Sasori_Te Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Can anyone give me convincing oral eveidence that breaking is legitimate and not a mere "trick". By trick, I mean breaking boards with the grain instead of against the grain, breaking rocks using the shape of the rock and breaking it on a hard surface from a fulcrum, breaking ice after it sits out and weakens at it's center..... etc. A block is a strike is a lock is a throw.
Tal Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Can anyone give me convincing oral eveidence that breaking is legitimate and not a mere "trick". By trick, I mean breaking boards with the grain instead of against the grain, breaking rocks using the shape of the rock and breaking it on a hard surface from a fulcrum, breaking ice after it sits out and weakens at it's center..... etc. Both 'legitetmate' and 'trick' breaking is done. The stuff you see at demos is more likely to involve tricks than breaking done as normal training in the dojo. I can break boards against the grain, anyone can with training (or without, if you're naturally gifted!). But me simply saying that over an internet forum is hardly evidence. You have to see it for yourself. shotokan karate nidanjujitsu shodankendo shodan
tommarker Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Why don't you share your thoughts on breaking, instead re-hashing more cliches. I did. Back on page one. I'm no longer posting here. Adios.
tommarker Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 good physics = trickery? I can break against the grain. Have done it before. And I can be honest, it was considerably more difficult than with the grain. That doesn't make it impossible. You've set yourself up quite nicely... I couldn't convince you that breaking is beneficial unless I speed break pieces of granite that are thrown in the air, aiming my fist only at the sharpest point of the rock. Just because I set up the break as efficiciently as possible doesn't make it a "trick." Does it make it easier? Well, YEAH. Humans have brains. We should use them. A 10 board break with 1/8" spacers is still *difficult* and is a bit more than a parlor trick. Now there are people out there who will lie about their materials, pre-score the boards, heat the boards in an oven, use balsa, etc and claim that their mastery of karate, alignment of ki, power of Jesus, whatever, will allow them to obliterate this stack of OAK. I think we can all agree that's not right. This is my main problem: you imply that breaking in of itself is fraudulent. It's not. It's just breaking. It can and should stand on its own merits. I grow tired of people who say "oh yeah, let me see you do it against the grain" as if that invalidates what I'm doing. Imagine if we applied that to all other things in life. Run a mile in under 4:00: "Yeah, I'd like to see you do that in combat boots with a pack strapped to your back and bullets whizzing by your head." Swim a mile: "Yeah, I'd like to see you do that upstream against the Rio Grande." Defend yourself with a basic technique: "Yeah, but could you do that against Mike Tyson?" I'm not saying you have to do breaking, or even that you have to LIKE it. Just accept it as a training method and move on. I'm no longer posting here. Adios.
Sasori_Te Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 I never said there wasn't legitimate breaking. I have just never witnessed a legitimate breaking demonstration. But you are correct, I did set myself up pretty well. I always do if I can. It's an extension of my training. What can I say? *L* I'm not saying it can't be done and isn't legitimate, but I would have to see it for myself and be able to inspect the material before the break. A block is a strike is a lock is a throw.
tommarker Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Just for grins... what do you consider "legitimate" I'm no longer posting here. Adios.
equaninimus Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 Run a mile in under 4:00: "Yeah, I'd like to see you do that in combat boots with a pack strapped to your back and bullets whizzing by your head." The bullets might help! I basic training, we had a "live fire" execise, where you crawl under barbed wire while a .50 cal is fired overhead, and munitions explode in pits next to you. it was , of course, pouring rain that night too! (If it ain't raining, you ain't training!). One member of our platoon, who stood all of 5 feet tall, panicked, stood up and sprinted to the other end. All I saw as I was trying to get my stupid m-16 untangled from wire was a pair of legs go whooshing past! There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm!
aznkarateboi Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 I'm not pro-boards, but the boards dont hit back argument is dumb. Dummies dont hit back. Neither do bags. Anyway, I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure that breaking is a modern introduction to popularize karate through sporting events/demonstrations and to impress non martial-artists. Board breaking might have some limited uses, but I don't really think it was designed to be really useful. I think it's better just to practice on a heavybag... you can get more power and work on combinations as well.
equaninimus Posted February 20, 2004 Posted February 20, 2004 I wonder if Tameshwari were introduced because Kenjutsu had Tameshigiri? It would make sense, since so much of "Japanese" karate evolved to make the Okinawan art more "Japanese." There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm!
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