Breaking Boards

[senseikellam]

I was at a school as a guest the other night demonstrating board breaking. Afterwords, I was talking to the instructor and was surprised that she had never trained with breaking boards before. So with that said, I was wondering how many of you incorporate board breaking into your curriculum and is it required to advance in rank and at what level everyone is starting board breaking training. At my school we start very early as we feel it helps build self confidence.

[brickshooter]

I was at a school as a guest the other night demonstrating board breaking. Afterwords, I was talking to the instructor and was surprised that she had never trained with breaking boards before. So with that said, I was wondering how many of you incorporate board breaking into your curriculum and is it required to advance in rank and at what level everyone is starting board breaking training. At my school we start very early as we feel it helps build self confidence.

As I recalled... I think training was done after brown belt. We did some training a couple of weeks before dan grading. Then with every dan grading.

Frankly, we weren't really impressed with board breaking. Since most of us were young and fit men, our body weight did most of the breaking whether or not our skills were proficient.

[Rateh]

I have trained in 5 different schools, only my current one does board breaking.

I start my students off with board breaking at white belt. I use the color coded rebreakable boards for in class practice (the ones that go from white to black that are 7 levels, not the 3 or 4 level ones). Wooden boards are used for testing.

My students do board breaking once or twice a month, I believe it helps them with confidence, power, and technique. My rule is that you can go to the next level of board if it takes you less than three tries to break the level before.

My 3-4 year-olds break the white, yellow, and even have made it to the orange board. They do stomp kicks to teach them the basics of board breaking (chamber high, hit the center of the board, and follow through).

My 5-7 year-olds break white, yellow, orange, green, and even blue boards (blue is the equivalent of 1.25 inches in thickness). They break with the stomp kick as beginners, side kick as intermediates, and front kick as advanced. Stomp kick is required to advance from beginner to intermediate, side kick from intermediate to advance, and front kick to graduate to the regular program. At testing they are required to break a wooden board 6"x12"x1".

Ages 8 and up have breaking requirements starting at their third rank. The younger students can break the 6"x12"1" boards, as determined by the instructor. All other students break 10"x12"x1". At blue belt they start breaking two boards, at black belt 3. I expect all of my 8 and up to break the 10" boards. I start working on their board breaking at white belt even though they don't need it until their third test.

I don't allow any of my students who are under 9 to break with hand breaks. My 9-14 year olds can do hand breaks to low level boards (white or yellow). White and yellow boards are considered less than a 10"x12"x1" board so none of my under 15's are allowed to do hand breaks for testing.

Also at black belt testings students age 15 and above do brick breaks with a palm heel.

[honoluludesktop]

Its always good to practice by hitting stuff. Boards, bricks, pads, bags, and from time to time each other. Just do it supervised, and do not hurt each other.

[Montana]

I've been in the arts since January of 1975 and have never broken a board yet.

We feel that there is no point to the exercise.

[Wastelander]

In both karate dojo that I have attended board breaking is entirely voluntary and done for fun or demonstrations. My last dojo had a "Break Day" once a year where everyone gets to break a board, which was just to build confidence more than anything else, but was not mandatory, and breaks are not mandatory for rank.

Once you earn brown belt in Shuri-Ryu at my last dojo they will all tell you that before you get your belt you have to break a concrete slab. I was actually disappointed when it wasn't there because I'd been working up to that

[sensei8]

Shindokan does have tameshiwara in it's curriculums, and it's one of the requirements to advance in rank.

Curriculum's are age/rank based. The younger the student the less is required in both technique and material. The older the student the more is required in both technique and material. Having said that, the "more" is dependant on two things: Experience and/or rank.

No child students are premitted to train on the makawara!

[ninjanurse]

The current system I am in does not require breaking until testing for 1st gup/kyu but we practice monthly and green belts and up may compete at tournaments in the breaking divisions. My previous system required breaking boards and bricks and Black Belt testing but we never really practiced it nor did we enter breaking at tournaments. Prior to that I studied Moo Duk Kwan which required breaking at each gup.

[mindsedgeblade]

My old school did no breaking- at least up until black belt. Really not much point, as we were mostly male, and nearly all college age and very fit. Lots of heavy bag work though, which I feel is much more useful. Nothing you want to hit is going to react like a board or brick.

I visited a school near my parents place and blew the students there away when I snapped a side kick out and broke several (3-4) of their rebreakables. The new school does breaking at most of the testing, even the children. I haven't tested with them yet, but I anticipate no problems.

[ninjanurse]

My old school did no breaking- at least up until black belt. Really not much point, as we were mostly male, and nearly all college age and very fit. Lots of heavy bag work though, which I feel is much more useful. Nothing you want to hit is going to react like a board or brick..

There is more to breaking boards than gender, age, or fitness level.....and even more lessons to be learned.