I bet you’ll never-in-a-million-years guess what Norman Brown gets up to in his workshop (the old smiddy) in Bankend, Caerlaverock, near Dumfries!
After leaving school, Norman trained as a joiner under John Pagan, in Dumfries (the undertaker, across from the Ewart Library) and worked with wood for 50 years until his ‘retirement’.
While working at Carnation, in Dumfries, the engineer there asked Norman to cut some ‘plaswood’. This is the first time Norman had seen the material. At the time, the ‘plaswood’ (plastic wood) was made in Belgium, where there were only moulds to make bollards.
Plaswood is now made at the BPI factory in Dumfries. Waste polythene, bags, sheeting, and farm films such as bale wrap and crop cover that would otherwise go into landfill or be burnt are recycled into this credible alternative to wood (amongst other things – see here for more).
After that, Norman was approached with an enquiry to make a ‘Wing Chun dummy’ – he thought it was a wind up!
Wing Chun (詠春) is a form of self-defense martial art originating in southern China (around 300 years ago). It was famously studied by the late film star Bruce Lee in Hong Kong and through the popular Ip Man series of films and focuses on close-range combat.
Wing Chun dummies are used for training. The Wing Chun has three arms and one leg, which represents an opponent’s body in various positions, and the lines of force the body can give out.
Norman spent a long, head-scratching time working out the configurations of making this training device…
The first plaswood Wing Chun dummy was made in Bankend about 20 years ago, when Liam Haggarty (Norman’s grandson, a woodcutter) was just 2. Now, Liam helps Norman to make the dummies!
See this review video, of one of Norman’s actual dummies.
With the bodies alone weighing an impressive 48kg of solid plastic, his help is much appreciated! (Malcolm nearly caused himself an injury, but can confirm that they are ‘heavy’!)
Norman originally made them for a Newcastle company called ‘Immortal Creations’ in the year 2000 (see photos above and below) and then made them for himself. He has refined his technique over the years, to improve strength. They can be customised to cater for height and other specific requirements.
Over the years, he has made thousands altogether. He used to make 15 a month, when his late wife would count and bag the arms for sending to America. Now, he makes around 25 to 30 a year. Norman makes for the UK market where they are then distributed world wide.
He has in the past sent them to far flung corners including the USA, Canada, Germany and even Bethlehem!
They are very much sought after. In fact, he has just finished making one for a man down south who had an original ‘Immortal’ dummy, but had given up Wing Chun when he got married and had children. He got in touch with Norman… and has said that it is exactly the same as his original Immortal dummy. Norman confirmed that it is out of the same mould, made with the same material, and the same person that’s made it. The customer is over the moon! In fact, he’s sold his old one and, as there is no depreciation, he hasn’t lost a penny!
Click and drag this image to see the workshop in its full 360° glory!
Post from RICOH THETA. – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA
Norman’s machinery is set up for wood, but works on the plaswood too. Norman showed us the process of making the dummies.
The BPI supply 3m long, 60mm diameter sections which are cut into lengths. We watched Liam taper an arm on the lathe. The stem of the arm is cut square and a hole made for pegging. The leg is bent into shape by heating with a blowtorch (you couldn’t do that with wood!)
Immortal recycled plastic dummies proclaim that they are ‘the superior alternative to traditional Wing Chun timber dummies’. Amongst other things, Norman’s dummies don’t rot, splinter or degrade with age, and are entirely maintenance free. Traditional wooden dummies need replaced every four to five years.
Other advantages are that they are eco friendly, fully recyclable, tough, durable and strong. They can also be ‘flat packed’ for transportation.
Thank you to Norman and Liam for inviting us into their workshop to gain an insight into what they get up to in there!
It was fascinating to see how Norman has used his talents and skills as a joiner to become the only person in the world making recycled plastic ‘Wing Chun dummies’!
What a claim to fame!
This video demonstrates the Wing Chun technique.