How to use a bamboo tree in place of makiwara?

[username19853]

I’m in Hawaii, on the big island. I’m amazed at how many bamboo trees are around and I love training on them. Punching, knife hands and 3 point arm training is just about all I can come up with. I’ve been doing yoga early in the mornings and karate later in the day which had looked something like this:

- Sanchin 1-3x

- striking/3 Point arm training on bamboo tree

- stretching and meditation

What are your thoughts on the bamboo? Any advice, and does anyone NOT approve? Either way, I’m having a blast!

[Bulltahr]

Be careful with it, once it splits it will cut you to the bone.

[sensei8]

Personally, I've never heard of anyone using bamboo, except yourself; quite intriguing. My entire life I've not seen any bamboo big enough to ever use as a makiwara; bamboo I've seen are no bigger than a broom stick.

Bulltahr mentions something important that I believe should be kept in mind. Maybe, and I'm just speculating, if thick/dense padding over it might allow the safety factor apply.

Does the bamboo have the same or near same characteristics of a traditional makiwara?? I'd imagine that the taller the bamboo, the less the characteristics remain...kind of much more wobbly causing the return/bounce-back lessen as it gets taller. I guess that depends on how big the bamboo is at its base, circumference wise, that is.

[Wastelander]

Like sensei8, I have doubts about the functionality of the bamboo as a makiwara. I do suspect it would work as something like an ude-makiwara or tou for conditioning, though. You will definitely want to be cautious of splitting, as previously mentioned. I don't know of anyone who uses it for that purpose, explicitly, but I know some people who have used pieces of bamboo to fashion "arms" for training dummies, and it seems to work okay. If you want a makiwara, I would build a proper one.