Striking things with Wasters.

[Corey Roberts]

Question, After practicing striking several Bamboo staves as pells with my Waster I destroyed both Bamboo staves. However, I am concerned that if I practice striking on a more substantial wooden pell I will break my Waster. I know breaking Wasters is fairly common but as I am on a limited budget and they can be rather expensive to replace if you buy them, so I was wondering what's a good thing other than a wooden pell to practice striking with a Waster. How are punching bags for striking pracice?

[Brian Hunt]

A punching bag will work well, you could also wrap a wooden pole with foam pool noodles to lessen the impact to the waster.

just a thought.

Brian Hunt
GFS

[Will Adamson]

Some folks have used a tire for both wasters and blunts. I think the wrapping the pell in some sort of foam is far superior to using a tire that will mark up the waster and bounce back on you. Like many things, there is much disagreement about statements like that.

I have used one of those water filled base punching bags as a pell, but since the plastic sleeve on the inside of the bag comes right up to top I can't strike straight down without risking breaking the bag. My waster beats the stuffing up more than kicks and punches, so I don't use it much. I still want to use it to kick on.

I'm very new at this, but I would say that using something that moves just a bit is better than using something buried. It gives you a better feel for the power you are delivering into the blow. Something that is hanging also makes you get used to a moving target. I'm not sure if there are hanging or freestanding pells in any source literature, so a static pole with padding is probably more period.

Everyone pretty much seems to make up their own designs within a rather general conceptual framework. But you're right, don't use a waster on bare wood lest you provide the waster makers kids a better education or new shoes.

[Dak Wade]

I use a 4 x 4 post with a 6" piece of PVC covered in old carpet, I got form bulk garbage day, about 6" thick wraped around the PVC.

[Randall Pleasant]

Corey

I use a punching bag as a pell. I find it easy on my joins. The downside is I can't practice verticle cuts or use a blunt sword.

[Jay Vail]

Corey

I use a punching bag as a pell. I find it easy on my joins. The downside is I can't practice verticle cuts or use a blunt sword.

Ditto on the heavy bag.

[Corey Roberts]

There is a metal pipe which sticks up about a foot in my backyard, in which I have inserted about a 3" thick vertical pole into. The Pole is loose and has a fair amount of play in which to move around within the pipe and the pipe itself is somewhat loose in the ground itself, giving the whole unit about 6" of spring when struck forcefully . As well the pole is made of a somewhat flexible wood. I have been using this recently, striking the pole very forcifully and because of it's flex I'm hoping it will not damage my waster as it has not done so yet. However I havn't struck down on it vertically because it dosn't look like it will flex as well in that direction. I found I can also practice thrusts against it fairly well although hitting it is sometimes difficult as it is a rather thin target, when I do get a good thrust in on it you can really see the force of your thrust in the reaction of the post. So far i've been doing this.

[Richard Strey]

We use a car tire that we hang from a balcony on a rope. This limits the rebound of the weapon somewhat and has the additional option of having a moving target that you can practice your footwork and sense of distance with. Plus, it's highly mobile, rather indestructible and cheap.