Real wood vs rebreakable boards

[White_Tiger]

I would like to get your opinion on testing with real wood vs rebreakable boards. I find the rebreakable boards to be strong, and they have to be hit in the middle to break. Other than the obvious pros and cons (less mess with rebreakable, less storage, not killing trees, etc) I would like to know how you feel.

 

Thanks in advance for your opinion!

[swooshfinn]

I have found that some of the rebreakables tend to lose their strength after a period of time... in other words they don't hold together like they are supposed to. Losing their beneficial value as a training tool, because they break with very little pressure/ interia/ momentum.

[tommarker]

When a rebreakable board BREAKS -- and I mean literally breaks instead of coming apart, it can be bad news for the holder and the kicker.

 

We had a rebreakable board break during a spinning back kick, and the edge on the board ended up slicing the kicker's leg open. Of course, this could happen with regular boards too, I'm sure.

 

And rebreakable boards suck for hand techniques

[sk0t]

I think that rebreakable boards are invaluable to the martial arts practioner...other than the obvious mess and other things that can make purchasing pine a monstrocity, I think that the rebreakable boards initiate more training, more focus (to hit the board in the middle, depending on what technique you are using) and it makes you use more power...because they are a bit harder to break than real boards (as long as they are brand new)

[ShotokanKen]

ive never used them , now i dont think i want to

[Bretty101]

Wood is so much easier to break then re-breakable boards You can bit a bit of wood anywhere and it'll break rebreakable you have to hit in the middle.

 

I went to pick up some wood from a timber merchants for a demo we were doing. 1"x1"x10" The guy behind the counter asked what we were doing with the wood and we said we punch and break it for a demonstration. He said i bet you don't break it against the grain

 

"Erm no we don't" He wasn't very impressed.

 

Bretty

[ZR440]

Wood isn't always easier to break. Sometimes it takes a little more force to start the fracture of the material as opposed to rebreakables, which become two pieces because you are overcoming the friction that hold the pressed fit together. For wood, it really depends on the grain structure and moisture content. I think rebreakables are fine during practice, but there's nothing like splitting a square foot of pine during a test!

[Budomaru]

i think both are quite good - well you the topic is wood vs rebreakable but i'll just say what i think.

 

since they require slightly different technique they are both valuable for varying practice - which is always useful. whether one or another needs more strength i dont really know - we had an rebreakable board in class and it looked quite used to me, however some of the green or blue belts had trouble breaking them sometimes because they require more precision. i myself am a greenbelt and i had to try 2 or 3 times to break with an outward crecent (naeryo-chagi in TKD).

 

real wood though is different - maybe it can break in more places but it still needs to be hit in the center in order to break easily and properly. not to mention that, depending on the wood, you might have to use extra strength, while the rebreakable ones usually need the same amount of strength i guess since its mostly technique that counts there.

 

you mentioned that rebreakables get worn after a while - well, real wood gets broken after you punch or kick it! you have to buy more after, but with a rebreakable all you have to do is buy a new one and keep it for the time it lasts.

 

i think we should use both - rebreakables mostly for training and rehearsing demonstrations while wood for exams and real demos. also, real wood can be strengthened by adding more pieces from behind - you cant do that with a rebreakable

[btroadman]

There are 6 year old who break boards in training, it really isn't all that big of a deal. I think they are really meant to be a confidence builder, and sometimes make you think a little more with technique as to not try and break a board against the grain. Other than that I could do without it all.

[IAMA_chick]

we use the rebreakable boards to practice for tournaments, like our steps and thing, and also just when we mess around. we use actual boards for test's. it wouldn't be the same if we didn't use real boards.