"Mrs. Kee-Kah"

[Pete Reiff]

Catchy Subject name huh?

I have just started the construction of my very first tire dummy for FMA/Knife practice. The quick set concrete post base is drying as this is typed.

I plan to have the two striking tires mounted to center post via 8" through bolts later today.

Question : Binding the two tires together?
The only working model I have viewed had the tires affixed to each other via what looked like a Gi belt. Anybody use anything else???

"Mrs Kee-Kah" comes from my youngest sons definitive 6 year old explanation of just how to properly Kia. Its "Kee-Kah!

Hopefully it will be ready for a Fathers Day bashing session.

 

[Pete Reiff]

Well its Fathers Day and the tire dummy works perfectly.

I went with 10 wraps of 1/4" sisal rope around the tire joint and against the support column for that "old time" look.

Next comes "Miss Mook Jong"

 

[Safety Guy]

Sounds nice and useful Pete! Are the tires bound to each other or are they on either side of the post like this: OIO ; with the cord wrapping around inside both tires and the post?

Karl

P.S. Happy Fathers' Day!

 

[Pete Reiff]

Lets see if I can do FMA CAD-CAM????

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The rope goes through (the inside)back of the tires to the center post, and they are also spliced together.

Two 1/2" x 8" through bolts spaced about 4" apart with fender washers (used a drilling jig from a piece of 2" x 4" scrap) on the "inside" of the tires are primary attachment points.

I drilled the tires with a 1/2" center cut drill bit and sprayed the bolts with WD-40 before hammering them through.

WATCH OUT FOR THE STEEL BELTS INSIDE THE TIRE, THEY GET FRAYED SHARP EDGES WHEN CUT.

I'll try to cobble together an DIY article on
my experiences for those interested.

Pete Reiff

[This message has been edited by Pete Reiff (edited 06-17-2001).]

 

[Dave Fulton]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Pete Reiff:

Question : Binding the two tires together?
The only working model I have viewed had the tires affixed to each other via what looked like a Gi belt. Anybody use anything else???
</font>

Pete,

Yes, the tires were connected via a gi belt. That was kind of a result of timing more than anything else. Originally, we thought about bolting the tires together but decided against it thinking it might make the connection too rigid. Then we lashed them together using a heavy-duty bungee cord, but after a few months the cord had been worn through by the movement of the tires. It finally gave out one day during class and the only replacement that we could find at the moment was a white gi belt that was laying around. Several months (not sure how many) later, the gi belt is still holding up just fine ... and someone is probably still wondering where their gi belt went to.

It's also good for empty hand training, but you have to start off slowly until you hands and elbows become conditioned to it. Bag gloves and elbow pads help. In some ways, I like it better than a heavy bag. It has a more lively feel when you hit it and it gives more so it doesn't punish your joints nearly as much. I can also give you directions on how to build another tire dummy that's similar to a double-ended bag.

I recommend not using live blades on your tire dummy and also becareful when you start using your standard FMA sticks. We've had more than one guest let loose a power stroke only to have the stick ricochet back and hit them in the face.

Have a blast with it!

Dave Fulton



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Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 06-18-2001).]

 

[Pete Reiff]

Dave,

I would definately be interested in the other variation of the tire dummy. Still have room left in "My side" of the basement.

Did a LOT of Nunchaku work in the '70's, so rebound is carefully checked before ANY full power shot is attempted against a bag or target.

I have done a bit of knife work already (IT WAS Fathers Day!) with the one I sent you the image of yesterday. Neat.
Got a pair of Century Instructors Gloves from the kids and started breaking them in too...........

So far the only rebound was when #1 son sidekicked it yesterday and was bounced back about four feet by the tire retuning to position.

Ahhh-Sooo Papa-san

Thanks!


Pete Reiff

 

[Dave Fulton]

Pete,

You'll need to mount a bracket for hanging a heavy bag, if you don't have one already. You'll also need two tires, some cement, 5 eye-bolts (and nuts & washers for 3 of them), and 3 heavy duty bungee cords.

Take one tire, lay it flat and fill it with cement to create a base. One of the eye-bolts should be buried in the cement (centered in the tire), while the cement is fresh, so just the "eye" sticks out.

Drill holes through the tire at 12, 3 and 6 o'clock and mount 3 eye-bolts to the perimeter of the tire (using the nuts/washers here) so just the "eyes" stick out.

So where does the last eye-bolt go? Into the stud wall, so you should be sure to pick the type that has a tip & threads like a wood screw.

Now, attach the bungee cords: 12 o'clock to the heavy bag bracket; 3 o'clock to the eye-bolt in the wall and 6 o'clock to the tire base.

What you end up with is a tire that moves quite actively when struck and essentially acts like a double-ended bag so you can practice on a moving target. If you get really long bungee cords so you can double them up or get a few sets of different lengths, you can adjust the height of the tire for working on different skills.

Hope this helps.

Dave Fulton




------------------
Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."