Originally posted by Macdallan:

Originally posted by Brozong:

While hitting a rock over and over isn't good gameplay I don't get why it wouldn't increase your combat skill. It isn't much different from using a training dummy or just practicing swings in the air.

Because rocks don't hit back. Unless you're in the mountains, then some of the rocks do hit back.

Hit back? They're not suggesting to attack rocks/trees to improve the blocking skill. There are countless analogs in real combat training that improve skill using inanimate objects as targets. Go watch film of Bruce Lee on a wooden dummy.