Tree hitting.

[Xue Sheng]

Hitting trees was part of my Police/Military Sanda training. But never a fist, always palm strikes and there is a specific sound you are looking for or you will hurt your hands. My sifu also hit trees with elbows, kicks and knees, however I was never brave enough to do that. As for the palm strikes, it is a type of iron palm training and it actually cleared up some issues I was having with my hands at that time. However I do not recommend doing it without being trained properly by someone who knows what he is doing, based on his/her proper prior training.

One of my Xingyiquan teacher's teacher, use to hit trees with his forearms, and I have been told his forearms were rather hard and he could hit very hard with them, however it did leave permanent marks (scaring) on his arms.

I draw the line at palm strikes. It can also be done on walls as well, but it needs to be done properly or you WILL injure yourself, possibly long term or permanently

 

[RTKDCMB]

When I first started training in martial arts I had a length of carpet that I wrapped around a tree several times and I used it for conditioning. That worked reasonably well.

 

[ShawnP]

I hit one with my car once.

My bosses Wife hit a tree once, it wasn't her fault though......she beeped!

 

[geezer]

Maybe they were softer bark trees, like banana trees for instance.

When I was a kid, our neighbor had a clump of decorative banana trees. They never produced edible bananas though. Anyway, they are big green pulpy things full of water. You can stab them with a butter knife or pencil. We got yelled at when we got caught doing it.

If you already have a good base level of conditioning I can totally imagine how they could be used for training. Hard core maybe, but nothing like hitting a woody tree. But unless you live in the tropics where they commonly grow wild, you are sure to get yelled at.

 

[oftheherd1]

I'm afraid to punch trees. Even more so to kick one. My shins and feet winced just typing that.

I would, however, love to watch somebody grapple with a tree. That would be cool.

Well, you asked:

grappling tree - Bing images



grappling tree - Bing images

 

[WaterGal]

If it is bad why was it done back then? I am not arguing I am just curious.

I read an article a couple years ago that talked a bit about this. IIRC, the idea is that you basically give yourself hairline fractures in the bones in your hands and tear up the skin on your knuckles over and over again, and each time your hands heal up, the bones get stronger/bigger and scar tissue builds up. Eventually, the bones in your hands are extremely thick and strong and you basically have no feeling in your knuckles anymore, so you can punch through bricks and not even feel it.

But this would also totally jack up your hands. So, if you seriously plan on being a professional stunt man or pro fighter for a living, this might (???) be a good idea, but if you have a regular job as a CPA or electrician or something, this sounds like a terrible idea.

 

[Ironbear24]

I read an article a couple years ago that talked a bit about this. IIRC, the idea is that you basically give yourself hairline fractures in the bones in your hands and tear up the skin on your knuckles over and over again, and each time your hands heal up, the bones get stronger/bigger and scar tissue builds up. Eventually, the bones in your hands are extremely thick and strong and you basically have no feeling in your knuckles anymore, so you can punch through bricks and not even feel it.

But this would also totally jack up your hands. So, if you seriously plan on being a professional stunt man or pro fighter for a living, this might (???) be a good idea, but if you have a regular job as a CPA or electrician or something, this sounds like a terrible idea.

I want to be a competitive fighter and basically earn enough credibility to teach kenpo and the other styles I come across along my path.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I punch trees and I make students punch trees. My reason is that it teaches proper punching technique and control. The goal isn't to punch the tree hard. The goal is to punch the tree with correct technique. It's a good training tool that makes the students think less about power and more about technique.

Students can either learn technique with the skin on their knuckles or without the skin. Either way they will learn to focus on technique.

I agree with the others who have stated that punching a tree as a way to make the knuckles harder, is not the best method.

 

[JowGaWolf]

I read an article a couple years ago that talked a bit about this. IIRC, the idea is that you basically give yourself hairline fractures in the bones in your hands and tear up the skin on your knuckles over and over again, and each time your hands heal up, the bones get stronger/bigger and scar tissue builds up. Eventually, the bones in your hands are extremely thick and strong and you basically have no feeling in your knuckles anymore, so you can punch through bricks and not even feel it.

But this would also totally jack up your hands. So, if you seriously plan on being a professional stunt man or pro fighter for a living, this might (???) be a good idea, but if you have a regular job as a CPA or electrician or something, this sounds like a terrible idea.

That's what happens when you do it wrong. You do increase bone density by giving your hands very, very small fractures smaller than hairline fractures. Striking the bone softly on a hard service will allow you to increase bone density without losing feeling or tearing up the knuckles. And you won't get that nasty looking callus on your knuckle. The skin will get thicker and it will lose sensitivity but not because of nerve damage. As a matter of fact if you stopped the conditioning then that thick skin will get thinner.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

I punch trees and I make students punch trees. My reason is that it teaches proper punching technique and control. The goal isn't to punch the tree hard. The goal is to punch the tree with correct technique. It's a good training tool that makes the students think less about power and more about technique.

I agree if control is the purpose. If it is not the purpose though, people will get in the habit of pulling their punches when they should not be, or end up damaging their hands.

 

[mograph]

Smooth bark is better, right? Not that bumpy stuff.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Smooth bark is better, right? Not that bumpy stuff.

Not if you are my Sanda sifu...actually, he doesn't care, but he had me hitting maples, in his yard and he would hit pine, oak, whatever he had in front of him

 

[yak sao]

That's what happens when you do it wrong. You do increase bone density by giving your hands very, very small fractures smaller than hairline fractures. Striking the bone softly on a hard service will allow you to increase bone density without losing feeling or tearing up the knuckles. And you won't get that nasty looking callus on your knuckle. The skin will get thicker and it will lose sensitivity but not because of nerve damage. As a matter of fact if you stopped the conditioning then that thick skin will get thinner.

Remember him? Qingfu pan.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I read an article a couple years ago that talked a bit about this. IIRC, the idea is that you basically give yourself hairline fractures in the bones in your hands and tear up the skin on your knuckles over and over again, and each time your hands heal up, the bones get stronger/bigger and scar tissue builds up. Eventually, the bones in your hands are extremely thick and strong and you basically have no feeling in your knuckles anymore, so you can punch through bricks and not even feel it.

Close. Pounding on anything hard will cause micro-fractures. This results in the bones becoming more dense, but has no affect at all on their actual size.
Calluses will develop on the knuckles, just as they do on your feet. But (A) I've never noticed any impact on sensation and (B) I don't generally use my knuckles to touch things unless I'm hitting them.
My own personal brick record is 10 8x16x2" pavers. Didn't hurt at all. On the other hand (see what I did there?), I've failed breaks that were nominally easier (nobody is perfect...) and those hurt. A lot.
Breaking bricks/boards/whatever never hurts anyway, so long as you succeed. It only hurts when you fail. Don't you do breaking at your school?

But this would also totally jack up your hands. So, if you seriously plan on being a professional stunt man or pro fighter for a living, this might (???) be a good idea, but if you have a regular job as a CPA or electrician or something, this sounds like a terrible idea.

Funny, I've been conditioning my hands on the heavy bag and makiwara since the 1970's, and they work just fine. Be pretty difficult to throw small sutures if they didn't...

Conditioning the striking surfaces of your body is a good thing, if one of the reasons you're training is to be able to fight effectively.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Smooth bark is better, right? Not that bumpy stuff.

yeah use smooth bark. Bumpy bark is uneven and will cut your hand, unless its a pine tree. Smooth bark will let you know if your punches are going straight in or straight back. If you slide your punches then you'll definitely know because it'll scrape a little skin off. For me this would be the incorrect way to train when using a tree to train.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Remember him? Qingfu pan.

View attachment 19826

yep sure do. It almost looks like his bone is out of his skin with those knuckles.

 

[JowGaWolf]

micro-fractures

That's the word I couldn't think of.

 

[Xue Sheng]

yep sure do. It almost looks like his bone is out of his skin with those knuckles.

You ever have him lightly tap you with one of those.... the feeling penetrates rather fast and deeply.

 

[Pittsburgh Arnis]

I tried conditioning my forearms on small oak or hickory trees in the past. Generally, this only works well on trees that will give a little bit when you hit the tree. Typically the diameter of the tree was about 2-3 inches.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Anyone here do it?

I only train "toe push kick" on the tree. It's still part of my daily training.