Grappling Dummies

[BackAddict347x]

In all seriousness I have two dummies....one I made and I bought the other one. I use them at least four days a week. I go over all my basic techniques with them....I have gi's on both of them. It is hard to find someone willing to allow you to cross choke them a 100 times.

These are my same sentiments. I have a Gi on mine, and i can rep a TON of stuff back to back without hearing a single complaint. I'd suggest anyone grab one.

 

[Quixand]

Ok....you got me.

I'm going to try and whip up a pro instructable on this topic.

 

[nohuff]

I have a bubba dummy. I was a little dissapointed with the construction for what it costed $500, but I probably couldn't do better considering how much I value my time.

In terms of use...
It's not quite as easy to do guard work with it as he shows in his videos. You can practice some basic submissions from guard but no fancy sweeps... only gross movements. In contrast, I find it very helpful working top game. It does really well with passes, side control/knee on belly transitions, mount, and top submissions.

It's also nice to have around when you are just trying to think through a position.

 

[Quixand]

I have a bubba dummy. I was a little dissapointed with the construction for what it costed $500, but I probably couldn't do better considering how much I value my time.

In terms of use...
It's not quite as easy to do guard work with it as he shows in his videos. You can practice some basic submissions from guard but no fancy sweeps... only gross movements. In contrast, I find it very helpful working top game. It does really well with passes, side control/knee on belly transitions, mount, and top submissions.

It's also nice to have around when you are just trying to think through a position.

So if you could make a good quality one for under $100...you'd say it was WELL worth the money?

 

[M@sato]

why dont u just buy a huge teddy bear or something and stuff it into a gi?

cheaper, and you get to armbar bears

Mostly because I plan on using it for conditioning exercises as well, so the weight of the particular dummy I'm looking at is beneficial there (120lbs dead weight). Although, armbarring a bear would be pretty cool lol.

In all seriousness I have two dummies....one I made and I bought the other one. I use them at least four days a week. I go over all my basic techniques with them....I have gi's on both of them. It is hard to find someone willing to allow you to cross choke them a 100 times.

Do you use your dummies for takedown/throwing drills as well? If so how do you find it? The particular dummy I'm considering has 3 weight options, 70lbs, 90lbs and 120lbs. I was thinking of getting the heaviest one, although I'm not a very big guy.

 

[BackAddict347x]

I have a bubba dummy. I was a little dissapointed with the construction for what it costed $500, but I probably couldn't do better considering how much I value my time.

In terms of use...
It's not quite as easy to do guard work with it as he shows in his videos. You can practice some basic submissions from guard but no fancy sweeps... only gross movements. In contrast, I find it very helpful working top game. It does really well with passes, side control/knee on belly transitions, mount, and top submissions.

It's also nice to have around when you are just trying to think through a position.

I'd like to add that the Bubba Dummy and the submission master are two totally different tools. The bubba dummy from what i've seen is limp, while the Submission master is coiled and has adjustable bungie cords for the limbs.

 

[JH34PG]

why so damn expensiveeee

 

[teamcarvalho]

Mostly because I plan on using it for conditioning exercises as well, so the weight of the particular dummy I'm looking at is beneficial there (120lbs dead weight). Although, armbarring a bear would be pretty cool lol.



Do you use your dummies for takedown/throwing drills as well? If so how do you find it? The particular dummy I'm considering has 3 weight options, 70lbs, 90lbs and 120lbs. I was thinking of getting the heaviest one, although I'm not a very big guy.

The Dummies I have are not for throws....you can use a wrestling dummy for that. I use the ones I have for my ground work....

 

[DirtyCrabcakes]

So if you could make a good quality one for under $100...you'd say it was WELL worth the money?

$100 and perhaps 10+ hours of planning and constuction. From a financial standpoint, it makes more sense for me to shell out the extra money and buy one rather than build one (from a time-value perspective). I like projects though, so in some ways the process is more fun than work.

I just finished the lower body skeleton last night. I am now trying to figure out the best way to do the torso. I have all the parts, just need to figure out the best way to put the pieces together.

 

[Quixand]

$100 and perhaps 10+ hours of planning and constuction. From a financial standpoint, it makes more sense for me to shell out the extra money and buy one rather than build one (from a time-value perspective). I like projects though, so in some ways the process is more fun than work.

I just finished the lower body skeleton last night. I am now trying to figure out the best way to do the torso. I have all the parts, just need to figure out the best way to put the pieces together.

Please keep us informed on your progress. I'm in the planning stages right now...and may tackle this this weekend. I'm hoping to have an excellent step by step how to for this as well. We'll see what happens.

 

[DirtyCrabcakes]

Will do. I created an empty blog with the intent on filling it with my methodology. I have been taking a lot of pics along the way. I will try and start documenting it this weekend.

 

[Waldorf]

I think like a punching bag it can be good for conditioning. In fact I've used a punching bag to practice ground and pound and transitioning. For something like this I would just go with the punching bag and take it down when you want to work on the ground.

I terms of drilling technique, maybe when your trying to learn it and get the basic movements down, or your watcing a DVD and you want to try something right then while its fresh.

 

[dat1978]

just picked up the submission master used. i did a nationwide craigslist search and found that the only one listed on craigslist happened to be about 30 miles from me. barely even used. the guy trains at AMC here in washington with matt hume and basically fell in love with kickboxing and didn't like grappling at all. he said he only used the dummy a couple times and from the condition of it i believe it.

anyway, also received galvao's new book so these two should make a good combination. if i remember i'll try and review it after some time with it, but in the meantime i'll just say that it looks very well made and durable. the arms with the bungie is a simple but very effective solution for positioning the arms for multiple reps of your submissions and transitions. the legs as well make a lot of sense for drilling from all positions, top and bottom. i'm not sure that i'd pay the full $560 or so they asked for it new with shipping, but for a couple hundred less used i think it will be worth it in the long run.

 

[879lexus]

To give a proper answer this time: I've often thought that I could probably improve a number of techniques with the help of a grappling dummy, coz I do loads of solo drills just watching telly or whatever, but I really couldn't justify what a grappling dummy is to anyone who came to my house. Even saying "no homo" just wouldn't cut it.

This is so funny.... I'd remove the gi, and hang it on the wall and call it inspriational 'Art'..

 

[M@sato]

Thanks for all the replies guys, both serious and funny ones lol. I've decided to get the 55kg (120lb) legged dummy. I've made some more enquiries, it's around 180cm (5'11") tall and highly durable. I've purchased quite a lot of gear from that place before, and the manager says that they use that particular dummy in his Judo class as well. One of my Judo coaches has used them before in Russia (said they trained alongside the wrestling team) and reckons they can be quite useful. I'll let you guys know how I find it once I get it.

 

[HomerPlata]

You bastards!! All of you! This thread put the idea in my head to start making my own grappling dummy. Thank you for inspiring me to become "the weird one" of my mates.

On the flipside, my triangles are about to become registered lethal weapons :icon_chee

 

[BruceLeeMMA]

What color belt do you put on the grappling dummy? White belt, brown belt, blackbelt . . . red belt.

Would that psychologically make a difference?

 

[BackAddict347x]

just picked up the submission master used. i did a nationwide craigslist search and found that the only one listed on craigslist happened to be about 30 miles from me. barely even used. the guy trains at AMC here in washington with matt hume and basically fell in love with kickboxing and didn't like grappling at all. he said he only used the dummy a couple times and from the condition of it i believe it.

anyway, also received galvao's new book so these two should make a good combination. if i remember i'll try and review it after some time with it, but in the meantime i'll just say that it looks very well made and durable. the arms with the bungie is a simple but very effective solution for positioning the arms for multiple reps of your submissions and transitions. the legs as well make a lot of sense for drilling from all positions, top and bottom. i'm not sure that i'd pay the full $560 or so they asked for it new with shipping, but for a couple hundred less used i think it will be worth it in the long run.

I'm telling you man, you wont regret your purchase. Imagine being able to drill without having to hear that your dummy either:

A. Needs a water break
B. Has some sort of injury
C. Needs you to go lighter
D. Has someplace to be in 5 minutes
E. Wants to drill the same thing
F. "If you do that, i'll just do this"

All you need is some mats, about 60-90 minutes a day, and you'll see some CRAZY results in under a month.

 

[dat1978]

I'm telling you man, you wont regret your purchase. Imagine being able to drill without having to hear that your dummy either:

A. Needs a water break
B. Has some sort of injury
C. Needs you to go lighter
D. Has someplace to be in 5 minutes
E. Wants to drill the same thing
F. "If you do that, i'll just do this"

All you need is some mats, about 60-90 minutes a day, and you'll see some CRAZY results in under a month.

this is exactly my thinking. i've been doing martial arts for a long time and what i know and what i try to pass on to my training partners is that drilling the basics over and over is what gets you better. its also the hardest thing to get people to do. many people, especially newer students, have really short attention spans and they always want to see the next technique. me on the other hand can drill one or two techiques for an hour and not complain.

i'm getting some swain mats in the next month or so. once i do i hope to see some jumps in my development with all the drilling i plan to do.

 

[JH34PG]

if only it was easier to make...