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.

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 “whacking” the 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.