Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced MMA fighter, it’s essential to invest in training equipment to help you master your craft.
A martial arts dummy bag is perfect for everyday conditioning, honing your skills, or acting as a sparring partner when you are without a buddy or training at home.
When searching for a martial arts dummy, there are a lot of factors to consider.
There are various shapes, sizes, and weights available from different brands. There are filled or unfilled dummies. You can get a grappling dummy, a wooden Wing Chun dummy, or a hanging dummy.
With this many options, making sure you choose the right martial arts dummy can be overwhelming.
That’s why we have put together a comprehensive Martial Arts Dummy Bag Guide providing an overview of our top dummy picks.
Stylso Grappling Dummy
Stylso manufactures wrestling dummies, punching bags, boxing gloves, and other martial arts gear.
Features of the Stylso Grappling dummy:
- Human-shaped dummy perfect for MMA, boxing, grappling, and other martial arts drills
- Made with premium quality canvas
- Durable design – double-stitched with high-quality zipper
- Protective velcro cover to ensure safety
- Height: 5 feet (60 inches)
- Comes UNFILLED – use filling material of your choice: foam, cloth pillows, fabric, etc.
- Fill up to 110-130 lbs (50-60 kg)
What we like about the Stylso Grappling Dummy
We love that Stylso has made a quality human-shaped dummy that’s durable, holding up against all of the kicks and punches you can throw.
Flex HQ Wing Chun Dummy
Flex HQ tops our martial arts dummy bag guide for a good reason. They manufacture Wing Chun dummies that are built to sharpen self-defence tactics. Flex HQ’s Wing Chun Dummy works a fighter’s technique, improving his or her skills.
Features of the Flex HQ Wing Chun Dummy:
- Built from solid, sturdy wood
- Adjustable height
- Two striking pads offer extra padding and protection
What we like about the Flex HQ Wing Chun Dummy
We love how sturdy the Flex HQ Wing Chun Dummy is. It tests our patience and pushes us to our limits, so how could we ask for more.
Well, actually, we can ask for more. How about affordability?
When searching for a wooden dummy, you will likely have to pay a pretty penny. So while the Flex HQ Wing Chun Dummy isn’t cheap, it’s a great price for what you get. It’s solid, durable, and is comparable to the pricier dummies.
Combat Sports Grappling Dummy
Combat Sports produces premium MMA gear, including gloves, shin guards, mouth guards, and yes – martial arts dummies.
Features of the Combat Sports Martial Arts Dummy:
- Life-size dummy throws, strikes, and submissions
- Made of durable military-grade vinyl construction.
- Easy to clean
- FILLED – size guidelines:
- 70 lbs (5’-4″ tall)
- 90 lbs (5′-6″ tall)
- 120 lbs (5’-10″ tall)
- 140 lbs (5’-10″ tall)
What we like about the Combat Sports Grappling Dummy?
This dummy is the MMA sparring partner we didn’t know we needed. It’s great for practising mount drills and takedowns. We can go full steam on this dummy with everything from ground and pounds to submissions.
Because this dummy is made of military-grade vinyl, you know it is durable. It’s also relatively easy to clean after sweaty sessions. You will be able to use this makeshift sparring partner for a long time.
Our martial arts dummy guide wouldn’t be complete without a few pointers, so keep in mind when choosing your dummy’s weight that it’s dead weight. That means you have to pick it up after every throw down. We’ve found that fighters tend to purchase too heavy of a dummy and then struggle, which doesn’t do anything to help improve your technique.
Attachmate: Wing Chun Dummy Trainer
Attachmate delivers Wing Chun gear that beginners to professionals can train with.
Features of the Wing Chun Dummy Trainer:
- Easy to assemble and take apart
- Compatible with your equipment – adjustable straps allow the Attachmate to easily fit over your freestanding or hanging bag (note – it does not work with Century BOB bags)
- Flexible base plates allow for spring action arms – arms do not contain actual springs
- Durable
- Portable – take it to the gym or other training facilities
What we like about the Attachmate Wing Chun Dummy Trainer
We love that the Attachmate is compatible with our existing bag, so we don’t have to empty our wallet like we would for a traditional wooden dummy. Adjustable straps make sure the fit is just right whether you have a freestanding or hanging bag.
When you attach this dummy trainer to a heavy bag and get to work, you will be challenged immediately. The arms swing with the bag, forcing you to move quickly, countering and deflecting.
We believe the Attachmate is one of the best martial arts dummies on the market!
Ring to Cage Dummy Punching Bag
Ring to Cage manufactures premium MMA gear and equipment that has been tested by professional fighters – from training sessions in the gym to the ring.
Features of the Ring to Cage Dummy Punching Bag:
- Manufactured using heavy-duty, durable 22 oz polyester-coated vinyl
- Designed for full 360-degree maneuverability around the body for punches, strikes, kicks, knees, throws, elbows, and more
- Ability to use the punching bag with or without the arms.
- Multi-functional – doubles as a Ground and Pound/Floor Striking Bag as no metal chains or hooks are attached to it.
- UNFILLED – fill using materials of your choice
- Size: 5’8″ tall, 70-75 lbs.
What we like about the Ring to Cage Dummy Punching Bag
The Ring to Cage man-shaped dummy punching bag is versatile, durable, and stands up to our most intense kicks, strikes, and punches. One feature that stands out to us the most is that you can hang it up or use it on the floor. With no metal hooks or chains, you don’t have to worry about getting hurt while throwing punches.
It’s your new best sparring partner.
Century BOB Body Training Dummy
Century was established in 1976 by national martial arts champion Michael Dillard. Dillard grew his company with extensive research, state-of-the-art product development, and quality assurance. Century prides itself on exceptional customer service and speedy delivery. Today, Century is the world’s largest supplier of martial arts equipment.
Features Of The Century Training Dummy:
- Made in the USA
- Low-profile base
- One year limited warranty.
- Find your perfect height with seven available height adjustments, from 60-78 inches.
- UNFILLED – fill the base with water or sand
- When filled, the base weighs approximately 270 pounds.
What we like about the Century Training Dummy
Century is made in the US with American materials in the heartland of the USA – Oklahoma. We can get on board with that.
We love that Century has made a product for virtually everyone, with seven different height levels and the ability to fill the dummy with your material of choice, whether that’s water or sand (or whatever works for you).
Bestzo MMA Grappling Dummy
Last but not least on our martial arts dummy bag guide is Bestzo grappling dummy.
Bestzo has been manufacturing premium martial arts gear for fighters of every skill level since 1996.
Features Of The Bestzo MMA Grappling Dummy:
- Manufactured from premium canvas
- 360-degree mobility
- UNFILLED. You can fill the dummy with the materials of your choice.
- When filled, products weigh 77-121 lbs (35-55 kgs)
- Size: 5 feet (59 inches) or 6 feet (70 inches) is recommended for adults, 4 feet (48 inches) is recommended for children
What we like about the Bestzo Grappling Dummy
We are big fans of Bestzo’s Grappling Dummy thanks to its 360-degree mobility, which allows us to go at it with strikes, punches, kicks, and other training techniques.
While filling dummies can be a bit tedious, we like that we can choose our filling material and weight to make the perfect dummy for our training sessions.
Martial Arts Punching Dummy FAQ’s
With so many Martial Arts Dummy Bags available, choosing the right punching dummy can be overwhelming.
To help with your decision, we have put together a list of common FAQ’s.
Heavy Punching Bag Vs Martial Arts Dummy
A punching bag is a great training tool, but a punching dummy takes your game to a whole other level.
While traditional punching dummies are made of wood, today’s top manufacturers have developed several variations including; grappling dummies, punching dummies and traditional Wing Chun dummies.
Dummy bags are ideal for helping you perfect your technique, speed and visualize different moves on different areas of an opponent’s body.
What Martial Art Do you Train?
Every martial arts dummy is tailored towards a specific martial art.
If you’re a grappler, you should purchase a grappling dummy to practice your control and submissions.
On the other hand, if you’re a kickboxer, it makes sense for you to buy a punching dummy.
In this guide, we discuss every a range of martial arts dummies that are suitable for different martial arts.
Height and Weight
If you decide to go with a life-like dummy, you likely want to choose one as tall and heavy as your real sparring partner.
Weight ultimately determines how hard you can hit, so keep that in mind when choosing how heavy you want your dummy to be.
If you are picking up and throwing down your dummy, for example, keep in mind your current weight class to recreate your training as much as possible.
Water vs. Sand
Choosing between water and sand as a filling can be difficult. They both work well, so really, it comes down to your preference. However, here is a list of pros and cons to help you make a decision:
Water
- Pros: Easily accessible
- Cons: Leaks can happen, but they can be patched and are relatively easy to clean up.
Sand
- Pros: Sand provides more stability.
- Cons: Sand is heavy, so it can be not easy to move
Some manufacturers suggest filling the base of a dummy with water and sand and then packing the rest with pillows or blankets.
You likely want to use sand, shredded towels or paper, blankets, or a combination of all of these for grappling dummies.
What you use for filling depends on what kind of dummy you purchase, of course.
If your buddies have a grappling dummy, check it out and ask what they used to fill their dummy. It’s always helpful to ask around and even try out different variations.
Benefits of Using a Punching Dummy
A punching dummy allows for you to train at full speed and power, so you feel like you are training with a real sparring partner.
You won’t risk injuring your (human) partner while training, learning new techniques, and throwing strikes with full force.
A punching dummy can help improve your technique, from your reaction time to your balance. You can practice positions, submissions, and repeat throws until it becomes second nature.
If you are looking for a great cardio workout and don’t have a sparring partner around, a grappling dummy delivers.
Conclusion
Adding a dummy bag to your list of training equipment can make all of the difference in your game.
We have reviewed our favourite martial arts dummies on the market, and discussed the benefits of training with a punching dummy.
When it comes to picking a martial arts dummy, it comes down to several factors including; what martial art you train, your budget and your experience level.
We hope that our martial arts dummy bag guide provided you with all of the details you need to make an informed, confident decision.
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