Chongmaster Products
PROPER USAGE OF A CHONG
The PVC Dummy can be used as an imaginary opponent to help you apply the techniques
needed to acquire agility, coordination, reflexes, confidence, and speed.

The Yip Man style is the perfect way to start out if you are not fortunate enough to have an
instructor/Sensei/Sifu to train you in this Wing Chun method. The book on Yip Man can be
purchased through any of the leading martial arts magazines (such as Black Belt, Inside
Kung Fu, Kung Fu Qigong) now on the market, as well as many different videos and CDs.

Do your best to search out the original teachings of Yip Man as many have taken his style,
changed it, and used his name to promote what they believe is the "right" way. As time goes
by, and finances permit it, purchase other books, videos and CDs on styles/forms of Chong
training by other reputable martial artists. It is very important to take your time and master
one form before going onto another. It can be extremely rewarding to learn the arts of others.

When using the Chong in practice, brute force is not necessary. Rely on your inner feelings
as you concentrate on your timing, strategy and positioning of your stance. Your hand
movements must be smooth and decisive, your leg and feet placements precise. Speed is
the last thing to worry about. As for brute force..........save your money and practice on a tree
in your back yard if Hard/External Kung Fu is all that interests you!

As your training evolves and you master the Chong (this will take some time!) you can learn
to apply another rather unique technique to the Chong known as Chi Sao. (It has also been
called "Sticking Hands".) When the two are put together, along with the realization and
acceptance of these two higher forms, the results are mind-boggling! To further enhance
your training, wrap padding around the arms, leg, and body of the Chong, and practice using
your nunchakus!

The Chong is supposed to take the place of your opponent/assailant, a.k.a. "the bad guy."
Obviously, we don't often come up against a person with 3 arms and 1 leg sticking out at us.
It is an age-old design that has been refined by the best over decades, to produce what we
accept today as the Yip Man style Chong.

This martial arts tool is designed and set up to allow you maximum drilling techniques.
Practice will seem awkward in the beginning. Your body will adapt, and your mind will accept
the movements. Precision takes time. Practice conditioning and repetition using Kung Fu
upper block (keung sao); lower block (fook sao); open hand palm forward hit (pak sao); and
upward crane block (bong sao), just to name a few. You will also notice the subtle reverse
reaction of the Chong as it slightly gives when your hands and feet make contact.

You will undoubtedly hear those who brag about how they have tried a PVC Chong and have
broken the arms or leg. Apparently, they must have missed that class when their Sifu
explained that force was not a part of the game plan when learning to use the Chong. Also,
that there are different strengths of PVC on the market; was it a one ply PVC arm or a CMC
reinforced arm?

As time goes by and you sincerely believe that you are going to be a Kung Fu practitioner for
life, then definitely go out and order a traditional, wooden Muk Yan Chong. But don't spend
that kind of money in the beginning without really knowing for sure that this is your martial
arts style. Here is another good point about our product that really makes sense for a
beginner. The shelf life for PVC is estimated around 99 years. It'll most likely outlast you. A
Wooden Chong will last between 3 and 5 years, before you have to begin maintaining it like a
piece of furniture. Heat, humidity, and other factors will take its toll on the Wooden Chong, in
the same manner that extreme cold will crack a PVC Chong like an egg. The longevity of a
Wooden Chong also depends on who made it, what kind of wood was used, and where it
came from. Do a lot of research before you purchase your first traditional Chong.

Beware of those who demand that you purchase only a wooden Muk Yan Chong. Beware of
those people who proclaim that you can only master your skills on a wooden and
“traditional” chong. The traditional side of debate has been overused to the point of
becoming ridiculous. Let’s take one moment and examine the real reason Muk Yan Chongs
were made out of wood about 2000 years ago, give or take a decade. What else could they
make a chong out of? They only had wood, stone, clay and maybe bamboo! If “traditional” is
the only way to go, then Yip Man and Bruce Lee must be consider wrong in their teachings.

The Chong is considered unique in the martial arts training arena. No other training tool even
comes close. There are those who believe that you can master power blocks, strikes, kicks
and whatever. This is not so. As Bruce Lee might say if he were still with us, "Chongs don't
fight back!" It does not feel like a human being, and it doesn't defend itself, move quickly or
strike back. The Chong was created specifically to hone your talents in applying skills,
formulas, katas, movements, and a semi-realistic approach toward an adversary. A minor
amount of power can be applied to enhance your muscles as you build strength to harden
your arms and legs. If you try too hard, you can even hurt yourself! Please use common
sense.

.....As time goes by, please return to this website and this specific page, as I will continue to
add more information concerning the usage of a Muk Yan Chong. Thank you for your time,
and by the way, as my Sifu alsways told me, when in doubt..Pak Sao

July 2000 Steven J. Pollard
All rights reserved Copyright 2000-2010 Chongmaster, Chongmaster, Spirit of the Wolf Martial arts
and Steven J. Pollard. No part of this web site may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without the written permission from the appropriate copyright owner(s).
Chongmaster Products
Steven Pollard
P.O. Box 389
Somersworth, NH 03878
info@chongmasterproducts.com