The Wing Chun dummies that I have for you are made from Asian red ebony. It is harder, heavier and denser than teak. Although teak has been use in the recent past, they are now quite rare, particularly the aged ones. The ones that are available are less than ten years old, and are normally small, thin and light. The teak dummy that I had trained on 26 years ago, which my sifu still has in his basement, is still tough as ever. He recently order a new one for his school, from a source (I won't say who), that supplies most of the dummy resellers in the world. I was in Toronto when it arrived. We were very disappointed with it after we unpacked and set it up. It was 7" in diameter, rather than the 9" diameter we were used to. The arms were not angled for premium training. The suspending bar was in the way of the first movement. When we struck it, we felt like heavyweight boxers training with featherweights. After I left Toronto, my sifu wrote to me saying that it was already cracking at the holes after a month's training on it.

The red ebony (Erythopheleum Chlorostachys) is called Heixin Mulian, in Chinese. Literally translated, it's the Black-Hearted Wood. It is extremely dense, heavy and thick. This batch of dummies was made from timbers between 11 to 13 inches thick, and were shaved and smoothened to 9 inches or more in thickness for the finished dummies. Some of them were so strong that they broke the chisels that the craftsmen were using for cutting holes. The reason I am able to acquire so many is because they are not a joy to work with. The moratorium most governments impose on forestry is the use of timber, rather than the cutting of it. The cutting is controlled by a quota system. It is crossed checked with the policing of usage. Generally, timbers are restricted for house building (as it requires a lot), but allowed for furniture making. The ebony wood is a nightmare for furniture makers because of its hardness. You could never get a carpenter to make a chair or a chest, using ebony. I was able to persuade the craftsmen to "just" cut three "little" holes per timber, and "just" three pegs and a leg. I made it sound easy. They've been bitching at me since! They told me that it would have been easier to tunnel out of a prison than chiseling through 9 inches of the black-hearted wood. Their incentive, of course, was the good old greenbacks I had promised them at the end of their job.

Upon completion of the dummies, they were shipped to Toronto, Canada for storage. They are priced at US$900 per complete unit, FOB Toronto, Canada. That means, you pay for freight, insurance, and applicable taxes. You will be responsible for custom clearance and local transportation as well.

A complete unit consist of one 9"x54" torso, three 11" arms, one leg, two 1"x2"x60" horizontal mounting bars, and two 2"x4"x84" vertical supporting bars.

The following discounts are available for larger orders:

10% discount for orders between 2 to 3.
15% discount for orders between 4 to 6.
20% discount for orders between 7 to 10.
The Discount is applicable to orders sent to one location. Price is FOB Toronto, Canada.

For inquiry or order, write to sales@wcats.com, or click

Before you order or import a Wing Chun dummy, contact the responsible government department of your country for answers on importation of restricted wood products. You are liable for the laws of your country. If the goods are confiscated, we will not be held responsible.

The following are characteristics of Red Ebony:

Physical: Hardwood
Color: Red to walnut brown
Pattern: Even texture with interlocking grain

Working Property:
Machining: Very smooth finish possible
Fixing: Minimum movement and maintenance of form and shape due to low moisture
Finishing: Density and grain provide high quality finish

Technical Characteristics:
Air Dry Density:1,220 kg/m³
Shrinkage: About 2% radial and 3% tangential
Moisture Content: 9-12 %
Hardness (Seasoned): 16 kN

The following are wood densities comparisons:

Wood Type	Ebony, Asian	Ebony, African	Teak, Asian	Mahagony, African	Larch	Walnut	Redwood	Pine	Cedar
Approx. lbs/cu.ft.	61	44	42	42	37	35	27	23	21