I know it's a bit crazy, but I ordered a submission master grappling dummy and was wondering if anyone had any interest in a humble review by me. If it's something you think you'd be interested in let me know and I'll compile something after some experimentation.
Hey i just ordered one as well. how long did it take for you to receive the dummy? Can you tell please tell me the pros and cons of the dummy. Thanks in advance for your helpOriginally Posted by jamesc
It's not crazy if you have the money to get one. I'd like one for the house if I had the extra cash to buy one, be nice to use for drills when I can't get to class
Yeah, they are pretty nice. They are definitely a lot harder than a human, but you'll get over that. They are great for drilling for sure. The one thing that you need to be aware of is that the dummy is meant to "loosen up" over time so when you first get it it is kind of stiff. The legs don't want to extend or spread very easily for guard work, but mine is already starting to loosen up and I am enjoying it very much.
One thing I will certainly recommend is either getting some sort of grappling mat or going to Walmart and buying their cheap $6 volleyball knee and maybe elbow pads. Drilling side control or mount or any position with you knees on the ground can be a little rough on just plain carpet, so the knee pads help keep your knees in good working order for when you actually get to class. Ummmm..... lets see. All in all the dummy is an excellent piece of home equipment if you ask me. Noone wants you to start cranking on them after you get back from class while you're trying to get that new technique just right, but the dummy doesn't mind.
Also, you might want to consider buying a cheap or used gi for it. I got an A-3 and used my other A-3 for it. It fits, but just barely goes on. Anything smaller and I don't know if you'd be able to get it on the dummy.
Can we get some follow-up on this review? Are the customers still satisfied with their purchases? any problems yet?
Hello,
I have been using the dummy for a bit now and I am still pleased with the purchase. The one thing I will say is that to really get the use out of it that you want, you need to buy a mat too. Before I bought my 5'x10' mat I really didnt use the dummy that often since it was often painful after a bit of drilling on the hard carpet. No sense busting my knees and elbows up any faster than I need to you know....
After getting the mat, however, it opened up tons of possibilities. When we learn something new in class as soon as I get home I do it on both sides enough times until I know I've got it in my head and in my body. Then it's just a matter of fine tuning it next class and future classes. Also, I was sick last week so I didn't want to train and spread my cold, but my gym's blog had a video of something they were working on. I viewed it and then went to my submission master (Fred as I call him) and got it down so I wasn't out of the loop.
It's great to practice putting things together fast and transitioning. Ex: you can put it sort of in the turtle position and get on top north south style. Then swing to the side, trap the arm with your leg and reach over and under the other side and get the arm, then roll forward for the crucifix or pull back to take the back. I learned that move in class and practiced the hell out of it on Fred. Next time I went in I got that move really fast on my buddy who recently got his blue belt. He said it was so fast he didnt realize I what I was going for. So long story short, it can be extremely valuable for building that mind/body memorization so that when you are in a position you just go for it since you've practiced a million times on Fred.
Do you need it?
No.
Is it awesome to have?
Yes.
Does it help you improve faster?
Yes (for me at least).
Should you buy one?
Only if you're going to buy a mat too at some point, or see if you can buy an old one from your gym.
Would I buy it again if someone stole it?
Absolutely.
Hope that kind of helps. It is a very versatile training tool, but it isn't a human so there are slight annoyances like having to prop him up when he falls and he doesn't resist, leg locks are a bit odd on it too, but it can be done. It's the closest thing I've seen to having a training partner though. If you got the money I say go for it, but get a mat too.
Thanks for the follow-up. I've been really curious about these, but wanted to get unbiased feedback. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
Thank you very much!! I've been debating but I have now decided that I'm getting one!
Thanks guys for all the feedback.
I ordered one today. I am not always able to get to the gym and really need to drill moves over and over.
Hopefully it will help my game. As a old guy just beginning, I need all the help I can get.lol
Ron
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks