I saw another method in a video where the guy began by pounding the blade in TIP first into the trunk of a small standing tree. The blade was oriented as perpendicular to the tree and the edge was horizontal. Then, when the blade was pounded in to the hilt, he hit the handle around the tree and cut it down. The action was kind of similar to cutting an orange by STABBING it in the middle and rotating the orange 360 degrees.

This type of batoning was intended, I believe to fall small trees for shelter versus prepping wood for a fire.

I have never tried this, but from the looks of it, the trunk was no more than eight inches in diameter and the wood looked soft and green.

I've been meaning to give this a try but never have.