Board Breaking is about Technique, not the Board

[bushido_man96]

i wasnt trying to be rude if thats what you meant,i was just curious really

i was just curious,since it isnt a usual thing around here,and the whole deal,with kids having a bb is a touchy subject,but i am not trying to change the topic of the thread

thanks for the answer,cheers

No worries, judobrah. I didn't think you were being rude, and I apologize if I hadn't elaborated well enough initially. You are right about the child black belt being a touchy subject, too. Lots of opinions to look at there.

I'm not sure if you did or not, but I would have put in somewhere that the power comes with the technique and adding the power is a part of the technique.

My first instructors in Kuk Sool Won saw technique and power as two separate things. I got chastised on more than one occasion for hitting a bag too hard because they wanted me to work on technique. I never quite got the hang of it but they told me once I was getting closer. By the time that happened, (example, swing kick) I had either a really fast kick that could graze or a slow kick that could knock the wavemaster over.

Good point, BB of C. I didn't talk get too in depth on the topic at the time; everyone was ready to get home, and I didn't want to keep them while I rambled on for 15 to 20 minutes, as I easily could have. But, I don't think others enjoy the sound of my voice as much as I do...

But, in regards the thoughts on power and technique, I agree with you. I think what your Kuk Sool Won instructors may have been trying to accomplish is to teach technique first, and then add power, so that as a new student one doesn't try to hit hard by sacrificing technique. But, like you say, I think they go hand in hand, and it is important to bring both aspects around in a fairly simultaneous fashion.

I kind of have a theory or equation that I try to relate to those who start breaking boards. I tell them technique will get them one board, power will get another, and when you can bring your technique together with speed to generate power, then the sky's the limit. I haven't really had a way to test this yet, but I use it to try to calm their minds when they get wound up about breaking their boards or not. If their technique is sound, and they are confident in it, and they do a board break technique the same way they practice their basic technique, then they shouldn't have too much to worry about when approaching a break. And if their technique is sound, then they should be able to add a bit of speed or power to it to get a bit more oomph for breaking a second or third board.

Early on when I moved to Karate, we were doing speed drills for kicks. My instructor stopped me and said, "That's a good kick." Then he asked, "Could you break a board with it?" Then he showed me the proper way. It ended up being exactly what I was doing two years earlier at Kuk Sool Won and got penalized for.

I believe that if technique and power are treated as two separate entities than will always develop one before the other and take at least twice as long to combine them. I also believe that while teaching, we should encourage the students to hit harder while maintaining form. Then add the speed to make it complete. That is how I believe the same reverse punch done in forms can be put through a brick.

I can understand your consternation in discovering you were doing something right that another told you was wrong. Frustrating, to be sure. That's why when I've been doing something for as long as I have, and someone else comes along and says "no, no, do it this way," I will gladly listen to their advise, try things out the different way, and then try to make my own informed decision.

Your last statement that I highlighted in bold, I totally agree with. That's why I told the students that we really harp on them as instructors during basics. Every technique they do should be "kyuk-pa," or the term for "break" in Korean.

[bushido_man96]

I am a big fan of breaking. Every striking technique you do (hand or foot) should be able to break at least one 3/4" pine board. Even some of your blocks should be able to do it. Like you said, it's not about the fact that you now have a board in front of you, it's about proving you understand every component of the technique and can execute it so. Pad work and kicking each other only gets you so far IMO. Boards show that every part of your technique is correct and that you're conditioned for the technique and that you're accurate. There's no way it will break if you don't have all of those factors.

Agreed on all accounts. Breaking brings together focus, distancing, technique, speed, and power. It is a great way to evaluate a single technique.

I can understand where the girl got a bit scared though It does freak me out sometimes when my instructor puts more boards up or uses a harder re-breakable board. I always do better when I don't know how much I'm trying to break because I don't try to force the extra effort in and make my technique go all funny. I actually find that if you put something in front of the board to trick yourself into thinking it's nothing it usually works and that's what I do when teaching breaking. Bit difficult with re-breakable boards because you need to see the line to be able to hit it, but you can line a child's or really weak board in front so that's what the breaker sees. Or if it's wood, I sometimes hang a cloth over the front or put a teardrop pad in front. Or even just making the student go and put some trainers on or a sparring pad. I find it helps psychologically .

These are some great ideas to deal with the psychological aspect of getting over the boards. Thanks for sharing them! Sometimes, we'll draw some funny faces or something like that for the kids to focus on. I can think of some pictures of some people I'd like to tape to a board I'm going to break....

One of the other things I do with kids / more timid adults, is to get some paper and have them "break" that. If you don't have that piercing action the paper won't be torn in two but also it's not going to hurt you. Then you can progress and gradually increase the grade and then move onto child boards then adult boards.

This is a very good exercise. The first time I did it was with one of my ATA instructors, and it was a great way to get everyone to focus on really good technique and targeting, and was a very inexpensive way to practice board breaking.

One thing I'm not so much of a fan of is the multiple measuring for the technique. We've always done it: one measure, one break. You measure to get your distance then compose yourself and break. You have one chance to do it. Kinda aspiring to ikken hissatsu. You only need one rep to line the kick or punch up as once you're in the correct position, it's a bit overkill. I think sometimes, when people keep doing the reps, it's because they're afraid and they're trying to convince themselves their technique is good and that they can go through it.

Here here! That drives me bats, ESPECIALLY when I am the board holder. That's where confidence in technique comes in. Unless I have to make some serious adjustments to the holders, I line up once, then smash. And I know every holder appreciates it. When I was in the ATA, if we lined up and contacted the board on a practice technique, then that counted as an attempt, and we only got three attempts per station. I wish our school would do that, too.

[ps1]

I did it in a few tournaments just for the fun of it. The price was the same whether you entered 2 divisions or 4 divisions.

I guess the problem I always had with board breaking is the way the boards are cut. They are cut to be weak..with the grain. You can literally drop them against a hard floor and they will break. I found breaking to be no challenge what so ever. I did it and took 3rd out of 15 with no prior training in the skill.

I can see the value it has for children. Especially in regard to overcoming fears. But any intelligent adult has to realize how fragile these boards are.

I won't, however, say the same for bricks and tile. I broke 1 patio brick and found it a little challenging. I've never tried tile.

To the initial question: I honestly feel absolutely no technique at all is required to break a board. A moderately sized adult can just put push on it to break it.

[vantheman]

Not much board breaking in my system either. Usually only for demonstration purposes.

[bushido_man96]

I guess the problem I always had with board breaking is the way the boards are cut. They are cut to be weak..with the grain. You can literally drop them against a hard floor and they will break. I found breaking to be no challenge what so ever. I did it and took 3rd out of 15 with no prior training in the skill.

I'm not sure what kind of boards they brought in, but I've never had boards break by dropping them. And I've seen bounces by moderately sized adults with bad technique that I would have been ashamed to call a technique. But, everyone has different experiences.

[sensei8]

Tameshiwara [board breaking] is a very important part of our style. It's a measuring tool of some type that we value, and whether a practitioner likes or dislikes it, imho, isn't that important.

Brain's topic title is quite accurate across the board...pun intended. Technique is a must in all aspects of Tameshiwara, and as technique will serve one very well against an opponent(s), that same said technique will serve one very well against any chosen material.

Hit any given material improperly and one will be provided vital and important feedback instantly via your unsuccessful break attempt; your body will scream out..."OUCH...that hurt!"

It drives me crazy when I see a practitioner going through a lot of preparation before any said break. One doesn't have that luxury against ones opponent/attacker when everything counts.

Have the faith and confidence on your proven techniques and let them fly to the target.

[DWx]

I guess the problem I always had with board breaking is the way the boards are cut. They are cut to be weak..with the grain. You can literally drop them against a hard floor and they will break. I found breaking to be no challenge what so ever. I did it and took 3rd out of 15 with no prior training in the skill.

I'm not sure what kind of boards they brought in, but I've never had boards break by dropping them. And I've seen bounces by moderately sized adults with bad technique that I would have been ashamed to call a technique. But, everyone has different experiences.

Likewise, the only boards we would have that might break when dropped are those intended for the kids but even then they'd have to fall onto something to break.

Tameshiwara does of course become pointless if you are using boards or materials that pose no challenge.

[jaypo]

We had 2 senior students testing for their Shodan rank this weekend. He didn't have breaking as a requirement, but he did incorporate it into the test for the technique. One of the black belts was asked to do a jumping front kick to break, and he couldn't. His technique was awful. I was asked to do it, and I broke it with no problem. But my technique was what made it happen. I'm a little more coordinated than he is, which is why my technique was better. However, he did break thru a cinder block slate with a left hand palm heel!

I was also asked to break one in the middle of performing Naihanchi Shodan. After the left downward block where the short punch is, I had a board placed on my side. I had to break it with the short punch, and I was able to go right thru it.

I actually enjoy breaking, unless it involves a spinning backfist with my 2 mashed up knuckles!!

[bushido_man96]

We had 2 senior students testing for their Shodan rank this weekend. He didn't have breaking as a requirement, but he did incorporate it into the test for the technique. One of the black belts was asked to do a jumping front kick to break, and he couldn't. His technique was awful. I was asked to do it, and I broke it with no problem. But my technique was what made it happen. I'm a little more coordinated than he is, which is why my technique was better. However, he did break thru a cinder block slate with a left hand palm heel!

I was also asked to break one in the middle of performing Naihanchi Shodan. After the left downward block where the short punch is, I had a board placed on my side. I had to break it with the short punch, and I was able to go right thru it.

I actually enjoy breaking, unless it involves a spinning backfist with my 2 mashed up knuckles!!

Kudos on your breaks, jaypo. That's exactly the point I was trying to make to the students in our school, and seeing it like you did really sends the point home, I think.

I think a good way to think of performing techniques in forms is in the manner you demonstrated, that if a board just happened to appear in front of a technique, that the student would be able to break the board with that technique, and not have that moment of anxiety I see so often during board breaks when the student sees the board, then gets all wound up about breaking the board instead of performing their technique.