Rollbot BJJ
The Rollbot DTK-1. Urijah Faber/Instagram

KEY POINTS

  • Urijah Faber recently posted a grappling session he did with a training dummy
  • Dubbed the Rollbot DTK-1, its features can simulate grappling attacks
  • Its use can help prevent injury to a training partner

In an Instagram post, UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber showcased three futuristic-looking training dummies that had LED lights around the head called the "Rollbot."

"The California Kid" even did a couple of submission holds on it to fully demonstrate the features that it had, performing armbars, rear-naked chokes, and even an anaconda choke as the LED lights lit up in different colors depending on the pressure being applied to the head part.

Upon further investigation, the Rollbot that Faber had in his post is the latest model better known as the DTK-1.

According to the official website, the Rollbot's surface is made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)–a material that has been used in a variety of markets like sporting goods, medical devices and even phone cases.

As to how the dummy is always in a supine position that simulates how a grounded fighter would be in, there is a weight ballast found in the hips.

An even closer inspection of the DTK-1 reveals that the springs located in the joints are strong enough to withstand the user's force while also being flexible enough to allow different types of manipulations

Moreover, it has a sturdy spring in the spine, ensuring that the dummy does not give out during training sessions.

The DTK-1 also features spring loaded joints, joint articulation, and accurate bone geometry to better simulate the effect of grappling attacks.

For example, the practitioner can safely execute an armbar without fear of injuring a real-life training partner as the elbow joints can be twisted into hyperextension where a pop can be heard, giving a full-fledged simulation of an arm breaking.

The same feature is available on the feet and knee joints, where MCL and LCL injury simulations are also available to the user.

As to why there are LED lights, pressure-sensitive sensors are there to indicate whether a choke is in perfect position with the lights changing accordingly while an audio track countdown will be activated.

Getting injured during training is an unfortunate occurrence that is more common than many would think in the world of combat sports, but with the use of the Rollbot, it eliminates those worries as it allows the user to go all out with their submission attempts.

Urijah Faber, UFC
Urijah Faber stands on the scale during the weigh-in for UFC 199 at The Forum on June 1, 2016 in Inglewood, California. jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images