For a time Silat & Kuntao forms and the application of silat techiques on the punching bag were the basis of my personal practice.
In terms of practice, they were at opposite ends of the a spectrum,
Non-contact, and
Full-contact.
I realised that I needed a training equipment that provided a bridge between the two. Something that allowed for technical finesse, whilst also providing a small level of resistance.
I've always been a fan of Wing Chun and its training methodology. I am a particular fan of the WIng Chun wooden dummy; also known as the Mook Jong.
Ip Man on the Wing Chun dummy.
I set about on designing a similar 'dummy' for myself.
There were several considerations in the development,
The dummy had to be friendly enough to be able to work with all the Silat and Kuntao techniques that I had learnt. And,
The main body of the dummy had to be padded to allow for contact by either hand, elbow or foot.
I went for a two armed dummy, and omitted the usual 'leg' portion often seen on the traditional Wing Chun dummy.
In addition, I set it up in a triangular configuration that would allow me to use triangular footwork I picked up when I learnt Silat Chakak.
Loved it.
As to the construction, it was made with:
PVC pipes,
air-con insulation foam,
synthetic leather for the covering, and
wood for the 'arms': the arms were an exact replica of the one's I had obtained when I ordered a real Wing Chun dummy from the USA.
NOTE: I tried using my Silat and Kuntao techniques on a proper Wing Chun dummy, and was thrown off by the three arm and extended leg configuration.