The present invention relates to the field of martial arts and more particularly relates to a head-shaped target for use in striking practices for said martial arts.
“Martial arts” is a term used to describe a wide variety of hand-to-hand combat systems found across the globe and throughout history. Technically, any melee combat system and discipline may be termed a “martial art” so long as it has a codified system of combat. As such, the term martial arts can encompass either Western or Eastern styles, whether armed or unarmed. Often, martial arts will at some level focus on utilizing the parts of one's body, such as the hands, arms, feet, legs, and knees, as striking weapons in the event no force multiplier (i.e., a weapon) is present for use. As such, many martial arts have at least a set of maneuvers focusing on striking an opponent. To practice these and other maneuvers, most disciplines will utilize sparring, where participants practice on each other in a controlled setting, or practice dummies, where a participant can exert more force and intensity in practice and not hurt anybody else.
Practice dummies can be as simple as a punching bag or more complex like a mannequin, depending on the desired martial art and the desired maneuvers to be practiced. Practice dummies may also be a simple target held by another person for the purpose of imparting realism in the practice session. It should therefore be no surprise that there is a desire for a practice dummy to have a sense of realism about it. While many practice dummies do have more realism about them than others, they tend to lack certain elements of realism. A first element is an adaptive quality whereby a practice dummy could be utilized either with a partner (having the partner hold the dummy) or alone (having the dummy mounted upon a wall or other support) while still having realistic posture and attitude. Also, practice dummies are not as effective when practicing eye gouges or other hits to the eyes, moves taught in various forms of martial arts, because even the most realistic dummies have heads made of a unitary solid polymer or rubber block. As such, there lacks a sense of realism in that the eyes are a sensitive part of the human anatomy and too much force can cause more damage than what is desired to be inflicted, or too little not enough. Finally, most head targets do not have the ability to be adapted for various forms of head gear, including hats, helmets, glasses and goggles, and other protective clothing which will alter a practitioner's tactics during training exercises (e.g., helmets will protect various parts of the head, rendering strikes in those areas futile).
The present invention is a practice dummy resembling the human head which may be utilized in a solo or co-operative practice session while also presenting realistic eye structures, as well as ear, nose, throat/trachea, and temple structures, for practicing shots to striking points on or about the head and neck. As a head target, the present invention is more portable and lighter than a full practice dummy, and still allows for a more realistic training session. The present invention also represents a departure from the prior art in that the practice dummy of the present invention allows for either mounting on a support or being held by a partner as may be available to the participant.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of practice dummy, an improved head-target practice dummy may provide a practice dummy that meets the following objectives: it may be utilized in either singular practice or with a partner, that it may easily be converted from one mode of practice to the other, that it present more realistic eye targets, that it be simple to manufacture, and that it be economically produced for an expanded market. As such, a new and improved practice dummy may comprise a head portion, with specialized squeaking eye targets, and a wall mount structure that will interface with the head portion and maintain the head in a natural position to accomplish these objectives.
The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.
Many objects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
To describe the way the above-recited and other advantages and features of the invention can be obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific example embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered as limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail using the accompanying drawings.
With reference now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the head target for martial arts practice is herein described. It should be noted that the articles “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used in this specification, include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
With reference to
One of the more realistic features of the head target 100 is the use of specifically implanted eye targets 110. The eye targets 110 are air squeakers and therefore will yield to pressure while emitting a squeak to indicate a proper hit. Too much pressure from a hit may dislodge the eye targets 110, which could indicate too much force in less dire situations. The fact the targets will yield to pressure is a more realistic simulation of the human eye and will provide more realistic interaction for the practitioner. The eye targets 110 may also be made to be replaceable as they may be more prone to damage than the remainder of the head target 100.
Another realistic feature is the addition of eyewear groves 160 over the ears of the head target 100 (
The use of a wall mount 200 (
Realism is enhanced by utilizing a mounting plate 260 connected to the rear of the wall mount 200 by springs 270. The mounting plate 260 is then secured to the wall 20 or other support by mounting bolts 27. The use of the springs 270 allows some resistive motion of the head target 100 when struck. Positioning of the head target 100 on the wall 20 or other support will then provide an appropriate attitude for the target, both in posture and height. The mounting plate 260 also acts as an intermediary support to help keep the bolts 27 secure despite repeated impacts.
Ideally the head target 100 should be made of materials common to other training dummies. These materials may include silicone, latex, rubber, and any structures for internal support. The wall mount may be made of any suitable, sturdy material which could include wood, metal, polymer, fiberglass, or composites. The eye targets may be made of a compressible polymer with a contained squeaking valve, such is common with children's and pets' toys.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. Therefore, the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.