Making a brand new friend...

I'm sure you've heard the expression, "making a friend."

That's what I'm doing with rope, duct tape, plastic pipe, and sheets of foam. I'm building him from scratch.

When he's complete, I'll pop him into a gi and proceed to beat the living daylights out of him.

He's a training dummy.

The one-hour Jiu-Jitsu classes I attend just don't have enough practise time for my old, fossil brain. The moves are very, very complicated. We work with a partner after each demo is done, and take turns doing the technique on each other. We are lucky to get three repetitions before we get called back to see the next complicated move demonstrated.

I usually have it all in my brain at the end of the class, but it doesn't stay there long. More practise is badly needed.

Someone needs to volunteer to be my victim. Unlike at class, I have no breathing partners. This is where Mister Ropeandtapeandfoam comes in.

The do sell commercially-made wrestling and judo dummies. They run up to $500, with a few hundred dollars more in shipping costs.

Found a webpage that had a number of suggestions on diy, and I'm going that route.

The ropes are now cut and assembled. The next step will be to get a bunch of PVC pipe, cut it up, and slide it on to the ropes. Instant skeleton. Mister Ropeandtapeandfoam doesn't need to be able to stand on his own. I will be more than happy to support his drunken stance until I slam him down with deadly force. Once down, I will use my great skill to force a submission.

I wonder how I'll get him to tap out.

...and he certainly does need a better name.