Summarize this article:

Make sure it is stable, and near the center of the block, if possible. Swinging a heavy maul at an unsteady block is extremely dangerous. A glancing blow could strike your leg, or send the wood flying off like a dangerous projectile. Set yourself up for success by placing the wood securely. Look for hairline cracks in the log. You should aim so that the blade of you the maul runs in the same direction as the crack. Different woods split in different ways, so plan accordingly. Oak splits somewhat easily through the center, even large-diameter portions. Maple, on the other hand, is split more easily toward the edges of the end-grain. Look for large knots or places where a limb was removed when the wood was cut and avoid them. These places will likely have very crooked, gnarly grain, which should be avoided if possible. You could spend all day hacking away at knots. Choose the location you want to split the log, stand with your maul resting on that location, and set your feet square. You might tap a little indentation into the wood so you'll have a good visual cue at which to guide the maul, if the grain isn't obvious from where you're placed. You don't really "swing" a maul, and you don't need to put the end behind your head at any point to split wood properly. Hold the maul firmly with your non-writing hand at the end of the handle, and cradle the maul with your dominant hand, just below the head of the maul. Flex your knees slightly, then lift the maul head straight up above your head, extending your arms straight. Slide your strong hand down until both of your hands are close, gripping the end of the handle, then bring your hands down and flick your wrists, letting gravity do much of the work for you. Splitting has much less to do with strength and more to do with using the correct technique. Swinging the maul wildly is both dangerous and exhausting. You may have to pull and twist it hard to remove it, if the bit is sunk deeply and stuck in the wood. Rock the axe bit up and down to work it out of the wood. Alternatively, you can treat the planted maul like a splitting wedge and hit the blunt metal end of the maul with a sledge. This is a popular and common technique for splitting logs. If you've placed the maul accurately, or it's quite stuck, don't waste energy pulling it out. Try to strike in exactly the same place as the first time, or along the length of any crack which appeared when you hit it. Split each block of wood into progressively smaller pieces, until they are the desired size. Normally, you will split the block in half, then each half will be split again, until the pieces are about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) at the largest cross section. Stack split wood so that air can circulate around it to allow it to season thoroughly before it is burned in a wood stove or fireplace. Cover it to prevent rain from repeatedly wetting it, which will cause it to rot, but do so in a manner which still allows good air circulation.

Summary:
Place your first log on the chopping block. Examine the wood before splitting it. Aim. Bring the maul up and down. Pull the axe bit out of the log if the wood fails to split on the first swing. Repeat your swing into the wood until the wood splits. Split and stack.