How to Make a Wing Chung Dummy

Also known as a Mook Yan Jong in Cantonese, the wooden dummy is an indispensable tool for studying Wing Cheng Kung Fu. The dummy's body consists of a log or pole 9 inches wide by 5 feet tall. The dummy's three arms and a leg consist of wooden dowels protruding from the pole. You can use the dummy to practice blocks and strikes, by working against the body of the dummy, its arms and its leg. By building your own dummy you can avoid the high price of ordering one, and you can customize the dummy according to your own requirements.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 log, 9 inches by 5 feet
  • Wood putty
  • Electric sander or sandpaper
  • Pencil
  • Measuring tape
  • Electric drill
  • 16-inch-long, 2-inch-wide spade bit
  • Wood glue
  • Three 2-inch- by 22-inch-long hardwood dowels
  • One 2-inch by 3-foot hardwood dowel
  • Hammer
  • Towel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Ask a lumber yard what kind of wood they have available in a 9-inch by 5-foot pole. Select a softer wood, like pine, since you will have to drill through the wood yourself. Ask the staff at the yard if the wood has been properly dried and stripped of bark. You don't want to use wood that is still wet and could crack later. Ask for a pole that is as straight and smooth as possible.

    • 2

      Inspect the log carefully for any cracks or indentations. Fill these cracks with wood putty and smooth them over. Let the putty sit until dry.

    • 3
      Sand the wood with an electric sander or by hand.

      Sand the surface of the log with your electric sander or by hand with sandpaper to give the whole structure an even and smooth surface.

    • 4
      Measure and mark.

      Draw a line down the center of the log from the top to the bottom. Make sure the line is straight. Using your measuring tape and pencil, measure and draw a mark 9 inches from the top of the log on this line. Measure 1 1/2 inches to the right of that point and make a mark. This is where you will drill a hole for the first arm. measure another 1 1/2 inches down from the first point you marked on the line and make another mark (Ibid). measure 1 1/2 inches to the left of that mark and make another mark. This is where you will insert the second arm. Measure 19 inches from the top of the log down the line and mark a third point on this line. This is where you will insert the third arm.

    • 5
      Mark points for drilling.

      Measure 17 inches from the bottom of the log up the line. Mark this point. This is where you will insert the leg.

    • 6
      Drill holes for dowels.

      Drill straight through the marks where you will insert the three arms. Use a 16-inch-long, 2-inch-wide spade bit for the drilling so that you will be able to drill to the other side. Make sure to drill from the marks, straight through the center of the log and out the other side. The path of the holes should be parallel with the top of the log so that the arms will stick out straight. Drill straight through the mark where you will insert the leg, through the center of the log and out the other side, but do so at about a 50 degree angle from the base of the log, so that when you insert the leg, it will point toward the ground. As you drill, take your time and make sure you are drilling towards the center of the log as much as possible.

    • 7
      Glue dowels to the dummy.

      Apply wood glue into the three drilled holes at the top of the log by inserting the nozzle of the glue bottle and distributing evenly from the opening to 2 inches inside of the holes on each side of the log. Insert the three 2-foot-long dowels, lightly knocking them through the log by placing a towel around the end that you are hammering. Repeat this step for the 3-foot-long dowel to be inserted through the bottom hole, acting as the leg. Let dry.