WCI Review - Sifu Fernandez - Lesson 8: Mok Yan Chong (Wooden Dummy) Advanced

The charismatic and energetic Sifu Fernandez invites the audience back into his training space, working with the Mok Yan Chong to "show a whole bunch of drills that are very important in developing relaxation… and also to generate a lot of power."

In this volume, Sifu Fernandez uses his good instructional skills to explain and explore the Wooden Dummy concepts, techniques and their relative properties and applications within, using varying camera angles for perspective.

His opening remarks are brief and to the point, before he immediately engages the training device to set the tone of working with controlled, relaxed energy while delivering the activity. Furthermore, "the whole idea is... the extension of the energy is going right into the dummy", with foundation-building drills established, supported by one's structure and posture to be, "always focused and always aiming for a target".

For the most part, the drills are derived from the techniques extracted from and played in the Wooden Dummy form's sections, along with expanded exercises such as Mun Sau, Pak Sau, Tan Sau, and so on.

With the preliminary drills played from a square-facing position, things evolve to employing angles through rotation of the body "to have the hips, the legs and the torso work really well", with single and two-handed actions now employed. This also includes fortifying the forearms (Bridges) as well as the wrist and palms, as the palm strike is the consistent weapon played throughout the dummy sections.

Sifu Fernandez also explores the feedback generated by the apparatus, with the Wooden Dummy challenging one's posture, balance and control. One will not only feel displaced but also how one's body absorbs and manages the energy through the whole of their structure and positioning, providing resonant tonal feedback to confirm whether the practitioner is channelling their energy directly through physical control.

"Relaxation is key" is the universal mantra of the system, regardless of lineage and various interpretations, which is reinforced with every new drill introduced. There are more reps played, placing greater demands on one's performance in pursuit of developing and delivering equally elastic, explosive and focused lines of engagement for all actions played. It is summarised with, "you can generate a lot of energy, which is fundamental to what we're doing."

At the end of the video, Sifu Fernandez offers advice on how to maintain flexibility through stretching for winding down and cooling down, and addresses common physiological discomfort. This is a very intensive drilling module that offers a good challenge with excellent information, along with useful working skills that many could draw value from to expand training regimens.

Sifu Fernandez - Lesson 8: Mok Yan Chong (Wooden Dummy) Advanced
Language: English
Running Time: Approx. 90 min.
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