I have read the pros and cons of them but I think it will be helpful to just do some repetitive drills that I learn in class, nothing crazy, just use for repetitive stuff. So many times we learn a sequence of moves, then i might not see it for days or weeks again so i either cant remember all the steps or i dont think about it all together. Even doing some repitions the next morning after class just to refresh myself on the move i think could be helpful.
(I know some will recommend making one on my own, but trust me, i am not the handiest person in the world, so despite the price, buying will likely be the way to go for me).
I think a grappling dummy would be an excellent tool to have. I have a grappling dummy and drill with it all the time.
You do have to keep things in perspective. Like already mentioned there are some things you simply can't do with a grappling dummy BUT then again there are somethings which you can't do with a live partner that you can with a grappling dummy. An example would be chokes; believe me no training partner is going to want you to consistantly choke him for an extended period of time. This is where a grappling dummy would be handed because you can choke it until it dies a thousand times and you'll STILL have it to choke the next time.
Incidently I made a grappling dummy and it isn't that hard to make if you have some old, oversized clothes.
I too made a grappling dummy out of an old full length wetsuit, coathanger wire skeleton ,with old clothes inside and a hooded sweatshirt stuffed with old plastic bags and duct tape for the head. Bubba would no doubt be light years ahead, but this works reasonably.
That said, you can drill a surprisingly large amount of good stuff with a heavy bag lying on the ground and a bit of imagination.
Well, things are changing around here. I was approached by I & I Sports about licensing my technology and mass producing Bubbas. This is awesome news, because I'm over 6 months behind with my orders. All of a sudden, the orders just started pooring in and never stopped.
They are working on prototypes now, and I hope that "Bubba 2" will be even better than what I'm building now. We want it to function like Bubba, but we want it to have more realistic looking features.
Al Iba is having trouble finding the right people to build prototypes and eventually assemble Bubba 2s. If you know anyone in the Carson, CA area that would like a cool job, please email me at bubbamaker@aol.com.