| Aaaaaiiiiiiiiaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! You thrust your palm | | | | brown stipe running from side to side. The dark |
| heel into the boards... a second later, your palm | | | | stripe is the heart of the tree and the weakest. |
| explodes with pain after your hand came to a | | | | Begin by breaking boards using simple and solid |
| dead halt on the wood. Today, your board | | | | techniques. Students always learn to break with a |
| breaking is unsuccessful. Your instructor smiles | | | | side kick in my academy. A kick that strays from |
| and says, "Tough break." (At least, that's what I | | | | the center of the board will have the least |
| say) | | | | likelihood of getting injured. The heel is durable and |
| Board breaking in Taekwondo is exciting. It builds | | | | solid. |
| focus, power, technique, control, and accuracy. | | | | For hand techniques, I only encourage students to |
| The one thing is doesn't teach you is self defense. | | | | break with their palm heel or knife hand. Again, |
| On the other hand, nobody ever said it would. If | | | | these are durable weapons. Students interested in |
| you are leaving board breaking out of your | | | | breaking with their knuckles must be very careful |
| training, you are leaving out the development of | | | | and must condition their hand prior to attempting |
| these important aspects mentioned above. | | | | to break with a punch. The student must be well |
| One board is easy to break. You can break it with | | | | trained and must be able to strike with the first |
| bad technique and enough force. Two boards | | | | two knuckles (2 knuckles closest to thumb). |
| require you to have better technique. Better | | | | Do the boards break the same everytime? No |
| technique means the deliver of more force, and | | | | way, but there is excitement in unpredictability. |
| Force = Mass X Accelartion. So, if you're | | | | Unless you're using re-breakable boards, pine is |
| technique is good, you'll be able to utilize your | | | | highly unpredictable. The difference in grain |
| mass effectively as well as accelerate quickly. The | | | | thickness and placements of knots will change the |
| ability to strike with as much force as possible, | | | | integrity of the wood. The exciting, and also |
| with the proper distance, weapon, breathing | | | | beneficial aspect is that the force required to |
| rythymn, and precision requires incredible Focus. | | | | break varies accordingly. Boards containing "heart |
| Your Focus will improve as you increase the | | | | wood" will take roughly 35 lbs of pressure to |
| number of boards you're attempting to break. | | | | break. A good solid piece of freshly cut |
| You'll quickly notice as you increase your force, | | | | 12"X10"X1" pine can take up to 60 lbs of pressure |
| your precision drops. Continue practicing and | | | | to break. |
| eventually your precision will catch up to your | | | | See through the board. Not literally, but mentally. |
| force. | | | | See your technique going through the board. |
| I have seen cut knuckles, broken hands, and | | | | Before you break, play in your mind your |
| jammed toes as a result of breaking boards in | | | | technique slicing through those fibers. Be as vivid |
| Taekwondo. If you're going to begin breaking | | | | as possible with your visualization. When you're up |
| boards, I highly recommend that you begin with 1 | | | | to break, re-enact the break you just played in |
| board. If you're breaking real pine, then choose a | | | | your brain, but in real life. Watch that board |
| piece known as "heart wood." This is with a dark | | | | explode from the middle. Doesn't that feel great? |