Wooden dummy?

[Spartacus Maximus]

The wooden dummy is a training tool specific to Chinese martial arts and probably exclusive to Wing Chun. Karate has the makiwara but the wooden dummy could also be effective because of its structure. Perhaps with certain modifications in design it may be interesting. Has anyone tried using it to train karate techniques? It looks like it might be especially good for training block/strike combinations or kata sections.

[Wastelander]

There is actually a traditional training dummy for Okinawan karate, which is called a kakiya, or kakete-biki. You can find illustrations of it in several old books, and there is even a photograph of one that was in Miyagi Chojun's garden dojo. Essentially, it is a wooden post with a weighted (or spring-loaded) arm. Here is a playlist of videos to give you some ideas:

[Wado Heretic]

I have used one since my late teens; my Shorei Kenpo Instructor (and founder of his version of Shorei Kenpo), had a back-ground in Southern Quan Fa and incorporated it into his system of Kenpo. He used mostly adapted Wing Chun drills.

I have never stopped using a wooden dummy, but since then I have made modifications based both on Bruce Lee's ideas, and my experiences with Okinawan Hojo Undo devices. The Mook Jong you can find will not be much use without modification for most karate-ka, simply because of differences in innate strategy. However, it can be useful for working on one's ambidexterity, and limb control techniques.

[sensei8]

The WC Dummy is a staple for Shindokan; it helps us with our close range techniques!!

[Spartacus Maximus]

Is the wooden dummy used in Shindokan identical to the one used in Wing Chun or has it been modified to suit the system? If yes, what parts of the dummy are different?

[sensei8]

Is the wooden dummy used in Shindokan identical to the one used in Wing Chun or has it been modified to suit the system? If yes, what parts of the dummy are different?

Identical to the one used in WC.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The dummy is known from wing chun, but maybe it might be interesting to know whether or not the dummy was invented and devised specifically for wing chun or if it was generally in use in Chinese systems. With karate itself being heavily influenced by Chinese systems, it is a little surprising that the dummy was not adopted by more okinawan systems.

If one were to try adapting the dummy to karate, what sort of changes would be useful if any?

[Wado Heretic]

The best known version is from Wing Chun; thanks primarily to Bruce Lee, and his earlier works in fact placing emphasis on it. However, several schools do use it in the south; with Choy Li Fut, Hung Gar, and some Mantis schools having their own varieties.

As mentioned by Wastelander, there is the kakiya/kakete-biki, though it is not well known as it has barely been seen outside Okinawa. I would never have known about it had I not actually seen an antique one in Okinawa, though must concede I never saw any Okinawans using one so I suspect it has fallen out of fashion. I have also seen a bo/kon makiwara though it looked far more like a wooden dummy than a makiwara; so the influence is there I just suspect it gained it's own flavour in Okinawa. Like Kake-kumite; a practice which bears a resemblance to tuishou/chi sao, if you look hard enough you will find the surviving Chinese influences, but might discover that the product you are seeing now works along a different logic.

My own design follows the Jeet Kun Do variety pretty closely in terms of how many "limbs" it has but I have made some modifications to make it more "alive" as it were. Each of the limbs is on a pivot, and spring loaded to keep it in place; so when I hit it, I can move it out of place, but I have to maintain pressure or it'll spring back. If I feel no pressure from it, then I know I have not blocked properly as I have not moved it out of place. Currently working on a rail based system so when I hit the dummy it can move back and forth, and side to side. When one is trying to enter someones defence, they never stand there and let you in after all. Currently working on a few designs, but rather not share too much more, as I want to copyright them first. Once I have working designs, I plan to share them for free, but would like the intellectual property rights at least, and the proof of them being mine.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The makiwara is still used in many shapes and forms in every karate dojo on Okinawa. As for the kakiya, it is much rarer these days although several books and treatises on the subject mention it. For limbs there is a round post type makiwara or a square post, both of which had slits cut to a quarter down lengthwise and wrapped with rope for springiness. Besides that there is also a bunch of bamboo sticks bundled together used for training fingers.

The wooden dummy in the WC design appears useful, but maybe the spacing and position of its limbs could be slightly modified to suit karate better. Maybe strong springs instead of pegs so the limbs are movable.