Tree usefulness?

[TaeAno]

So lately i've been using my tree for various exercises like pull-ups on branches and resistance band training. But i've been told that it can be used for other exercises like kicking and conditioning, and I was wondering if they can be useful for anything else.

[slipthejab]

Depends on the tree I suppose. Banana tree for kicking yes. Anything else pretty much no. But why kick a poor old banana tree when it's easy enough to get on a heavybag or find someone to hold pads. Seriously. Kicking a tree doesn't make you more hardcore.

[PASmith]

Before you kick a tree make sure it's not an ent. Those guys can get pretty violent when roused.

[Knight_Errant]

Please don't kick trees. You will damage yourself. I know.
they're great supports for handstands and pullup bars though :) Make sure it's a good thick branch. You're probably better off doing close grip pullups.

[JaxMMA]

Depends on the tree I suppose. Banana tree for kicking yes. Anything else pretty much no. But why kick a poor old banana tree when it's easy enough to get on a heavybag or find someone to hold pads. Seriously. Kicking a tree doesn't make you more hardcore.

Yeah, it does...

..makes you very hard core :)

YouTube- Kick the tree!

[ArthurKing]

Some of my best friends are trees.
If you want to destroy your joints and callous your hands, go ahead. If you still want to be punching hard past your 40s, increase resistance, not 'surface'.

[Knight_Errant]

I broke a tree the other day doing pullups :(

[ArthurKing]

Hey, i thought you were a professional gardener, you're not supposed to be breaking trees.. unless of course you were pruning?

[gcollin]

FIRE, fruit, shade

[El Medico]

FIRE, fruit, shade
And 3 Star forearm patterns.

The only type of thing I ever found a sturdy tree to be useful for as an actual piece of equipment.

Tho' fairly thin saplings could be utilized by Pa Kua and Hsing I practitioners for the training with multiple upright poles which some of them practice.Which possibly originated from using saplings.

gcollin,you forgot maple syrup!

[Tout Prêt 1888]

So lately i've been using my tree for various exercises like pull-ups on branches and resistance band training. But i've been told that it can be used for other exercises like kicking and conditioning, and I was wondering if they can be useful for anything else.

haha yes definitely please be my guest you should go and kick the tree right now, haven't you seen the kickboxer ? its based on true events go kick a tree in fact why not go kick a concrete pillar like they do in the film as well, what's the worst that can happen.

[seiken steve]

Please don't hit a tree.

Please do watch slips vid on inverted body weight rows and find a tree with a nice Y shape (Think bart simpsons catapult but bigger) rest your feet in the crook and grab the branches, go nuts.
Definatly ups the suck o' meter.

[CrowZer0]

I hear trees are good for breathing exercises during the day, they provide a lot of oxygen, it's just a rumour though!

[Seventh]

Be nice to trees or tree hugging hippies will come after you.

[Cuong Nhu]

O'Sensei Ngo Dong (the guy that founded Cuong Nhu) actually routinely kicked an oak tree, and Masahiko Kimura would spend hours practicing throws on hard woods. You can kick trees and avoid injury, but that requires conditioning I really doubt you've done. We're talking years of building up from kicking a heavy bag, to kicking a makiwara. And even then, doing it without some serious supervision, is dumb as hell.

[Tout Prêt 1888]

O'Sensei Ngo Dong (the guy that founded Cuong Nhu) actually routinely kicked an oak tree, and Masahiko Kimura would spend hours practicing throws on hard woods. You can kick trees and avoid injury, but that requires conditioning I really doubt you've done. We're talking years of building up from kicking a heavy bag, to kicking a makiwara. And even then, doing it without some serious supervision, is dumb as hell.

who is arguing with you please go out right now and boot an oak tree as hard as you can just do us one favour and film it then post it up here.

[Cuong Nhu]

Thank you for ignoring half of my post, it's really constructive to the conversation.

[Tout Prêt 1888]

Thank you for ignoring half of my post, it's really constructive to the conversation.

and newcomers coming on here looking for practical information on a martial art or taking an interest in genuinely learning how to fight are going to see a constructive image of martial arts when they read posts like yours with grandmasters and ridiculous training myths.

[Cuong Nhu]

You should try reading the entire posts I make. It would significantly decrease how stupid you look.

[Tout Prêt 1888]

You should try reading the entire posts I make. It would significantly decrease how stupid you look.

haha go bang your head of an oak tree, surely it won't do anything but make strengthen your brain power then you too could be a grand master.

[Cuong Nhu]

You seriously have reading comprehension problems.

[axelb]

*DO NOT KICK TREES OR MONKEYS WILL EAT YOUR BRAINS WHILST YOU SLEEP*

[seiken steve]

O'Sensei Ngo Dong (the guy that founded Cuong Nhu) actually routinely kicked an oak tree, and Masahiko Kimura would spend hours practicing throws on hard woods. You can kick trees and avoid injury, but that requires conditioning I really doubt you've done. We're talking years of building up from kicking a heavy bag, to kicking a makiwara. And even then, doing it without some serious supervision, is dumb as hell.

Doing it at all is pretty dumb.
hitting something with no 'give' in it will not achieve anything, and before you tell me that punching someone without having super amounts of conditioning will break my hand when will I ever punch anything with zero give in it? Even a face has a bit of squidge,
Heavy bag, pad work and sparring will make your hands tough as hell. I personally enjoy using the makiwara now and again but that’s just because I find it fun.
Hitting a tree is going to do more harm than good for your hands and joints and take away time you could be spending improving technique, doing drills, sparring or improving your fitness.
Seriously though, you want to get good at punching people? Punch people. You want to feel all mister myagi and smash your hands up? Punch a tree.

[Cuong Nhu]

You probably didn't read my post either. Congratulations.

[seiken steve]

You probably didn't read my post either. Congratulations.


I did.
Doesn’t stop punching a tree from being a very poor idea.
Why not stop playing the victim and explain your point?
Just because someone with a cool title once did it doesn’t mean it’s great. Arnie smoked cigars and he was Mr. Universe!

[Cuong Nhu]

I did.
Doesn’t stop punching a tree from being a very poor idea.
Why not stop playing the victim and explain your point?
Just because someone with a cool title once did it doesn’t mean it’s great. Arnie smoked cigars and he was Mr. Universe!

You didn't read my post, because if you had you'd have noticed:
1. I specifically said it would take years of conditioning to get to the point where it's not insane to punch a tree.
2. I specifically said that it should only be done under the supervision of someone that knows what they're doing, it's still dumb as hell.
3. I never said anything about punching. The examples I cited were kicking and throwing. Although, speaking of punching
YouTube - Shaolin Kung Fu

But, once again, you should only do this if you've properly built up your conditioning to this point and even then, only under the careful observation of a highly skilled martial arts.

[axelb]

I kicked a tree down in my back garden over 5 years ago.



I'm still waiting for my medal.........

[seiken steve]

You didn't read my post, because if you had you'd have noticed:
1. I specifically said it would take years of conditioning to get to the point where it's not insane to punch a tree.
2. I specifically said that it should only be done under the supervision of someone that knows what they're doing, it's still dumb as hell.
3. I never said anything about punching. The examples I cited were kicking and throwing. Although, speaking of punching
YouTube - Shaolin Kung Fu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr71xG7JuWY&feature=related)

But, once again, you should only do this if you've properly built up your conditioning to this point and even then, only under the careful observation of a highly skilled martial arts.

And I'm saying regardless of how conditioned you are it is worse than pointless to hit an immovable object because it’s immovable.
It cannot be moved
And will not move.

I’m all for hitting hard things, don’t get me wrong but an ounce of logic should tell you that whatever you hit needs to be able to recoil and absorb some of the impact.

I am interested in the throwing drill if you have a viddy?

[Cuong Nhu]

And I'm saying regardless of how conditioned you are it is worse than pointless to hit an immovable object because it’s immovable.

Trees and stone walls are movable though. The end of the middle of the video shows the wall having been dented in from the monks punches.

And I have no videos of Kimura throwing a tree, but it's a fairly common bit of knowledge about him.

[LCC]

I guess you could use the tree to tie shields, mitts etc onto if there's no-one to hold them. As for beating up trees, I do it all the time. Then again I'm training to fight opponents who can root themselves like a tree, have skin as hard as wood and outweigh and outreach me on a massive scale. :bang: Seriously though, unless your instructor can prove to you without a shadow of a doubt that hitting a tree will not stuff you up in the long run and is superior to doing bag work, then don't hit trees.

[WhitePanda]

Chainsaws are much, much more effective against trees. Axes work as well.

[APC]

Be sure that there are no Tree Preservation Orders, or that it is not in a Conservation Area, otherwise you could get well told off by your local authority tree officer.

[seiken steve]

Trees and stone walls are movable though. The end of the middle of the video shows the wall having been dented in from the monks punches.

.

Okay then, a tree for the most part is immovable, I’m sure after a while it could be dented.
If punching a tree is so good for conditioning; why do none of today’s top fighters do it? Surely some of the world class muay thai, MMA or boxers would be out in the garden as we speak?
Frankly, its just time they could be spending doing sparring/deadlifts/road work.

[PASmith]

The end of the middle of the video shows the wall having been dented in from the monks punches.

Not dented. Denting is what metal does. Stone doesn't "dent".
What's happened there is that the plaster rendering on the wall has been cracked and broken and you are looking through into a cavity.
Looks like the paper wadding is to stop the skin breaking when he does it.
That's not really and example of punching something with the resilience of an oak tree or stone wall.

[Cuong Nhu]

If punching a tree is so good for conditioning; why do none of today’s top fighters do it? Surely some of the world class muay thai, MMA or boxers would be out in the garden as we speak?

This statement basically assumes two things:
1. No boxer punches trees/walls. At 1:15 he's punching a stone wall (http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97351). And I'm sure I could find other pro fighters who hit trees and/or stone. I think the runner up from TUF 2 punched a stone as a part of his own conditioning.
2. That Pro MMA fighters and Boxers are even training right. I don't spend much time watching Muay Thai, but I'm sure that American Thai fighters have the same problem that MMA fighters have: They train 8 or 9 hours a day to fight for 15 minutes, to gas after 10, even though the whole thing should be done after less then 1 minute.

That's not really and example of punching something with the resilience of an oak tree or stone wall.

That looks a bit denser then plaster. Especially since that it almost definitely plaster over stone anyways. Regardless, Anko Itosu apparently spent a while trying to make a better makiwara by putting a sandle on a stone wall. Which he ended up destroying. That's mentioned in Tales of Okinawa's Great Masters by Nagamine Shoshin.

[WhitePanda]

This statement basically assumes two things:
1. No boxer punches trees/walls. At 1:15 he's punching a stone wall (http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97351). And I'm sure I could find other pro fighters who hit trees and/or stone. I think the runner up from TUF 2 punched a stone as a part of his own conditioning.
2. That Pro MMA fighters and Boxers are even training right. I don't spend much time watching Muay Thai, but I'm sure that American Thai fighters have the same problem that MMA fighters have: They train 8 or 9 hours a day to fight for 15 minutes, to gas after 10, even though the whole thing should be done after less then 1 minute.


1) He said TOP fighters not pro fighters. There is a difference. Lots of people are pro fighters, few of them are top fighters.
2) Pro fighters have the benefit of modern science behind their training as well as trial and error. They also have money invested them to be their best. In the case of top fighters, that investment could be $100,000's or millions of dollars to get the most out of the fighter.


Please refrain from posting before you think.

[PASmith]

That Pro MMA fighters and Boxers are even training right. I don't spend much time watching Muay Thai, but I'm sure that American Thai fighters have the same problem that MMA fighters have: They train 8 or 9 hours a day to fight for 15 minutes, to gas after 10, even though the whole thing should be done after less then 1 minute.

You are clueless. Sorry if that's blunt but there you go.
Where did you get 8-9 hours? I don't even think actual Thai's train that much. I don't think you actually CAN train that much without destroying your body!?!?
Most MMA Pro's train twice a day (2 hours at a time maybe). With weekends off. And with different sessions spread through the week (cardio, weights, grappling Thai etc). Not 9 hours.

the whole thing should be done after less then 1 minute

Face. Palm.
I'd like to see you do it in under a minute. Fights last longer when the two combatants match each other in skills and attributes. Not because they can't fight but because pro fighters are tough SOB's that are generally hard to stop.

[Cuong Nhu]

Where did you get 8-9 hours? I don't even think actual Thai's train that much. I don't think you actually CAN train that much without destroying your body!?!?

In TUF 3 Ken Shamrock said that most pro-MMA fighters train 8-9 hours a day, and that he didn't do that. Or is Ken Shamrock not a good authority on MMA?

Most MMA Pro's train twice a day (2 hours at a time maybe). With weekends off. And with different sessions spread through the week (cardio, weights, grappling Thai etc). Not 9 hours.

So, they train for four hours to do an event that lasts for 15 minutes, and die after 10? If a marathon runner said he couldn't make it past 20 miles, every trainer in the world is going to say he's training wrong, or isn't in good enough to condition to run a marathon and needs to stick to halves for awhile.

I'd like to see you do it in under a minute. Fights last longer when the two combatants match each other in skills and attributes. Not because they can't fight but because pro fighters are tough SOB's that are generally hard to stop.

There have been quite a few UFC matches that ended in less then a minute.

[PASmith]

I literally have no idea what you are getting at.
You seem all over the place. I think you are a troll actually.
I'll bite on this post but that'll probably be it.

In TUF 3 Ken Shamrock said that most pro-MMA fighters train 8-9 hours a day, and that he didn't do that. Or is Ken Shamrock not a good authority on MMA?

Ken Shamrock, while a legend in the sport and to be applauded for his sterling work in the early days, is very old school in approach, ceased to be a viable fighter about 5 years ago and is NOT a good authority on MMA. He was probably employing a smidge of hyperbole.
As I said...just think about it for a minute...a 9 hour training day? Really?
Start training at 9am. Break for lunch at 12. Start back immediately again at 1 and don't stop until 7pm? Ludicrous. A person wouldn't last a week of that, let alone an extended pro-career.

If a marathon runner said he couldn't make it past 20 miles, every trainer in the world is going to say he's training wrong, or isn't in good enough to condition to run a marathon and needs to stick to halves for awhile

You do realise MMA isn't marathon running right? It's far more varied, unpredictable and violent. People gas in MMA for all sorts of reasons (some of which, as you are getting at, is bad preparation).
And also...you do realise there are MMA fighters that don't gas?
Watch Clay Guida. He can seemingly fight all night.
Koscheck has good cardio.
Tito Ortiz has good cardio.
GSP has good cardio.
Cain Valasquez has good cardio.
Phil Baroni does not have good cardio.
Shane Carwin doesn't appear to have good cardio.

People are different (why the hell am I even having to type that?!?).
You obviously have an anti-MMA bias and agenda.
I suggest you go and hit brick walls with your bonce. It might help.

[Seventh]

The chances of hitting a tree to benefit ones self without any kind of negative backlash are as high as the chance I'll utilize Ki to fly.

[Cuong Nhu]

I literally have no idea what you are getting at.
You seem all over the place. I think you are a troll actually.

Just responding to what you give me.

Ken Shamrock... is NOT a good authority on MMA.

Are you serious?

Start training at 9am. Break for lunch at 12. Start back immediately again at 1 and don't stop until 7pm? Ludicrous. A person wouldn't last a week of that, let alone an extended pro-career.

I've trained from 6:00am to 8:00pm for four months, with 3 30 minute breaks for meals. And 7 hours of sleep. It's very possible. It just isn't very fun.

You do realise MMA isn't marathon running right? It's far more varied, unpredictable and violent. People gas in MMA for all sorts of reasons (some of which, as you are getting at, is bad preparation).

OK, in any sport, if you cannot last the full length of the competition consistently, virtually every trainer in the world is going to tell you you're training wrong, or need to drop down a competitive level. Except apparently for MMA, where endurance is not that important.

And also...you do realise there are MMA fighters that don't gas?

The UFC has contracts with almost 300 fighters. And it's a fairly safe bet that if I were to watch any UFC match that went to the third round, one or both fighters is going to be gassed.

You obviously have an anti-MMA bias and agenda.

Like how you have a pro-MMA bias, and an anti-unorthodoxy agenda? No different.