Which Side of the Board Should face the Board Breaker?

[datguy]

Alright I guess I can see where you are coming from. I do TKD and my school doesn't break, Olympic spar, or anything like that. My teacher is from Korea so he's very traditional. I've broken boards before but it just doesn't do anything for me.

[april]

Thank you all for your replies and great suggestions. I will keep them in mind when I have to break next time.

[myataschool]

At my school we don't break boards or anything at all. In all honesty, what purpose does it serve? I'm not downgrading it but when are you going to have to break a piece of plywood in the street? That's time you could be using to learn how to defend against a knife attack per say.

I'm surprised no one else has addressed this yet. Have you seen the Karate Kid? Remember "painting the fence?" A seemingly mindless task helped the main character master martial arts techniques. While board breaks may seem like a "waste of time," they are a true test of one's ability to focus their technique.

Consider a front kick. Poorly delivered, it can still make a pretty loud slap against a pad. But, that same kick may break toes if done improperly on a board.

I am a strong advocate of board breaking as it helps students learn the importance of proper technique, which translates into conserving energy during a street fight. One strong, clean technique in a vital area should be all you need to stun your opponent to get away.

[sensei8]

At my school we don't break boards or anything at all. In all honesty, what purpose does it serve? I'm not downgrading it but when are you going to have to break a piece of plywood in the street? That's time you could be using to learn how to defend against a knife attack per say.

I'm surprised no one else has addressed this yet. Have you seen the Karate Kid? Remember "painting the fence?" A seemingly mindless task helped the main character master martial arts techniques. While board breaks may seem like a "waste of time," they are a true test of one's ability to focus their technique.

Consider a front kick. Poorly delivered, it can still make a pretty loud slap against a pad. But, that same kick may break toes if done improperly on a board.

I am a strong advocate of board breaking as it helps students learn the importance of proper technique, which translates into conserving energy during a street fight. One strong, clean technique in a vital area should be all you need to stun your opponent to get away.

solid post!!

[bushido_man96]

At my school we don't break boards or anything at all. In all honesty, what purpose does it serve? I'm not downgrading it but when are you going to have to break a piece of plywood in the street? That's time you could be using to learn how to defend against a knife attack per say.

Its a demonstration of the ability to perform a technique with power. You have to have good technique, set up things properly, and execute with good focus. No, you will likely never get the chance to set up the perfect technique in defense like a board break. But that doesn't mean its useless.

Material breaking can kind of fall into the same arguement you get with whether or not forms are beneficial for training. To some it is, and to others, its not.