Do you really have to break bricks etc for some belts?

Question

Just wondering if for the higher belts you really have to break bricks or if this is just a stunt for demo days. Which belts do you have to do it on if so, any kind of karate?

Answer 1

For my TKD academy, we had to break boards, to move up from each belt. The higher up, the more boards are needed to break. For my brown belt, I had to break cement bricks (usually, it was for black belt testing), and I proposed to break 30 boards in 30 seconds with spinning hook kicks (I broke them all in 20 seconds). For my black belt, I had to bread 2 stacked cement bricks. And every promotion afterwards, I had to break one more brick, so I am up to 5 for my next test.

Answer 2

I take American Freestyle and we start breaking boards when u test for ur first green but no bricks just different kicks for each belt and degree and Black Belt u have to break four separate with at least one arm or hand break if ur under 18 and over 18 is 4 boards together with one kick

Answer 3

they are not requirements, but some Martial Arts schools DO have breaking techniques that you can use camfer (I believe that's the correct spelling) slabs which are made of concrete.

In the Tang Soo Do class that I'm in we do use them in our breaking techniques. often it's brown belt and above that you'd perform a 4 way board break, followed by a camfer slab.

A friend of mine has told me in his Kenpo class that they don't do any breaking techniques.

there is also Iron Palm, which I believe they often do breaking techniques in as well. I think it's mostly up to the teacher or the school whether or not you break a board or concrete, but it's usually the upper ranks that're allowed to do so because of their experience.

Answer 4

Breaking boards is meant to sharpen focus and technique. I don't think most people would confuse breaking boards with fighting a moving opponent. Most people are smart enough to walk and chew gum at the same time. I think it's a good thing to do if a student and teacher both think it's okay. It reinforces the mind over matter doctrine.

Answer 5

Its best to ask your instructor, im my club we dont have to do it to pass a grading but we do it as part of our training but it's not compulsory.

You should practice breaking things as it really refines your technique and builds confidence, but dont start with bricks! The best thing to do is to light a candle and put out the flame by punching and kicking just in front of it, if the punch is fast enough the air that is displaced will blow out the candle.

From there work on wood, 1ft by 1ft and 1 inch thick is best as you can stack these up as you get better. Then you can practice on clay tiles, not ceramic as they shatter into razor sharp splinters.

Its a gradual process so try not to rush it as you can injure yourself.

Answer 6

break the brick with your head and for an encore you break 2 bricks and if you don't do it you get belted its a great sport your swelling should go down in a few weeks

Answer 7

I know that in my TKD school, we have to break boards starting at brown belt. Then, you basically have a year (so long as you actually get everything and can do the breaks properly) before you can get your black belt.

Answer 8

No point in breaking boards - they don't hit back.

I'm 4th Duan Wei in Chenjiagou Taijiquan. I went to China to study.

If you want to do Karate, go to Okinawa Japan or learn from a Japanese teacher. English Karate has been watered down.

Answer 9

breaking things are so pointless. Not like you will be able to fight a moving opponent who are trying to avoid getting hurt as well and hit hard enough to break brick or anything.

Answer 10

totally depends on which style of karate.
in GKR (go-kan-ryu) we dont do it because we believe that imagining an opponant and beating them is much better than breaking something that is even less of a human than our imagination (plus ur less likely to hurt yourself)