My Pell

The Ubiquitous Pell By Greg Mele

A pell is simply a (reasonably) solid practice target that approximates a human being. Warriors throughout history to practice technique, power, and endurance have used pells, often in the form of a simple wooden post.

A great, cheap alternative is a tire pell. First, acquire a large, used automobile tire. Flat's fine, and it doesn't need a bit of tread, so long as the basic shape and material is intact. You can usually buy these at a tire shop or a service station for around a dollar.

Next, from any hardware store, buy heavy, polyester rope, between 1/4" and 1/2" in diameter. You can buy 100'of this for three or four dollars.

Tie one end of the rope to the tire, toss the other end over a stout tree limb, cross beam, or roof rafter, and hoist it up in the air until the tire roughly covers the same height as your head and torso. Tie the rope off so the tire remains in place, and you're all set.

You can beat on one of these pells with single or two-handed weapons, and with any level of force, and the tire will remain unharmed.

Mine is made with a motorcycle's rear tire. I drilled a couple of holes in the bottom to let accumulated rain water escape. I tied the bottom to the tree so it wont swing around so much.