10 Best Grappling Dummies in 2023 (for BJJ, MMA & Wrestling)

Many beginners to jiu-jitsu or wrestling often ask whether a grappling dummy is worth the money. After all, these things can cost several hundred dollars, and you definitely don’t want to get a cheap one; otherwise, you’ll rip it apart within a month. The honest answer is that grappling dummies can help you build your cardio and learn techniques, provided you train with them instead of tossing them away after a week.

And today, I’m going to review the best grappling dummies. These dummies have been selected based on their build quality, features, and value for money. Once again, it’s better to just lay down some mats in your house and invite a few of your MMA/ BJJ friends over for a couple of grappling sessions.

However, not all of us have friends at the dojo, and some of us don’t have the space at home to lay down some mats and train. But if you don’t enjoy working with a dummy, you’ll simply stop using it after a while. So get one that suits your height and build, and practice solo drills with it (watch training videos).

Fairtex Maddox 2 Grappling Dummy

• Size: 190cm
• Color: Black and red
• Material: Faux leather
• Features: Kneeling position, prefilled hands and feet
• Strengths: Durable, has a neck and chin, can be used to practice side mount and back control

One of the best grappling dummies you can buy, it’s designed to simulate people who are inside your guard. The shoulders have special joints, so you can perform realistic armbars and triangle chokes while applying significant force. With a microfiber polyurethane leather body, this dummy is quite resilient to tears caused by stretching and bending.

The dummy comes unfilled; however, the hands and feet are injected with a filler. You get sandbags that can be filled up and inserted into the limbs of this dummy. You can also practice De La Riva, X-guard techniques, guillotines, and anaconda chokes.

CBC MMA Grappling Dummy 3.0

• Size: Large
• Color: Black
• Material: Polyester
• Features: Flexible limbs, sitting position
• Strengths: Dummy provides realistic resistance to holds 

While the Maddox 2 uses a kneeling position, the CBC MMA dummy rests on its butt in a hunched back position- knees pressed against the chest and arms bent upward. This simulates a realistic grappling posture and guard, plus the limbs feel like they have some structure underneath to simulate the resistance a skeleton provides. You can bend the limbs; they are flexible but not flaccid.

This dummy can be used to simulate an opponent in the supine, seated, or turtle position. You’ll need a bunch of used fabric to fill up the dummy. Pack your used towels and shirts as tightly as possible; you’ll need about 50 lbs of them.

DAAN MMA Grappling Dummy

• Size: 170cm
• Color: Black and red
• Material: Vinyl
• Features: Heavy-duty stitching, waterproof fabric
• Strengths: Good for ground and pound training

Regarding posture, this DAAN MMA dummy is very similar to the CBC MMA dummy. However, it doesn’t sit on its butt because there is flat padding. Instead, it will fall over on its back- which is good if you want to practice from the top position.

The dummy replicates the size of a small adult, and its skin is made from PU leather. Despite not being as strong as real leather, PU is quite resilient to the elements and very easy to clean. Double-stitching on every seam with polyester-nylon thread ensures the dummy doesn’t fall apart as you bend it and throw it around.

Combat Sports Grappling Dummy

• Size: 5’4” to 5’10”, 70 to 140 lbs
• Color: Black
• Material: Vinyl
• Features: Reinforced seams, prefilled
• Strengths: Good for practicing judo and wrestling throws/ takedowns

This dummy comes in 4 sizes, ranging from 70lb up to 140lb. Unless you want to practice your weightlifting skills, I suggest you use the 70 or 90-lb version. However, wrestlers can choose the heavier 120/ 140lb versions to practice their throws and slams.

After all, this is the ideal dummy for tossing because of its upright stance and extended arms. Making it very easy to reach around and get a proper hold from any angle. There isn’t much of a neck and no feet, so you can’t practice submission techniques that use those body parts.

Suples Speed Dummy

• Size: 27 to 52 lbs
• Color: Red
• Material: Vinyl
• Features: Extended arm joints, prefilled
• Strengths: Flexible, low weight is optimal for practicing throws

It’s called the speed dummy because it’s designed for freestyle wrestlers who want to practice their takedowns and throws. You can move fast while holding this thing because even the “large” version weighs just 52lb. And despite being so light, it’s strong enough to cushion your entire body weight as you roll on top of it.

Wrestlers who want to improve their explosive power and speed should try out this dummy. It’s prefilled, so you won’t have to spend 15 days searching your home for old shirts and bed sheets to stuff in there. The limbs are deliberately long so you can easily grab hold of the dummy to practice your techniques.

Ring to Cage Kids Junior MMA Dummy

• Size: 4’7”
• Color: Black
• Material: Cordura
• Features: Water-resistant, prefilled
• Strengths: Excellent for practicing armbars; arms are retained with bungee cords

Measuring just 4 feet 7 inches tall and weighing in at 30 to 35 lbs, this is an ideal dummy for training kids in BJJ or wrestling. It’s the perfect size and has a comfortable nylon exterior that is both tough and smooth to slide against. This dummy can be used to practice inside guard, turtle position, side mount, leg locks, kneebars, hooks, etc.

Because the dummy has a neck and somewhat of a chin, you can practice stuff like the rear naked choke and guillotine. The dummy is prefilled, so it can be a nice gift for your kids starting in BJJ or wrestling. It is also a decent choice for women who want a smaller, lighter dummy to throw around.

Suples Stump Dummy

• Size: 42” to 68”, 22 to 80 lbs
• Color: Black and red
• Material: Synthetic leather
• Features: Handmade and prefilled,
• Strengths: Well balanced, excellent for ground and pound

If you want to practice your ground-and-pound skills and some wrestling throws, this Suples power dummy is perfect. If you really want to train your throws and takedowns with maximum mass, get the 80lb large version. The exterior is vinyl, and the dummy comes pre-stuffed.

You can drop hammer fists, body shots, and elbows while it’s on the ground. When it’s standing up, you can practice your kicks. Thinks like armbars and arm throws also work because of the extended upper limbs. The Suples stump dummy is ideal for wrestling, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and Judo.

Ring to Cage MMA Throwing Dummy

• Size: 5’6”
• Color: Black
• Material: Polyester, Vinyl
• Features: Flexible arm joints, smooth seams
• Strengths: Good choice for practicing throws in Judo and wrestling

Ring to Cage has created an extremely durable dummy that comes in a wide range of sizes, from 3’6” (30lbs) up to 5’10” (140lbs). It’s good for training joint locks and submissions in MMA, BJJ, wrestling, etc. You can also treat this as a ground-and-pound punching bag.

The skin is made from polyester coated in vinyl, which results in a material that can stretch and flex without tearing apart. It’s also immune to moisture, so you don’t have to worry about sweat getting into the filling and rotting it out over the years. Speaking of which, the dummy comes prefilled.

Jendila Grappling Dummy

• Size: XS, S, M, XL
• Color: Black
• Material: Canvas
• Features: Welt seam, silk thread
• Strengths: Can be stood up, flexible limbs with realistic resistance

Whether you want to practice your armbars or ankle locks, the bent limbs on this dummy are perfect. They provide some resistance and snap right back into their original position once you let go. The dummy starts in a kneeling position, with arms stretched forward. The skin is thick canvas, and most of the stress-prone areas on this dummy are secured with welt seams.

Silk thread is used for stitching, meaning the canvas is more likely to tear off before the thread snaps. You can assume the top position for some ground and pound, transitioning from there into various chokes and submission holds.

Aoneky Grappling Dummy

• Size: 6 feet
• Color: Black
• Material: Faux leather
• Features: Triple-ply fabric, heavy-duty stitching
• Strengths: You can use this as a freestanding heavy bag in addition to grappling

Another upright dummy, ideal for wrestlers and Muay Thai practitioners. The dummy is 6 feet tall and weighs around 140 lbs once filled up. It functions as a ragdoll you can toss around and a standalone heavy bag.

The skin is faux leather, and you must arrange the filling yourself. Thanks to the long limbs and upright posture, you can practice all your Judo and wrestling throws. Armbars and leg locks can also be trained.

Conclusion

Don’t get a grappling dummy that’s too heavy; around 100- 120 lbs is a good weight for most people. You can’t compare the weight of a grappling dummy to that of a human because one is deadweight while the other will try to stay upright by themselves. So, if you get a heavy dummy, you’ll struggle with resetting it each time you wish to practice techniques from the bottom.

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Last update on 2024-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API