarn, followed with Fook-Lap-sau to Kup-jarn on the outside). Others feel that even though we are on the inside of the arm, the concept itself is to be applied from the outside to the inside.

Regardless of your personal theory on which is correct, one thing is for sure, and that is that all must understand the nature of moving from the inside to the outside and vice versa with ease, efficiency, and relaxed explosive power. These qualities are learned in the Biu-Tze, and then further expounded on during the wooden dummy.

Advanced Footwork

For those interested in improving your footwork, the tripodal dummy is a unique program of working steps, kicks, and the mechanics of the lower body to such a degree that you will wonder how you ever got along with out. The problem, though, is what is the tripodal dummy and how is it worked? Further still, how do you work the set if you do not have the room for the trunks that are needed?

In this article, let’s explore this avenue of training that still eludes so many. There is actually an entire curriculum for this training, including four separate sections of training. However, we will look at just the basics here for getting you started.

The Tripodal Dummy

The tripodal dummy is nothing more than using three upright poles or trunks in order to work steps and kicks. There are no upper body actions such as punches, elbows, etc., other than changing Man-sau as needed. In this way, the focus remains solely on footwork.

The concept is that at any given angle, we can maneuver around an obstacle while simultaneously remaining protective and initiating a jam or kick. Footwork is paramount here since effective positioning can wedge our lower body into the opponent, thereby keeping him from attacking in the first place.

Huen-bo

The first action seen in working the tripodal dummy is Huen-bo, or Forward Circling-step.  Huen-bo plays a pivotal role here in that we have to work our way around the the poles in order to set up for angling into the accompanying kicks. The idea is that by repositioning ourselves, we can maneuver around an incoming kick while simultaneously keeping our upper body stable.

The poles are set up as if each were at the end of a small triangle. The distance between each is just enough that you should be in Juen-ma between them and still have a few inches of room to work. This replicates the effective range we would strive to be in during a real fight, i.e. you want to remain in punching distance, so your distance between the poles should be close enough that you can be in Juen-ma and still reach if punching.

As you begin the steps, simply work Huen-bo around each pole while changing sides in order to navigate around the poles. This lets you train a smooth, fluid Huen-bo and learn a more coordinated upper body change that lets you become more relaxed as you navigate around objects. This one simple drill can markedly increase your coordination all by itself.

Jeet-gerk

Once your Huen-bo actions are fluid and you have a good coordinated upper body via changing Man-sau, we now add the first kick. Jeet-gerk, or Stop-kick/Jamming-kick, is a fast, explosive kick that goes no higher than the ankle or shin. As you complete a step, the other leg drives in hard and fast with Jeet-gerk to the pole you are closest to. That foot then Huen-bo’s around the leg so that you are behind, where the other leg now drives Jeet-gerk into the next pole.

The constant moves between the poles first in a clockwise direction and then counter-clockwise will, over a period of time, bring a new light to your footwork and create a more coordinated skill set that continuously improves your confidence. With a more coordinated lower body, you will now find your upper body being more relaxed, too, which in turn makes you a more effective fighter.

Wang-chang-gerk

As Jeet-gerk progresses and Huen-bo becomes extremely fluid, you can then introduce Wang-chang-gerk, or Side Thrusting-kick, to your actions. As you Huen-bo around a pole, take a longer step so that you are in true kicking range. Drive Wang-chang-gerk fully into the pole, return your centerline to the pole, and then go back in the direction you came from. You can train one leg then the other on the same pole for a bit in order to get comfortable, and then continue on.

Continuous Stepping and Kicking

To move to the next pole, Huen-bo around the pole you just kicked and work Jeet-gerk. Immediately move to the next and work Wang-chang-gerk. Repeat this to the next pole, then back to the previous pole, and alternate all three poles until you are using Huen-bo, Jeet-gerk, and Wang-chang-gerk on every pole and with each leg.

There is no pre-set pattern in which to work it; instead, you want to break out of that habit of pre-set actions. First learn to get comfortable with stepping and navigating around the poles, then elevate the steps to include Jeet-gerk and Wang-chang-gerk at all poles and with both sides in a fluid, non-stop manner.

Air Training

If you do not have the resources or space for sinking three poles into the ground, one way around this is to set up chairs or small boxes in the triangle pattern. Naturally any kicks to these objects will send them flying so do not work the kicks; instead, use the objects solely for stepping around them.

Height-wise, you want the height to be at head level if possible. You want to instill this height in your mind because it mimics the height of a real person, so if at all possible, make your setup at your height.

If you find that you cannot set up your objects to be the same height as you, no worries. Work with what you have and leave it at that. Some will forego the training altogether if they cannot obtain the exact tools to use, but that is silly. Again, use what you have and leave it at that. At the very least, you will still get some valuable training in stepping just with a few chairs or boxes.

Conclusion

The goal of the tripodal dummy is simply to train your footwork so that you can flow freely and remove that stiff, uneasy feeling in the lower body. It is not so much about power as it is fluidity and ease of use in free-stepping/kicking.

Maneuvering around an opponent or multiple opponents sounds easy, but even a brief workout on the tripodal dummy will show where many improvements can be made. Even after years of sparring or regular workouts, a tripodal dummy can make everyone feel like a beginner again by pointing out various flaws or areas that might have gone unnoticed for a time.

Wooden Dummy Differences

Some practitioners talk about a “live” dummy vs a “dead” dummy. The funny thing is, most of them have never even trained on a dead dummy and have no base to work with, yet they continue to talk about it as if they know it.

Is there a difference? If so, what are those differences? What are the pros and cons? I have trained extensively on a dead dummy so let’s spend a few moments going over the pros and cons in order to answer some of the questions.

Purpose of the Dummy

There are many positive attributes that are developed as a result of training with a wooden dummy, and it is unfortunate that some schools teach the wrong intent or focus. There are a host of theories as to how it is approached, and that is one of the reasons for so many varied demonstrations we see throughout the lineages.

The purpose of the dummy is to develop power in the entire body at all ranges and angles. Yes, it develops arm conditioning due to the contact being made, but that is not the main intent. Yes, it acts as a stand-in training partner when a live partner is not available, but that is not the main intent. And yes, the dummy curriculum works advanced concepts not found in other Wing Chun forms, but that is not the main intent. These concepts can be worked in the air, too, so if that is the case, then the primary focus cannot be solely for learning advanced concepts.

Instead, the primary focus is on learning to work the body to generate full power in a relaxed yet explosive manner at all angles and ranges. When considering this fact, we can then decide which dummy will afford the best option to create that skill set.

Dead Dummy

It is said that up until the time of Grandmaster Yip Man’s generation, all dummies were “dead” dummies. Rather than mounted on the wall like we are used to seeing, the trunks were sunk into the ground and varied in diameter, with some of them even being over 2-feet in diameter. Pretty impressive, to say the least, but these were cherished achievements in construction and closely guarded by each Wing Chun family.

One element that I have always loved is the freedom you experience when working on a dead dummy. Since the intent of working on a dummy is to develop power at all angles and ranges, a dead dummy allows you to traverse a full 360-degrees around the trunk to work any combination of movements you want. That in itself opens your mind to the many possibilities available for pulls and side-steps that would place you behind the opponent.

Another effect of working with a dead dummy is that there is no give whatsoever in the trunk (provided it is sunken into the ground properly, that is). Because it is like running into a brick wall, your foundation and power delivery is quite different and if you approach it as you do with a live dummy, you will immediately find that you need to ease up on the power you put in to it.

The first time I hit the dead dummy with some explosive force, the rebound was so great that I felt it in my back. An interesting sensation, to say the least. While my foundation was solid and did not shove me backwards, my entire upper body sure felt it. Over time I learned to compensate for the power and work the entire body as a complete unit, which is a mainstay of dummy training itself. I am not entirely sure this quality would have been so readily apparent on a live dummy as quickly as it was on the dead dummy.

Live Dummy

When it comes to a live dummy, they are so well-known and common that it is easy to overlook the differences between it and a dead dummy. Those differences are there, though.

For one, the live dummy offers a springy feeling in order to mimic a bit of human give that will take place when contact is made. Even a slight bit of give will instill a sense of springyness in our actions that the dead dummy does not offer.

The drawback to the live dummy is that you can only approach it from the front and sides. Because of the slats, you cannot go around it, and some of the movements in sections 7 and 8 are actually intended to be further behind the opponent than the live dummy offers (which is why it feels odd working these actions on a live dummy because you can only go to the slats, whereas on a dead dummy you can traverse completely behind it).

The spring action that one feels is actually such a pro that it can overcome any of the deficiencies that some might feel the live dummy has over the dead dummy. Some say that the live dummy was created for this very purpose of achieving feedback and the springy feeling, while others say that the only reason it came into use is because of limited space in which to sink it into the ground.

Either way, it did come into existence so the why’s really do not matter. It is an exceptional method of training and is makes it possible for virtually anyone to work their Wing Chun in a competent manner (provided, of course, that they have first mastered the Siu-Nim-Tau, Chum-Kiu, and Biu-Tze. Without that, they are setting themselves up for failure because the dummy curriculum relies first on extreme competence in this skills).

Conclusion

Both types of wooden dummies – dead and live – offer great benefits to the practitioner. They also have their own nuances that cannot be replicated on the other with ease. It is to your benefit to train on a dead dummy if at all possible in order to see for yourself what it has to offer. You will not be sorry.

Working Section 1 of the Dummy

The Muk-Yan-Chong, or Wooden Dummy, is one of the more familiar tools associated with Wing Chun Kuen. The problem, however, is how to train it competently. In this brief article, I want to point out one of the biggest mistakes I see so many doing, and that is the range they are working in. Specifically, this range is introduced with section 1.

Wing Chun’s primary fighting range is fist range, meaning that we strive to stay in fist range as much as possible since the bulk of our actions revolves around punching. To stay in this range when working the dummy means training the footwork so that as it traverses the trunk, our steps are such that we are neither too close nor too far from the target.

Unfortunately, a quick glance at many practitioners will usually see them very close, so close in fact that they are in elbow range, not punch range. That would be find if the upper body was performing an elbow attack, but in most cases they are punching. And what do they find when they are too close? They find their defending arm (usually Tan-sau) extremely collapsed.

By contrast, being too far away should place you in kicking range, not punching range. However, many will still try to punch.

Keep the following in mind when doing any exercises on the wooden dummy:

1. When directly in front of the dummy, ensure that you first open the stance properly so that you are positioned in punching range. If you can reach the trunk with your elbow, you are too close. If you can kick with good extension, you are too far away.
2. When transitioning to the side of the dummy, do not Huen-bo so close that once you are in a Sideling-stance, your defending arm is contracted so much that you could not use it to properly defend. And the same goes for side positions as front positions: If you can reach the trunk with your elbow, you are too close (unless you are working elbow attacks, of course).
3. When returning to the front of the dummy, again pay attention to your Huen-bo so that you are in punching range. This means that your Huen-bo must be at the correct circling arc so that your body pivots slightly away from the trunk vs. close to it.
4. When thinking about your punching ranges, also consider your kicking ranges. Far too many practitioners will be so close to the dummy when trying to kick that their legs will be extremely compacted. If it feels cramped, you are too close. If you continue to work a kicking range that is too compacted, you will never be able to release the full power of your kicks like you think you will.

Rather than focusing on exploding tons of power and hitting he dummy for all you are worth, take a step back and think of section 1 as the first step to uniting the upper and lower halves of your body in order to make a complete unit. When I fight someone, they get all of me, not just a collection of parts. And to make that happen took careful observation of what section 1 of the Muk-Yan-Chong really teaches.

Go slowly, think about the ranges of the actions you are working, and ask yourself if you can release full power at these ranges. If it feels too close, it is. If it feels too far away, it is. That is why we always say that the wooden dummy is a true teaching tool and will provide invaluable assistance if you know how to listen to what it is telling you.

Wooden Dummy Training for Everyone

As you know, one of the things I am frequently asked is how to get the most out of the wooden dummy, regardless of level. Many will hold the dummy to such esteem that they never allow their students to even touch it until they have completed the Biu-Tze, while others will use it for a variety of drills even during Siu-Nim-Tau training.

I am of the latter view, but there are caveats.

First, the dummy is a higher-level training tool in that one needs to have a clear command of themselves before embarking on the dummy curriculum itself. The curriculum requires a full competence of Siu-Nim-Tau, Chum-Kiu, and Biu-Tze since these are expanded concepts for the dummy to begin with. In that, however, it is also still nothing but a chunk of wood. It is meant to refine our principles vs. first learning about them, so it does hold a special place in the Wing Chun system.

That being said, can those who are not at this level still use it for learning at other levels? I believe they can.

Concept

The first thing to think about when approaching the dummy is to remember what the tool itself is for. It is meant to unite the upper and lower bodies, develop short-range power, and to hone and refine our skill set so that we explode fully into our attacker at any angle.

Regardless of what you are working on, using the dummy means to be smart about it. It has nothing to do with conditioning the arms, as some still think. Regular training will condition the arms to a point, but that is a side-effect, not the primary goal. So the concept of the dummy must always be first and foremost on your mind as the right way to approach any training.

For example, if you are wanting to work Tan-dar, then you should be paying attention to distance, wedging Tan-sau into the arm at an angle vs slamming against the arm, and keeping proper adduction so that the rebound of the dummy does not throw you backwards.

Types of Dummies

This is a tough one. There are a lot of stupid wooden dummy designs out there. Spinning ones, moving ones, some with wheels, some with spring-loaded arms, and even some with spring trunks so that they bounce back and forth.

They sound like good ideas, and they can develop qualities useful for fighting. But the standard wooden dummy is where you should start because it is designed to work the concepts of what we do. This is not to say that the standard dummy design cannot be improved on, because you can always build a better mouse trap. The trick, though, is should you? And what preempts the need that the current design does not afford?

If you want to learn real Wing Chun in the right way – the way it is meant to be learned for true effectiveness – then get a standard non-moving dummy without all the frills. Ensure that the arms are at the correct height for you (at shoulder height while you are in Yee-chi-kim-yeung-ma) and that the entire structure is heavy wood. A PVC trunk is fine for many, as well as more affordable. However, it will be much lighter than wood, which translates to a less-than-optimal training experience.

By first starting out on a standard wooden dummy (all wood, no frills) and keeping mind of the concepts for what you are working on, there really is no reason why a student of any level cannot work the wooden dummy. It is nothing more than a tool to refine and hone various skills. It may not be the actual curriculum itself, but that will come in time. Instead, it is a superb experience to learn about rebound, uniting the body to become a complete unit, developing various power qualities, and also standing in as a partner when solo training.

Dummy Arm Positions

Most wooden dummies have uneven upper arms, meaning that one arm (usually the dummy’s right) is higher than the other. This is due to both the nature of how the holes are cut and that the shaft of the arms are centered. However, other dummies have the arms leveled since the arm shafts are off-centered.

Is there a difference in training, and is one way better than the other?

Yes, there is a difference, and I feel that leveled arms are much better. With the first contact, we find that everytime we go to the left side (our left, the dummy’s right), the dummy’s right arm is higher. Because of this, everything we do will be at a different height, which in turn makes training feel encumbered.

Some will say that this is necessary in order to gain attributes of different heights, but that is off from the purpose of the dummy itself. The goal of the dummy is strengthen and refine our own structure so that we can apply ourselves in the strongest, most fluid way. Having off-centered arms does not work that quality like some think it does.

A better way is to have off-centered arms, meaning that the shaft of the arms is closer to the edge. With the shaft of both arms being off-centered, simply turn one up and one down in order to level them out. Doing so will create an even working surface, which in turn creates equal training effects on both sides.

Now, this does not mean that not having off-centered arms will make you a bad practitioner. After all, our ancestors have used this for generations with excellent effects. However, if you have the option of acquiring or creating dummy arms with an off-centered shaft, definitely get them and see how it feels. More than likely you will not want to go back to the “standard” arm configuration.

How To Work It

One of the things I am asked most often is “What can I do for training on the wooden dummy, even if I am ‘not’ at that level yet?”

So before answering, let’s go over what the dummy is actually for and when it is introduced to training.

The Muk-Yan-Chong, or Wooden Dummy, is a common element of Wing Chun that teaches us about advanced fighting concepts. Here we learn about more advanced stepping, how to generate force in smaller distances, uniting the upper and lower bodies, and overcoming rebound.

For most families, the formal dummy curriculum is only introduced after completing the three empty-hand forms (Siu-Nim-Tau, Chum-Kiu, Biu-Tze). For many, though, we will work various drills on the dummy beginning with the final section of the Siu-Nim-Tau.

This is not the actual curriculum, mind you; instead, it is learning to use current drills from the forms and put them on the dummy in order to learn about angling and overcoming rebound at this stage of training.

Is it essential? Not at all. But does it help? Most assuredly. As long as you remember not to engage the actual curriculum until you are ready, and that you do not blindingly beat on the dummy without knowing how to use it, then there are very few problems that will result.

Using the dummy properly, however, is what confounds so many.

For most, getting a dummy for the first time usually sees repeated Tan-sau’s, Gaun-sau’s and Pak-sau’s without thinking about the angles, footwork, or body unity. Without this focus firmly in place, though, the dummy can actually create bad habits that will see you easily defeated by someone that does understand these angles.

And even if the opponent does not understand the angles, their sheer power can overwhelm a practitioner who has dummy training but did not understand how to use it.

So, what are some steps we can take for correctly using the dummy, regardless of level (but primarily at the Siu-Nim-tau and Chum-Kiu stages)?

First, consider that the dummy’s arms and leg have a purpose. They are set in such a way that we can do what we do and in the way we do it. Rather than long-range actions, our fighting is close-range. So having the arms at such an angle and shortened force us to utilize closing the gap in order to get into range.

Second, because of the gap we are closing, we must be mindful that we are united in our body. This means that you must have a solid stance and balance, regardless of your position.

If you are in the Character “Two” Adduction stance, or Yee-chi-kim-yeung-ma, then have a solid 50/50 weight distribution vs more weight on one leg than the other. If you are in the Sideling-stance, or Juk-sun-ma, then you must be in a correct Juen-ma. It does not matter if you train in an 80/20 stance, a 60/40 stance, or a 100/0 stance; if you are in Juen-ma, then be in a correct Sideling-stance that your lineage trains in.

This means having the correct upper body alignment in relation to the lower body, as well as the shoulders not hunching, shrugging, etc.

Third, the focus of your training is not just about hand strikes. Yes, we are delivering hand strikes, but remember that your entire body is playing a role. You had to maneuver around the dummy to get to the correct position, so immediately this tells us that the body must always be looked at for correct posture vs focusing solely on the hands. Doing anything less will cause rebound, and if you make real contact with a real opponent, a weak structure will toss you backwards before you even knew what happened.

Fourth, kicking should be real kicking, not these piddly little touch-type of kicks we sometimes see. If you kick, then kick with power. The elbow extends our fist when punching, and the knee thrusts the foot when kicking. If you are snap kicking, this is not Wing Chun. And if it is not Wing Chun, then you should not be training it if your training is Wing Chun.

On the dummy, always look at it as a real opponent, an attacker intent on doing you harm just like a real attacker would. Would you merely touch the opponent? Of course not. You would slam into him with everything you have available. Well then, do the same thing with the dummy and you will see what is and is not competent (which in turn shows you what needs work).

Now, by saying that you should “slam” into the dummy, you must also use caution and slowly build up the power you use so that you do not wreck yourself. Remember that this is an inanimate, unmovable object. And flesh on wood? Wood will almost always win. Therefore, use common sense and slowly work your conditioning so that eventually you can strike with full power into the dummy without injurying yourself.

Until then, work on precision, correct footwork, correct body alignment, and an overall use of the body as a whole to deliver your strikes. Do not get so wrapped up that you only focus on your hands, because this is a sure way to defeat.

For drills, work the same drills you already know. Tan-dar, Fook-dar, Gaun-dar, Pak-dar, etc., plus kicks and steps. Start in the front and go to one side only until it is competent. Only then should you switch to the other side.

To finish up, always tell yourself that this is not a race. Learning Wing Chun is a lifelong study and will take many different views along that journey. What you start with now will change many, many times as your skills grow and improve, so take it slow, analyze what you are doing, and use the dummy as a tool to help you grow.