board breaking

[BKJ1216]

I think board breaking is just to train you to hit more powerful. If you adapt yourself to the point where you can break some odd number of bricks/boards then your strikes will have becomd more powerful.

[Maestro]

Yes, it is a test for power too, but again, without proper technique, that power will just make it hurt more. I think it's not the breaking itself that developed that power, it's what you did inbetween breaking that made you more powerful.

 

Well, Stold, even the instrictor may not notice an inch in the wrong direction, (mine didn't! ) or a couple degrees mis-allignment in your foot when you are bashing a big leather target or a punching bag. You don't have to learn this way, but I would say it is darn effective. No better way to be sure that you do it right in the future than to remember what happened the last time you did it wrong. We had a couple big whitebelt guys in my school that believed that their strength would be enough to easily get them through breaking techniques, so, they didn't dedicate as much time to their form as they should have. Well, they were sorry. I mean, ahem, that's not funny.

[Stold]

Well, if the best way for you to learn is to bash your limbs against hard objects karate kid style and see if you go "Ow" afterwards, by all means, knock yourself out!

[BKJ1216]

I think being able to break boards would be cool, and like that show on TLC where the guy was like getting hit the stomach with those, and getting sticks broken over their legs. Being able to endure that would be good.

[capn_midnight]

My school doesn't teach breaking, but I was fortunate to try it once. One of our students had a science experiment comparing the abilities of different types of people (kids, adults, beginners, advanced) to break the board. We had 5 boards, and we only got one chance at them. I broke 4. that makes 80%, on my first try, ie. my technique had not been refined yet. I don't remember what the board was, but I remember he mentioned it was a little thick for beginners. The only one to break all 5 was a cocky black belt that figured he would power his way through the boards. He ended up bruising his hand, I did not, and only missed 1 board (incidentally my first, and it hurt the most).

 

If breaking is about refining technique, then I shoudn't have done too well, because my technique sucked at that time.

[Maestro]

I didn't say you wouldn't be able to break without refined technique, just that it would hurt to do so, as you can see it did. Hopefully you learned something to help you refine your technique from that first break. That Blackbelt must have been a Masterful martial artist! that's a funny story!

[capn_midnight]

Speaking from my experiences, which is all anyone knows for certain, when we go to tournaments we sweep kata (pure technique). We do no breaking, and many of the schools in the competition do break. We have a sister school that doesn't break either, and they train world class fighters. So, we have excellent kata technique, they have excellent sparring technique, and neither of us break.

 

(as a side note, my school also has excellent sparrers, they just don't compete as much)

[ZR440]

My instuctor was critiquing our forms last week and held a re-breakable plastic board for one of the strikes we perform. I hit that darn thing with my hand rolled over a little too much and just about broke my knuckle. I did break the board, but judging by the color of my knuckle my technique was not proper.

 

Hey Captain, your signature is correct. Arguing comes naturally to us.

[Maestro]

Haha, yeah, I started of in college as an engineer too, I switched out of that major but I still love to argue! I like mudd too.

[TKDLadyInSC]

I feel board breaking is useful. You can hit a bag all day and thing you are hitting the exact same spot. Do the same thing on a rebreakable board a few times and you will learn for certain wether you are accurate or not. I believe real wood is easier that a rebreakable. With a rebreakable you have one grain line to break on. If you don't hit it center, it's not probably not going to break; whereas on real wood you have many grain lines.

 

I also like the equivelancies of boards. I know 1 12x12x1 inch board is equivelant to a floating rib. 2 of these boards is equal to the bones in the lower arm. Try breaking with a defensive move rather than an offensive move. Break 2 boards with a low block. If you can do this, you know if the bad guy punches at your gut, and you block it effectively, he won't be punching anyone anytime soon.

 

Know this isn't to say I break daily. In our organization you must break to pass testings red belt and above. We dedicate one week of every testing cycle to target drills/board breaks. We will refine our techniques during the week on targets and bags. Then on Saturday we will have board break clinic. You learn how to set up board holders, proper chambering, penetration and accuracy. Plus the kids love it!!!