- I haven't done a martial art video
for a while but I've been reading
your comments so many
of my fans are asking
for more martial art videos.
We'll see how this video does
but then I'll consider
to see if you want to
bring back more martial art videos.
So today I'm going to share
with you a couple key tips
on how to properly use
the wooden dummy.
Now as a Wing Chun practitioner,
as a Jeet Kune Do practitioner,
that I love the wooden dummy.
This is like my little toy here
and I particularly like
when there's a pad
on the dummy
because then I can hit it.
One of the most common mistakes
that a lot of beginners
when they are practicing
on the wooden dummy,
that they make is,
they are developing wrong habits
or bad habits.
That when it comes
to sticky hand,
when you're doing Chi Sao,
and stuff like that,
they're not utilizing
what they're supposed
to be developing.
Some of the attributes
from the wooden dummy.
So today I want to share
with you just a few things
there for you to watch out
for when you're practicing.
So number one,
when you are practicing
in front of the dummy understand
that this represents a lot
of people think
this represents the wrist part.
The fist part, actually no,
you notice that length
of the wooden dummy
a lot of the arm,
is actually that
this represents the elbow, right?
The good thing,
you can control the elbow,
you can control the fight in Wing Chun.
So this is actually
when you're doing any kind
of motions on it.
This is actually the elbow.
So what you don't want to do,
when you practice like this,
because you're already getting hit
if this is the elbow right,
now, you don't want to go
as far as like this,
that's not good either.
So you want to practice kind
of the right distance
to develop kind of
the right habits.
When you're practicing
on the wooden dummy,
that's number one.
Remember that this is the elbow,
this is not a fist.
Second thing is, I noticed
a lot of beginners also
when they are practicing
on the Muk Jong.
What they do, let's say is simple.
Right, Pak Sao.
What they do is,
they are pushing too far
on the left and right, right?
So it will look like this,
and it looks okay.
But the problem is,
this develops that habit,
because when you are pushing
to the side, right,
now you've got a whole opening here, right?
So imagine if you're pushing
it on the side,
then you already
you can the lapson hitting
and that's not good.
So everything that you do,
you always want to focus
on the center line,
right in the center.
So if I'm visualizing
where I'm practicing,
I'm not pushing to the side,
I'm pushing forward.
I want to push the elbow in, right?
So see the difference.
Wrong way of doing it,
right, the right way.
You notice the motion,
I want it to be like that.
It's forward or they're slower, forward,
knock that aside, is forward.
Right you want
and then same thing with this, right?
When you're controlling the elbow,
you don't want to push up like that.
It's pushing in,
pushing in like that,
in so notice the wrong way of doing it,
the energy's going up not good, in.
You will see
how this works the dummy.
So you want to be controlling,
using the elbow to do that.
So when you're practicing
is always thinking from that regard.
Another tip, that I want to give you.
When you're training
with a wooden dummy,
I suggest in the beginning,
don't train for speed, right,
you're training for your form, right?
You're conditioning your forearm,
do it slow just to,
do it, just to feel, right,
just very simple,
just to feel.
If you if you do anything like that,
you do it faster,
just do one at a time, right?
Very simple and laid on there,
and then you can hit it
with power and stuff like that,
but that comes later, right?
Forget about speed.
You want accuracy.
Last tip, when you are practicing,
think over this again,
this is the middle arm, right?
When you're doing this,
never forget the leg.
Never forget the leg.
The leg is designed,
to help you to practice good control, right?
So then when you're focusing
on the upper body,
you don't forget the lower body, right?
because you might be like,
get the groin kick
and stuff like that.
So what we want to do is,
while when you're practicing,
you're focusing, you're doing your form,
you're doing your thing,
you're doing your thing, this is good.
But then a percentage
of your awareness
is focusing on upper body,
right you have this whole body,
so it's not like a tunnel vision,
you're focusing on the whole thing
when you are practicing.
So some simple drill
just simple like that,
Right, you can do Lap Sao right,
you want to do the right hand,
you can do that, right?
Here, same thing with this,
do not practice.
This is wrong,
this is wrong.
Because when you miss,
you get hit.
This is a pole here.
You see it?
Not like that.
So if you're doing Lap Sao
from there, right?
Same thing with here.
So just feel from the beginning,
just same as this, feel it, not
That's not what it is, right?
And it's not about the dummy,
it doesn't have to be expensive.
You just do your practice.
And remember in the beginning,
I had my own little clothing rack.
I was just practicing right,
now I have a nicer dummy,
but don't let that stop your training.
So those are very simple beginner tips
that you could use today,
to hone your skills,
to become a better martial artist.
And as Bruce Lee said, don't forget,
"Be water, my friend."