How come karate masters can break bricks but cannot break humans the same way?

Question

Why is it they can break bricks with their bare hands but cant break another persons bones the same way? I have never seen anyone seriously hurt in a karate tournament before.

Answer 1

Ok, try this.

Take a fresh human arm-sized bone (stripped of flesh) from any animal, put it with each end on a cinder block. I am certain you can find such a thing at a butcher shop. Make certain the bone is stable on the cinder blocks. Tape it there if you need.

Now, take a brick and place it in the same position on cinder blocks in a stable position.

Break both and tell me which is easier. I would be willing to bet that the bone would be easier.

My point? Breaking a brick is breaking a stationary object, held firmly in place (if you know how to set up your brick for breaking). It does not give when it is struck, it does not flex, it is not padded.

Regarding tournaments: these are sparring tournaments for points, not to break bones. The goal is not to seriously harm an opponent.

I can tell you that if you used the same technique you use to break a brick (breaking the imaginary brick "under" the physical brick... you strike "through" the real one and aim for the imaginary one) on a human, their bones would break easily.

Answer 2

Bricks have a great deal more give than the human body, as do boards. For example, breaking 4 pine boards, 12 x 9 x 1, is the equivalent to breaking a major human bone. However, depending on the physics of the movement, this is, or is not possible.

You might see ribs broken more often than arms due to the physics involved in support behind the target. Try doing a 4 board break without any type of support on the boards, where they have give (like the human body), and muscle and tissue surrounding it for additional support. It just won't happen unless the situation changes, and the arm is propped across a bench for example to give it support for the clean break. Even then, it is difficult, but doable. Ribs on the other hand, which are frequently broken, are more supported on the ends, like boards, but only break on occasion since a defender will likely prevent a clean shot if possible.

However, in Martial Arts tournaments of all styles, it isn't unheard of for people to suffer from broken ribs, noses, and such. This happens, even with protective gear. Gear can only do so much.

Answer 3

Just like Chung Li said brick dont hit back. THat is where training and physics comes in. Hitting a solid object it the right way will cause it to break. Try hitting that same brick with no support. It is a lot harder, but can be done. Ki is also plays a major role but that is for another question.

Answer 4

try this experiment and you will have your answer:

try breaking a board with typical "breaking" crap, set up (or have a freind hold it).

hit it. you broke it or at least know you can.

now try doing it with that same set up, but it is set up on a trampoline or a mattress, or have the friend not hold the board fast against the impact.

that is what the human body is- it absorbs your strikes because it is not standing there trying to resist the punch (well some people are probably that stupid), it is moving with the momentum and thus not harder to break. Same answer, what breaks easier? a twig or a sponge when only one end is secured?

bone breaking occurs because you have secured the other person's joints in a way that they are essentially stationary. That might be oversimplification, but that is the principle behind it. you can't break something that is just moving and will absorb your strike.

Answer 5

bricks are self made to be weak.

too many people believe that they could break heads using this mystic force, but you know... bricks stay there waiting for the minute of focus. which is rubbish anyway, because bricks do not make for power.

people do not stand there waiting for the karate brick fighter to charge up his focus.

it is like a circus feat. no more. how many times have you been in a fight and used it on the street? none. why? not because of some creed that forbids it, because I would use it to smash some muggers @ss, but because it doesnt work like that.

if you havent used it against a human, you are full of sh!t.

and just a punch from someone who doesnt practice brick breaking can break bones like ribs, jaws, cheek bones. and chops can crack collar bones. I have broken ribs kneeing to chests, and I didnt need brick training.

you dont need to have the force to do it. tournament trophy's dont mean you can fight, all it says is you can out combo your own style. brick breaking shouldnt be confused with martial strategy and power.

Answer 6

Most Karate / martial arts tournaments are set up so that people of equivalent skills are sparring. Even in full contact , the knockout is rare because each combatant is usually able to defend well enough.
Injuries , knock outs and broken bones do happen from time to time though.

A brick doesn't have self defense , it just lays there and takes our best shot.

Answer 7

Hi there

Nice question!

Breaking boards is just a magic display and nothing more. Same as breathing fire, walking on glass, sitting on a bed of nails and so on. Yes you can develop a strong chi or ki but this sort of display has no practical aspect other than putting on a show and was developed to create folk law and legend in the early 1100's.

Breaking someones bones requires skill and understanding of the human anatomy not how great your appetite is for eating fire!

Regards

Idai

Answer 8

Karate tournaments lol. it's more a sport. they wear protective gears and it's a point scoring match. where to win is by "getting points" not knocking out your opponents unconscious. THAT'S WHY IN SOME SO CALLED WORLD MARTIAL ARTS COMPETITIONS(ANY STYLE YOU CHOOSE), KARATE ALWAYS GETS GOOD RESULTS cus those match are for point scoring. though if the "strict restrictions" on these point score match were lifted, i would see other martial arts getting more placements.

But a karate master can sure break someone's shin just like how they break a baseball bat with their kicks.

Answer 9

Cause if you have ever seen a brick breaking competition it takes the guy like a minute to set up for the strike, who is gonna stand perfectly still during a fight. Plus its so dumb why would you hit bricks and wood, it makes no sense. Have you ever seen a real fighter like those in MMA ever practice breaking bricks? NO, cause its pointless.

Answer 10

I appreciate you asking this. I would definitely agree with my friend Rikzar that greater training would definitely result in all of the other qualities. I would also like to add that all the technique from years of training doesn't mean squat if you don't have the conditions to not gas out. Some people think because they know more than someone else they can defeat another in a matter of seconds. When facing another martial artist it is a ridiculous thought that you will be able to knock them out or defeat them in a matter of seconds if your conditions are not as high as your opponent. That is one reason you won't find me spending so much time here in the future as I have a fight to train for starting tommorow and for the next few months. So with greater training, in my opinion comes more skill, greater endurance, and all the fine qualities that you have listed here. Aloha