Build a low-cost grappling dummy

Master Kongling All, Training tools DIY, grappling, grappling dummy, ground fighting, punching bag, training dummy 3

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A homemade DIY grappling dummy

As everyone knows, grappling dummies are very expensive but in this tutorial, we want to show how to easily assemble one with recycled materials (practically at no cost).

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

The idea behind this kind of training tool is to simulate the human body:

In some cases in terms of weight
In some cases in terms of volume
In some cases in terms of inertia
In some cases in terms of body structure
…

The point is that not all grappling dummies have the same goal and therefore the same characteristics.

A note by Master Kongling – In addition to this, it must be stressed that only a few training dummies weigh more than 25-35 Kg and they are made for professional fighters who want to focus on very specific aspects (eg. strengthening a muscle group in a contextualized way). To do things like simulating a fight, build muscle memory or work on the technique they are all lighter (no matter the level of experience). Do not worry, we will feel the weight anyway.

The goal of this grappling dummy

The one we are going to describe is not made to train joint levers (etc., for that we will see other ones), it is primarily made to get used to the idea of:

Throw / takedown
Ground and pound

We are substantially talking about a target to exploit for extremely intense activities at full power.

A note by Master Kongling – Let’s repeat once again that in no case, a dummy can replace the training with a reactive partner but it can certainly make a big difference when we talk about the most violent application of the techniques (read When/why a grappling dummy is the better choice): that kind of interaction that is impossible (and counterproductive) even in pro-level sparring sessions and that can make a not negligible quality difference in terms of martial skills development (read why in Effectively apply any fighting technique: 4 tips).

How to easily make our grappling dummy

What we need

Let’s take:

An old single or (one and a half) mattress of about 20-25kg (with springs possibly); let’s avoid those too dirty or broken (let’s not go to a landfill, hygienically it is definitely inadvisable)
A solid flat rope (eg. a strap for roller shutters) and / or a durable duct tape
1 or more strong plastic wrapping tenses
An eventual external cover (let’s choose one that does not bother us in contact with the body in terms of abrasions, allergies, etc.)

An easy assembly

A few simple steps and we are ready:

Let’s roll the mattress on the long side (to do this we could use 1 or more heavy chairs)
Let’s homogeneously wrap the entire surface with the flat rope and / or the duct tape
Let’s bind the structure firmly
Let’s wrap everything with the plastic tense (2 or 3 times, to not leave any opening, this way we will avoid continuous puffs of dust)
Optionally we can sneak everything in a bag sewn (made of leather, plastic, jute or other materials)

A double implementation: punching bag and grappling dummy

As well as an excellent training tool for throws, ground striking (etc.), our old mattress can also replace an expensive punching bag.

If therefore we want to hang it (after the past steps), we must:

Recover a few chains or solid ropes
Remove the external sewn bag
Open the mattress in the top part (on one side) and find the springs
Attach at least 5-6 carabiners to the springs (they often belong to a single metal structure)
Tie the carabiners to the chains
Reinforce with a very powerful duct tape the top part and especially the lower of our punching bag
Join the chains with a larger carabiner (or swivel hook) and hang everything

A note by Master Kongling – To maintain the training tool usable as a grappling dummy, let’s organize the internal smaller carabineers in such a way that they do not exit from the cylindrical structure.

Final notes

A few conclusive thoughts:

The beautiful thing about the zero-cost training tools is that they can be easily replaced and mistreated without problems (even with weapons) and that we won’t mind when they break
It must be stressed that this is not only a solution for low-budget practitioners, hitting something that has springs inside is a fantastic type of workout that no other tool (expensive or not) can replace
If the mattress is almost hollow, dense plastic bars or rags can be inserted to weigh down the structure (but this is generally not necessary)
To maintain the possibility of double use, it is also possible to apply a hinge to the external casing (or more simply to build 2 different tools)
Let’s not forget to use the protections (gloves, etc.), this way we will avoid hurting ourselves with the eventual springs that could inadvertently come out
…

A note by Master Kongling – About the last note, in our school it never happened but it is better to take the right precautions.

In the next article of this series, we will see how to build a grappling dummy for more technical types of training (with head and limbs).

In-depth video courses

DIY training tools for martial arts – Visual step-by-step explanations of how to build our training tools
Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu exercises – Our basic practices to develop the fundamental martial skills

In-depth articles

A Wing Chun wooden dummy like in PVC – How to build a low-cost Muk Yan Jong
Martial Arts: what is a reactive dummy? – The difference between the static and dynamic dummies

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Does training with this grappling dummy seem intense enough to you?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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