AWCAOnline - Muk-Yan-Chong

The famed wooden dummy, called Muk-Yan-Chong (pronounced muck-yahn-chong), is probably the most-recognized item in the martial arts today. Even though a variety of martial arts employ a wooden dummy for training, it is usually more recognized with Wing Chun.

When the wooden dummy first became a martial training tool is unknown, but it is generally accepted that it originated at the Shaolin temple. The "Wooden Man Alley" is said to have been two rows of spring-loaded wooden dummies, and in order for a student-monk to reach the end, he had to endure a variety of strikes from these wooden assailants. If he made it the end, he would then brand his arms with the styles of kung fu he trained in by grasping hot cauldrons with his forearms.

Personally, I am very glad that that is no longer a requirement to excel at Wing Chun.

A variety of shapes and sizes of dummies have been created throughout the generations, with the "live" dummy being the most prevalent (see below). Master Yip Man's era is credited with mounting the dummy on slats and taking the form of what we see today. In times prior, though, the common method of mounting was simply sinking the dummy into the ground vs. mounting it on the wall.

Where construction itself is concerned, the dummy has a set pattern for how it is fashioned and what its use is truly for. Some feel that the dummy's primary purpose is to condition the arms while others believe it is to mimic a person. It is true that repeated training will see many side benefits such as conditioning, timing, etc., but in my experience and as I was taught, the dummy's primary purpose is to improve one's structure when striking a non-moving object, increasing the coordination between upper and lower bodies ("uniting" the upper and lower bodies), and creating short-range "burst" type of power.

Section 1 begins by introducing the practitioner to an inanimate object, an object that will resist force at every turn. Because of this, we learn how to project relaxed force, a force that is devoid of "rebound," or pushing us backward.

Additionally, section 1 teaches proper footwork, body unity, and treating the body as one complete unit for creating short-range, explosive power. We learn angling, making use of the opponent's actions via various angles, sticking to the opponent, and "exploding" into the opponent.

Muk-Yan-Chong: Section 1 (1.48 MB | 31 sec. | WMV format)

Muk-Yan-Chong Section 1
	Hoi-ma ("Opening the Stance") Stand in front of the dummy just in front of the arms. The feet are together, the arms at you side, and the body upright.
-1a-
	Hoi-ma (continued) Bring the arms up while closing the fists.
-1b-
	Hoi-ma (continued) At the knees, sink the weight 45-degrees straight down. Do not lean forwards or backwards.
-1c-
	Hoi-ma (continued) Place just enough weight on your heels so that you can pivot the toes outward at 90-degrees.
-1d-
	Hoi-ma (continued) Now place enough weight on the toes so that you can pivot the heels outward at 60-degrees.
-1e-
	Man-sau ("Inquisitive-arm") Bring the left arm to Man-sau and the right arm to Wu-sau.
-2-
	Man-geng-sau ("Neck-Pulling hand") Drive the arms through the dummy arms (in between them) to create Man-geng-sau.
-3-
	Noi-moon-Bong-sau ("Indoor-area Wing-arm") Release the left arm and assume Wu-sau, while the right arm simultaneously executes Noi-moon-Bong-sau to the inside of the dummy's right arm.
-4-
	Tan-sau with Gwoy-cheung ("Palm-Up arm with Lying-palm") Simultaneously, step to the left with the left foot while the right foot performs Huen-bo ("Forward Circling-step"). While the feet are stepping, the right arm initiates Tan-sau to the outside of the dummy's right arm while the left arm drives in with Gwoy-cheung. When complete, you are at a 45-degree angle to the dummy and in right Juen-ma ("Lead-leg stance/ Frontal-stance").
-5-
	Sheung-har-Gaun-sau ("High/low Splitting-Block arms") The right foot executes Hau-bo ("Backward Circling-step/ Withdrawing-step") while the arms drive into the dummy's right and lower arm with Sheung-har-Gaun-sau.
-6-
	Kwun-sau ("Rotating-arms/ Twisting-arms") Step to the right with the right leg while changing the arms to Kwun-sau.
-7-
	Tan-sau with Gwoy-cheung Repeat the Tan-sau/ Gwoy-cheung combination on the dummy's left side, now using left Tan-sau and right Gwoy-cheung.
-8-
	Sheung-har-Gaun-sau The left foot executes Hau-bo while the arms drive into the dummy's left and lower arm with Sheung-har-Gaun-sau.
-9-
	Kau-sau ("Plucking-arms") Turn your centerline back to the dummy while the right hand circles inside and the left hand drives to the outside.
-10-
	Jum-sau with Jing-cheung ("Sinking-arm with Erect-palm") Initiate a left Jum-sau with a simultaneous right Jing-cheung.
-11-
	Man-sau Jum-sau changes to Wu-sau while Jing-cheung changes to Man-sau.
-12-
[Repeat step 3 through step 12 for the other side] When finished, you have completed Section 1 of the Muk-Yan-Chong

There are a variety of wooden dummy interpretations due to each style's conceptual differences. Common sense dictates that the "original" wooden dummy form would have evolved and improved over time, but it is interesting to note that many styles resemble each other in many areas.

For example, the first half of the dummy form is almost identical in most styles. The second half, however, is where personal interpretation has largely been introduced. Is this bad? Of course not. Personal interpretation is what makes the art alive and so formidable.

As a practitioner works through the various wooden dummy drills, you can see a variety of elements from previous training. The difference, however, is that in many cases, the angles are different, and there is also a great deal of power release, footwork, and other advanced elements that many do not readily notice at first.

The wooden dummy's look has also been altered over time, most probably originating during the Red Junk (Chinese boats) era of our history. It is said that practitioners fashioned holes in the side of the yardarms where the arms and leg could be inserted. But when training on dry ground, the dummy was inserted approximately two feet down.

Short-range Power
Muk-Yan-Chong training teaches a great deal about short-range power, or the training delved into for generating a lot of power in very close range to the opponent. Wing Chun favors "close in" ranges such as fist, palm and elbow/knee range, so the wooden dummy capitalizes on this by teaching us to "explode" into our opponent.

The continuous release of force into this inanimate object also teaches us to overcome "rebound." When you strike the dummy, only two things can happen: either the dummy moves, or you move. If the dummy is mounted on a wall, then naturally it is not going to go anywhere. Therefore, the power into the dummy will "bounce back" or "rebound" into you, and now it is you that moves.

Over the course of time, we learn to overcome that rebound by reinforcing our adduction of the knees, linking the entire body as one structure. And throughout the training, we learn to keep ourselves in place when this rebound occurs. Because of this, our power increases, which in turn teaches more "explosion" of force. And all of this in combination creates short-range power that is efficient, explosive and very difficult for our opponent to counter.

The Protractor Effect
The wooden dummy is more than just a hunk of wood; instead, it is a teacher, a training aid that immediately shows you what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. The key to this, however, is that you have to know how to "listen" to what it is telling you.

The dummy's arms are fashioned in such a way that it forces you to train the movements according to the Wing Chun concept. You "can" deviate from this, but if you do, then it is not Wing Chun. Provided that you keep in mind the angles of the arm during delivery of your force, you are learning specific angling in which to drive in with.

All of these elements in combination are teaching you the correct angles for attack and defense while also reinforcing your power. In combination, this is called the "Protractor Effect" because, like a protractor, you are learning the correct angles in which to deliver your power.

"Live" Dummy vs. "Dead" Dummy
Many who are new to Wing Chun will usually think that the present dummy is what was always around, but in reality, how you see the dummy today has only been around for about 65 years or so.

A "live" dummy is one which is mounted on the wall or a portable stand, whereas a "dead" dummy is one which is sunk into the floor or ground. Prior to Yip Man's era, most dummies were "dead" dummies, and even a brief look at pre-Yip Man era photos will almost always show you a wooden dummy that is sunk into the floor.

When Yip Man moved into his Hong Kong apartment, naturally there was no where to "sink" a dummy into. So as the story goes, one of his students fashioned the dummy to a wall-mounted frame. With this new mounting, there was also a type of "give" to the force being exerted since it would move slightly, and it was found that this type of mounting was actually preferable to the non-moving "dead" dummies.

Is there a difference? Is one really better than the other? Personally, I prefer the "live" dummies, but having trained on "dead" dummies, too, both have their advantages. A dead dummy is completely non-moving, so even if you have a good command of your structure on the live dummies, the first time you experience a dead dummy will be eye-opening. I can't recommend enough that a practitioner at the wooden dummy level also acquire a "dead" dummy for even more force creation.

Why Does Wooden Dummy Training Come "After" the Empty-hand Forms?
Some view the wooden dummy as the height of empty-hand fighting, so many times they want to jump right into training with it even before they have completed the empty-hand form curriclum. This, however, is a mistake.

The first half of the dummy includes a lot of concepts from the Siu-Nim-Tau and Chum-Kiu, whereas the last half of the dummy includes concepts from the Biu-Tze. A practitioner "can" train their current skill level on a dummy and glean a lot from it, but training the curriculum itself would be a mistake if they haven't completed the Biu-Tze. While the dummy is an excellent teacher for learning more about Wing Chun, it can also create a plethora of bad habits if a practitioner is not already at a particular level.

Remember that the wooden dummy comes after the empty-hand forms for a reason. Some will say it doesn't matter, but it does. If it really didn't matter, then the dummy curriculum would come before something else, wouldn't it?

True or False: The Dummy's Purpose is to Build Up the Arms for Contact
False. While regular training with the wooden dummy "will" condition your arms for contact, that is not its primary purpose. Its primary purpose lies in advanced training for uniting the upper and lower bodies to create one complete unit vs. a "collection of parts."

While many attributes result from this type of training, "building up the arms for contact" is not the "primary" purpose.

After completing the empty-hand forms, the next stop on the path of progression is the wooden dummy. It is here that we "tie together" a variety of concepts in order to build an explosive foundation within an extremely tight working space. And nothing is better than Volume 5: Muk-Yan-Chong for taking you step-by-step through this remarkable training aid.

This in-depth, photo and video-illustrated training workbook includes the complete Muk-Yan-Chong curriculum. You have seen section 1, and I am sure that you are itching to see what else this training encompasses, right? That's why Volume 5 includes the complete form, all of the drills, all of the applications, and an in-depth step-by-step breakdown of the concepts and theories.