Anyone have experience practicing with a grappling dummy?

Zeke's Chaingun

Zeke's Chaingun

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I want to order my daughter (11 years old, 88 lbs) a dummy to practice with while we are at home. The main thing I want it for is to practice takedowns, as this is the weakest area of her game. Therefore I need a dummy that stands up, not one that cannot stand. Also, the heavier the better. Not some super light one that will fall over when she touches it. It needs to be at least somewhat firm when she hits it with her body. Obviously, I can hold it and probably will have to, but even holding it, if it is light the legs on the dummy will be knocked around at the slightest hit. I want it firm so she can shoot into the proper position and have the legs still be there when she works the technique.

Any suggestions?
 
StanClarker said:
Something Judo tradition hasn't embraced. Practice on a live partner is most feasible & realistic. 'cept now.
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Absolutely a live partner is best. By a longshot.

Unfortunately, we are in quarantine and I want to work on technique. No one is willing to bring their kid over during this virus scare and I'm 100 lbs bigger than my daughter. My wife has hip dysplasia and cannot do it. I'd like to get a good dummy as an alternative presently.
 
Zeke's Chaingun said:
Absolutely a live partner is best. By a longshot.

Unfortunately, we are in quarantine and I want to work on technique. No one is willing to bring their kid over during this virus scare and I'm 100 lbs bigger than my daughter. My wife has hip dysplasia and cannot do it. I'd like to get a good dummy as an alternative presently.
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All valid points. I feel I was making good progress on Judo 'til this happened.
 
Well, the Adams dummy is amazing, if you have access to one of those. I think dummies provide an awesome means of supplemental training. When I would do submission chains on my grappling dummy, I would get totally exhausted just minutes in. Also, it can be a great way to get used to certain moves and movements that haven't quite registered properly.

People that say that live training is better--yes, of course it is. A dummy supplements your live training, it doesn't supplant it.

I guess the Adams dummy isn't necessarily an option unless you have the room and money for one. But those are really amazing inventions. Carl Adams is a wrestling genius. The basic throwing dummy can be great two--its a sort of sport-specific way to engage in strength training while honing relevant movements. Not necessarily the best for a folkstylist, which I believe your daughter is, but it would still provide a great and relevant exercise I think.
 
Hatake88 said:
wouldn't it be easier if she just drilled using you?
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I don't think so. I'm TOO big and heavy. Even if she hits a shot perfectly I likely won't budge given my huge size advantage. Plus, I do want her to hit the dummy hard and she might not hit it as hard or fearlessly as she will a dummy.

The dummy also has the plus side of being something she can throw. That's a good strength building exercise. I ordered a dummy, a medicine ball, and some battle ropes. We will get some good workouts in whioe quarantined.

Thanks for the suggestions!
 
Zeke's Chaingun said:
I don't think so. I'm TOO big and heavy. Even if she hits a shot perfectly I likely won't budge given my huge size advantage. Plus, I do want her to hit the dummy hard and she might not hit it as hard or fearlessly as she will a dummy.

The dummy also has the plus side of being something she can throw. That's a good strength building exercise. I ordered a dummy, a medicine ball, and some battle ropes. We will get some good workouts in whioe quarantined.

Thanks for the suggestions!
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I have a dummy, a different brand.

I slapped a gi on it and it’s heavy and a great tool. You do need room to use it but it’s great for building muscle memory.
 
the Century BOB dummies are expensive as fuck, but really good quality. I have the classic one, which is just a torso & head on a base, for kickboxing & upper body grappling purposes; but they do make a fuller one for MMA purposes, & I’ve read people saying they use it for Judo & Wrestling.


195-4308-2


^^
I have no firsthand experience with that one though. Again I just have the classic one. I can only tell you they make good quality stuff.
 
One time, I painstakingly built an awesome, awesome grappling dummy. I was real proud of it. Some students of mine didn't really appreciate its purpose and just used it to slam around for fun. Their mistreatment eventually irreparably damaged it, but ironically enough, they discovered how helpful it come in performing repetitions of moves they were still learning even as the dummy was beginning to break down from being slammed on its head haphazardly. Then, when I had to get rid of it, they whined and complained to me that the dummy was gone.
 
Zeke's Chaingun said:
The dummy also has the plus side of being something she can throw. That's a good strength building exercise.
Click to expand...

Great for her core strength. You guys have a swiss ball? There's a lot of great stuff she can do on those as well.
 
Make a sandbag for her to suplex, she'll be a monster in a few years
 
Zeke's Chaingun said:
I want to order my daughter (11 years old, 88 lbs) a dummy to practice with while we are at home. The main thing I want it for is to practice takedowns, as this is the weakest area of her game. Therefore I need a dummy that stands up, not one that cannot stand. Also, the heavier the better. Not some super light one that will fall over when she touches it. It needs to be at least somewhat firm when she hits it with her body. Obviously, I can hold it and probably will have to, but even holding it, if it is light the legs on the dummy will be knocked around at the slightest hit. I want it firm so she can shoot into the proper position and have the legs still be there when she works the technique.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Directions here; video below


If you can't get the cable, try using wire coat-hangers taped together. You'll need quite a few.
 
Last edited:
Kbits said:
Directions here; video below


If you can't get the cable, try using wire coat-hangers taped together. You'll need quite a few.
Click to expand...

This is really neat. Reminds me of an Adams takedown machine but free-standing. You might be able to do even more with this technique-wise than a normal throwing dummy, if you added some weight to it.
 
Kforcer said:
You did a great here, man. That's very impressive. Great idea with the feet.
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Thanks. I had the idea, did some research and then found that someone had already built it.

The feet are the make or break detail.
 
Kbits said:
Thanks. I had the idea, did some research and then found that someone had already built it.

The feet are the make or break detail.
Click to expand...

Well you did a heckuva job man. That's a great training tool you put together.
 
Yeah, basically as the title says. For obvious reasons I can't train at the moment so I'm considering investing in one as well as a few mats for the garden. I've read conflicting reviews of them though with a few people like Kesting saying they don't find them useful.

As a lowly blue belt I'm not sure if it's worth it or not, if anyone has experience with them and found them useful or whether you think I'm better spending my time working on cardio and flexibility.
 
If you're not careful and use a faulty one then it will fail and break causing you to seriously injure yourself. I know too many people who have had their careers ended because of this. They're not worth the risk and you need to throw it in the garbage right now or you will end up in hospital
 
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