In karate... when you are a yellow belt the board you break, does it have a line down the middle so it's ...

Question

easier to break??? They do eaglepalm to it, and I think it would be kind of hard for them to break a REAL board!!!

Answer 1

Yes, they are most likely specially prepared.


M

Answer 2

No there ISN"T a line or a deliberately placed fracture in the boards that're designed to break fully when you strike it.

It is a completely solid piece of wood, the thing is that it is "soft" wood like number one white pine.

and it's not difficult to break a REAL board, especially if you know how to perform the technique the RIGHT way without injuring yourself. hitting the board properly, and with the proper follow through after making contact.

Meaning you punch THROUGH the board (as if you're really trying to hit the person that is holding the board, and not just the board itself) instead of stopping the strike after you've hit the board, this is where a LOT of people make mistakes when doing a breaking the board, and where they often hurt themselves; especially if they are breaking multiple boards or Camfer slabs (concrete).

I have broken many boards and Camfer slabs in my training (up to three boards held together by the board holder) and NONE of them have a precut or "secret" crack that's made in it, nor are they "baked" to cause them to be brittle or ANY BS you'll hear some of these people who've NEVER done it before CLAIM that this is how they actually get broken.

the only time they have a line that is actually "made" into the thing is the "rebreakable" boards that they sell on the Martial Arts gear websites for practice.

as it was said in an earlier posting, SOME schools do it to keep the costs down, because it does get pretty expensive if you have to make several different size boards for 30 plus students, several of which may have to break multiple boards in one setting.

We go to Home Depot, or Lowes or wherever they sell the 8ft planks, Buy the planks, and cut the planks down into 10", 8", 6", or even **4" or **2" size boards that we'll use in the demonstration or testing (**these are mostly for the younger students like the 6 or 7 yr old children to break)

Answer 3

Years ago I loved to break boards in my belt tests and M/A demos but as I moved up the rank then bricks (Patio tiles about 2" thick ea.) came into play. I did a little breaking in Tae Kwan Do back in '88 ( at the same time I also was in rolled at a Tang Soo Do school). In the summer of 1988 I pasted my Brown belt exam but stayed with TSD and made 1st Dan Black by 1990. You need to have confidence in your technique and your breaking will come naturally. The lines is something I have never seen so you should ask your instructor well before hand.

Answer 4

Breaking boards is realllllllly simple, they break very easily. If you want a challenge, stack four or five without spacers and try that. I know I was doing that when I had my yellow belt in Isshinryu Karate. That and 2 inches of concrete with my feet.

It really is only good as a confidence building exercise or an illustration of striking past the target. The more serious martial arts I have been studying lately don't do it at all. A good teacher will probably avoid the practice of it, it really cheapens the whole martial art.

Answer 5

To answer your question, it depends upon your school. Some schools dry out the wood, use different types of wood or break boards etc. while others schools do not. Break boards have varying degrees of hardness to break. The use of a breakboard is varied by school. It is cheaper than getting all that wood and better for environment. The posters above are right, you want to penetrate the wood, not hit the target... hit through it. The first break I learned was Open palm so as not to hurt my knuckles. Since then I have done knuckles, ridge hand (wouldn't necessarily recommend that), foot, speed breaks (no one holds it, you hit out of the air), etc. I've done it with wet wood (stupid rain), various types of woods and various break boards. Focus and good striking form are all helpful.
Oh, you aim for the middle with someone holding b/c that is good science of breaking. The board should not be precut.
Board breaking is just fun

Answer 6

In our school, you have a choice at yellow belt. You can either break a pine board, that is 3/4 of an inch thick, or the plastic board. There is no lines or anything. You just hit it in the center, with a fist, sidepalm attack, or a side kick

Answer 7

well im a 1st dan in tkd but the only boards with lines down the middle are the training boards. and also the boards u use for breaking are dry and come in different thicknesses for different levels. also wich way the grain is going is important and were u hit them

Answer 8

I achieved a sr. red belt in Taekwondo...

The line is to tell the holder which way to hold the board...

and "palm-heel" is the proper way to break when you are a yellow belt...so no worries...

I always told students who were apprehensive...

"Do You Really Want to LOSE to a BOARD???!!"

Break that shizzle

Answer 9

most schools use easy plastic breakable ones i didn't break a real board till near the end of karate

Answer 10

A martial artist should never "fix" his or her boards so they are easier to break.

I allow younger children thinner boards at their tests , but that is all.

Answer 11

Chili your ill and break the board