Why are people so against board breaking?

Question

I've never heard of any critisizm towards them until i came to the yahoo answers.

They're supposedly the strength of a rib ( i have never heard this proved), so they let you know your level of profecciency with a certian technique. I know they don't move and stuff, but if you can't break it sitting still with a certian technique, you know using that technique probably wo'nt work period.

*one of the breaks i had to do for a test was a jump back kick*. I did my other breaks, but then for the jump back, bounced right off the board. ALthough i'd probably never do a jump back kick anyways....i atleast now know that i am definatly not profecient with it*.

Atleast in my school, i assumed this is how it is for everyone, but you can completley not make your breaks and still pass your test.
Its a very small part of the overall test and when everything gets averaged together, you still pass.

Its also fun to break.

I have no idea what the negatives are.

Like the responses so far, would like to here more.

Not going to try to debate individual answers, but i will try to reclarify my take on it.

Yeah anyone can break a stationary board.....so isn't it benefecial if you find out that you CAN'T. And some benefits when you can.

Personally, i can only bench press about 80 lbs. I can punch through 1 concrete block though. Yeah the concrete isn't moving... there are about 6 people holding it, its not hitting me back, i get to set up and take my time...if i don't break it the first time i get 2 more shots...but 6 years ago that block would've broke my hand.
Doesn't that atleast let you know something about yourself.

Was tryign to stick to the basics, but how about the other stuff people do. Like speed break concrete blocks... or my instructor puts a wooden board on top of concrete and spear hands the wood, not breaking it, but the concrete breaks. If you can manage that, wouldn't that let you know about how you've progressed

I'm going to let you guys vote for best answer.

I appreciate greatly all the responses....but i think i'm in a different world on the thought.

I take everythign with an open mind and will consider all the responses.

Answer 1

If you love to break boards go ahead. However, it has been said that excessive board breaking can cause arthritis. Furthermore, in reality, you will not be fighting a board. You will be fighting a human being that can move and dodge your 'bone-breaking attacks' and strike you.

Hope this helps.

P.S. When you fracture a bone, it always grows together more firmly than it was before. I wonder what would happen if, over the years, you broke bones in your hands over and over again...what would your hands be like when your old?

This question has just been asked out of curiosity. I have no idea what would happen. I just like to think. =)

Hope this helps. =D

Answer 2

There is no negative about board breaking itself, some people like to bungee jump or play cricket I have no problem with that either, whatever floats your boat.

However when someone spreads false information then that is a huge negative.

Board breaking is not essential nor important to martial arts at all. It is simply a trick, it doesn't add or do anything for you and may cause bad habits if people believe that it is essential, helpful or of value in any way to your fighting ability.

1- boards don't move and don't attack you (I don't want to rip off a script from an MA movie, but its true). as such you are focused on striking a stationary target that is held by someone else. I guess if you are a mob enforcer and you plan on using your board breaking abilities to better punch someone held by a bigger guy then you'd find an application for it. However....

2- a human body has give, a board does not, even though bodies and ribs are fragile, they will not be "held" for you, nor will they guarantee that you punch with the grain. Do you still think you can break a board when it isn't held fast? let the guy absorb the impact and have the board "roll with the punch" then see how good you are at it. board breaking creates unrealistic expectations and belief and is really just a waste of time and your money (you are paying for your lesson to be taken up with this crap that doesn't improve your fighting ability, if your teacher has other stuff to show you that can actually help, then let him show you that instead) Most importantly

3- it can lead to BAD technique and form. If you equate a board breaking trick to actual fighting, you will become so obsessed with applying that particular technique designed to be used against a stationary, non-absorbant or defending target, you will focus more on using that technique rather than a technique desigend to better hit the guy- which is the goal of martial arts and fighting. You want to be a board breaker, go ahead there is nothing wrong with it, just don't lie to yourself, or let your teacher lie to you to tell you that it has any relevance to your training.

Board breaking can stregthen your bones, however no matter how hard you stregthen your hand can it ever be as strong as even pee-wee herman's forearm bone? No. Repeated stress on your bones can in fact make them stronger, but the level really necessary to have any realistic effect is better gained by building muscle in the gym to deliver more power. Unless your goal is to be a professional trickster (board breaker, sword swallower, fire eater, guy who bends metal rods with thier neck, etc.) then It is a waste of time and delusional to believe that there are not better and quicker methods to stregthen your hands for punching, better your technique and build more muscle.

EDIT: However, one must also not neglect the possibility that we are one day attacked by alien boards from another planet as depicted in The Prophet Gary Larson's book of the Far Side.

Answer 3

There is nothing wrong with breaking boards and it looks pretty impressive. However it tells you nothing about your martial arts ability. It has been proven that anyone, even without any martial arts training can break boards, bricks, even stacks of bricks with a rudimentary knowledge of physics and a little strength. So what are you really proving? Not much.

It has been said that learning to fight only in a dojo, only in a gi and only against sparring partners pulling their punches will teach you only to fight in a dojo, in a gi and against sparring partners. The same can be said for breaking things, learning to break boards is fine, but it only teaches you to break boards.

Unless your boards are in the shape of a persons chest and at the angle which an attacker would stand, you show nothing by breaking one. A board laying down across two bricks is nothing like a persons chest or head. The applications are totally different, your anatomy works totally different also because of the angle which you are striking at. Now there are schools that break boards vertically, a person holds the board so it's upright and a person breaks it. This is a much closer approximation to a real fight since it's held at chest height.

It is totally fun to break boards and bricks, and honestly it looks totally awesome. It's also a really cool way to build some confidence and hand or foot strength, so it DOES have merit, don't get me wrong. But it should never be used as a mark of a martial artists abilities or a way to measure skill. Those are measured by sparring, forms, strength drills, and knowledge.

Answer 4

It's good for show

It's good for measure

It'll teach you about wood end grain and cross grain.

If you want strong knuckes, the first two are backed up with the radius bone so basically they have more clout and less chance of busting a metacarpal, anyway get a bucket of clean sand and punch that, as the skin and bone toughen work your way up to pea gravel.

Wanna measure your progress, try 4 knuckle pushups.
If you can do push ups on your knuckles without excessive pain they'll be strong, if you want them stronger, try bouncing an inch each pushup.

I couldn't get passed 2 inches, but don't try it the first time,- work your way up to it, bone is fairly slow to grow , but faster when you are younger.

Ob1

Answer 5

I'm not against breaking boards, bricks, etc....per se. Though, I do think it's utterly pointless, to be honest.

Breaking teaches you how to align a striking object into a static target to achieve maximum force penetration. Fantastic.
Here's the rub, that's only useful if you're hitting someone who's already sluggish (ex. stunned) or static (i.e., standing still.)
Now, I agree with what Bluto said above....humans give, we're 'soft' compared to a solid substance like a piece of hickory.
And because of that, active energy is dimished on a living being.

So, in turn....what does that tell you? Breaking doesn't teach you how to DYNAMICALLY strike, it just teaches you how to plow through a static object. Anyone with enough graceless energy and force can do that.

Human beings don't sit still and wait for someone to perform the perfect "breaking strike" onto their body.

Not to mention, that I've met numerous martial arts practitioners who've participated in breaking without the proper medicinal treatments of their injuries have severe long term injuries.

For example, there's a man who crosstrains with us on occasion that's taught Tang Soo Do for over 30 years. His metatarsal bones (of the feet) have quite literally been reconstructed out of metal plates/pins and other assorted 'Million Dollar Man' parts.

Because, when he did breaking....he didn't score anything to make it easier as he says the Koreans he competed against did....and he didn't take the proper precautionary measures neccescary to heal his bones/ligaments from any accumulated damage.

As the late great Mr. Lee said, "boards don't hit back", and I agree wholeheartedly.

Fighting humans involve dynamic physics, dynamic targeting, and a knowledge of timing and spacial relations....boards and bricks do not.

Who cares if you can break a stack of tilings? It doesn't give me any indication whatsoever of your actual COMBAT skill.

So again, to reiterate....I don't dislike board breaking, I just think it's pointless.

Answer 6

Breaking boards is fine. For less experienced students it helps them to gain confidence and experience hitting something hard. It can also help practitioners to demonstrate power. It often impresses the uninitiated and I've known more than one student that got started because they were impressed by a board breaking demonstration.

Some say it's pointless, but I don't think that is entirely accurate. It has its uses, but breaking is not an ends unto itself. And care should be taken not to injure ones self.

Answer 7

In my school Green belt and above must break a board to advance. It is more of a mental thing. The look on a kids face when they break a board is priceless. After that I have seen their confidence soar. This happened with my daughter, she has a more confidence and it shows in her schoolwork and at home. If you obsess over the board breaking, then yes it can be a negative, allowing your form to get sloppy, ect.

Answer 8

Board breaking is done mostly to increase confidence and as a show .

In the words of Bruce Lee " boards, don't hit back" .

There is nothing wrong with it though, over the years I've broken boards, tiles, bricks, etc... It can help you get over any phobias you may have of striking .

Answer 9

Boards Dont Hit Back...

Answer 10

I have to agree with 777, how often are people attacked by wooden boards?
Possessed ones don't count.