Tree hitting.

Kickboxer101

Master Black Belt
Joined
Mar 30, 2016
Messages
1,189
Reaction score
311
Anyone here do it? I been doing it often lately and I will upload the video here soon after i find some cool 80's music to put to it.
Nope what did the tree ever do to you? If I ever get attacked by a tree then I will :)
 

kevie86

White Belt
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
I'm unsure if its a sound method of training for everyone. I tried doing it at first with no wrapping and always took skin off my middle finger knuckle and pointer finger. It also caused broken blood vessels in between ring finger and middle finger knuckles which takes a few days for the swelling to go down but no bone breaks or tendon problems. Also another problem without tight wrist wrapping was the sprained wrists from the impact on the rounded tree or an imperfect punch that should have gone straight into the tree causing the wrist to move sideways(painful mistakes). With tight wrist wrapping and shorter speed bagging type punches, fast and full power for one to two minute sessions it still caused a lot of friction and heat between a tight wrap and skin on my knuckles however without the broken blood vessels..sometimes still causing bleeding from this friction yet able to do the same the day after with minimal injury. Doing full draw type punches into a tree took some time to even think of trying even with the wrapping but eventually I tried it and its fine. Hitting large oak trees, pine or jungle trees that were more flexible really whatever was available. Anyone else have similar experience with tree training? I figured the law of conservation of energy that this would make the body stronger seeing how the energy from the strike is not absorbed by the object but reflected mostly back to and through myself from an immovable object like a full grown tree giving me an equal opponent(tree hits back) similar to punching someone else's punches or a mirror match. If I don't understand correctly where does the energy go? I'm not trying to direct the energy all the way through the tree and out the other side. I've tried striking metal before about 7 years ago but it just isn't as enjoyable or natural to me. Whatever floats your boat I guess, I've been hitting trees for about 4-5 years when I get the urge to or feel like exercising and breaking a sweat.
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
12,374
Reaction score
6,537
Location
New York
I'm unsure if its a sound method of training for everyone. I tried doing it at first with no wrapping and always took skin off my middle finger knuckle and pointer finger. It also caused broken blood vessels in between ring finger and middle finger knuckles which takes a few days for the swelling to go down but no bone breaks or tendon problems. Also another problem without tight wrist wrapping was the sprained wrists from the impact on the rounded tree or an imperfect punch that should have gone straight into the tree causing the wrist to move sideways(painful mistakes). With tight wrist wrapping and shorter speed bagging type punches, fast and full power for one to two minute sessions it still caused a lot of friction and heat between a tight wrap and skin on my knuckles however without the broken blood vessels..sometimes still causing bleeding from this friction yet able to do the same the day after with minimal injury. Doing full draw type punches into a tree took some time to even think of trying even with the wrapping but eventually I tried it and its fine. Hitting large oak trees, pine or jungle trees that were more flexible really whatever was available. Anyone else have similar experience with tree training? I figured the law of conservation of energy that this would make the body stronger seeing how the energy from the strike is not absorbed by the object but reflected mostly back to and through myself from an immovable object like a full grown tree giving me an equal opponent(tree hits back) similar to punching someone else's punches or a mirror match. If I don't understand correctly where does the energy go? I'm not trying to direct the energy all the way through the tree and out the other side. I've tried striking metal before about 7 years ago but it just isn't as enjoyable or natural to me. Whatever floats your boat I guess, I've been hitting trees for about 4-5 years when I get the urge to or feel like exercising and breaking a sweat.
Honest question in response to your own: why do you continue to hit trees? Based on what you've said, it's broken blood vessels, permanently damaged your hand, and caused you to sprain your wrist when you punch incorrectly. You also acknowledge that it has a chance of breaking your bones, and harming you even more. Am I misunderstanding something here? If not, what's the perceived/experienced benefit to you that outweighs the negative effects and future risks that you have/may experience, that keeps you doing it for 4-5 years?
 

kevie86

White Belt
Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
Honest question in response to your own: why do you continue to hit trees? Based on what you've said, it's broken blood vessels, permanently damaged your hand, and caused you to sprain your wrist when you punch incorrectly. You also acknowledge that it has a chance of breaking your bones, and harming you even more. Am I misunderstanding something here? If not, what's the perceived/experienced benefit to you that outweighs the negative effects and future risks that you have/may experience, that keeps you doing it for 4-5 years?
Yes you misunderstand, I refined hitting trees to work for me over the last few years. There was no permanent damage done after the first experience so I continued to and only injured myself about 3 times early on. I'm unsure what you mean by negative effects and future risks when I already have a working technique that only sometimes skins my knuckles from friction of the wrist wrap??
 

Buka

Sr. Grandmaster
Staff member
MT Mentor
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
13,034
Reaction score
10,604
Location
Maui
welcome to Martialtalk, Kevie. You should go to the Meet and Greet section and say hello.

Do you train in Martial Arts? If so, I kind of feel bad for the trees.
 

BuckerooBonzai

Orange Belt
Joined
Sep 6, 2016
Messages
95
Reaction score
54
Location
Germany
It's a really great exercise for kendo/gumdo training with a bokken/mukgum. I always take a mukgum hiking with me and my kiddos do as well and we train against trees as we are hiking in the woods. Great way to practice speed and focus in kendo sparring.
 

Buka

Sr. Grandmaster
Staff member
MT Mentor
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
13,034
Reaction score
10,604
Location
Maui
If I can find it, I'll show you a photo of a tree that attacked us. The bastard!
 

Xue Sheng

All weight is underside
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
34,494
Reaction score
9,758
Location
North American Tectonic Plate
If I can find it, I'll show you a photo of a tree that attacked us. The bastard!

Being one that was attacked by a tree (it jumped me) back in my days working on a tree farm.... all I can tell you is never...and I mean NEVER...trust a tree...

Oh and the tree that jumped me....well it won't be jumping anyone else... that's for sure.....
 

Headhunter

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 26, 2016
Messages
4,765
Reaction score
1,598
Any of that stuff tree hitting or punching wooden planks is just pointless. It's done to to look cool no other benefit. I can understand kicking them to strengthen the shins for Thai fighters but punching just no point and can damage your hands severely
 

Monkey Turned Wolf

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
12,374
Reaction score
6,537
Location
New York
Yes you misunderstand, I refined hitting trees to work for me over the last few years. There was no permanent damage done after the first experience so I continued to and only injured myself about 3 times early on.

Fair enough. I was running on very little sleep at the time, so that's probably why I misread.

I'm unsure what you mean by negative effects and future risks when I already have a working technique that only sometimes skins my knuckles from friction of the wrist wrap??
The negative effects was in reference to what I thought you were saying that there was still permanent damage. The future risks involve accidentally hitting incorrectly, with your wrist bent, too strongly, etc. and damaging your wrist which is always a possibility.
 

JowGaWolf

Sr. Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Joined
Aug 3, 2015
Messages
14,153
Reaction score
6,076
Any of that stuff tree hitting or punching wooden planks is just pointless. It's done to to look cool no other benefit. I can understand kicking them to strengthen the shins for Thai fighters but punching just no point and can damage your hands severely
I make students punch trees to as a way to train their technique. 2 bad habits students will quickly lose when punching trees.
1. Swiping punches. - punches that don't go straight into or away from a target. Some people swipe their punches
2. Hitting with a lack of control - any one who tends to hit without control will quickly learn control when punching a tree or a hard object.

I've punched brick, trees, and steel and I haven't damage my hand severely. Because I don't do 1 and 2. The other benefit is that I became really good with understanding the range of my punches.

The only way someone will permanently damage their hand is if they are trying to bash and destroy their hand with the assumption that it will make their legs harder.
 

KangTsai

2nd Black Belt
Joined
May 5, 2016
Messages
809
Reaction score
167
Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Some people kick banana trees, but that's a different story. No, dont hit trees with your hands, just use a bag, a heavy one.
 

Latest Discussions

Top