What's the big deal about breaking stuff?

Okay, I have watched this for years, and every time I see a TMA competition, there is always a "breaking" segment. Some people break some boards and bricks (and maybe some patio bricks) and everybody applauds like they hit a home run or scored a touchdown or something.

I have to admit that as a kid I thought this was the coolest thing ever, but when I got older I found out that the boards are usually pine, baked, and broken WITH the grain, and that the bricks are usually spaced and baked as well.

The mythos was really shattered for me when a buddy of mine who is some kind of Karate Blackbelt told me that it was no big deal. We went out and got some patio bricks at lowes--unaltered, mind you, spaced them with paint stirrers, and he told me to give it a try and be sure to follow through with the strike.

On my first try I broke eight.

On my second try I broke ten.

And I am a medium sized guy with (at that time anyway) NO striking training.

So what I am basically getting at is that a large portion of this breaking stuff seems to be rigged and/or no big deal. What I would like to know is--why do people continue to do it and act as though it is a great accomplishment

Disclaimer--I have seen the guys on ESPN go through huge blacks of ice and stuff, and that looks pretty tough to do, especially given the number that fail. I am also not talking about the stuff like the "Power Team" does where they break multiple sets of handcuffs and crush unspaced bricks and stuff via sheer raw power. What I am talking about is standard, run-of-the-mill show breaking.

What gives

There is a neat video you might enjoy. Its called Extreme Qigong.

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Confidence boosting would be my guess. It can be really satisfying to just break something like that with your bare hands. Also, for people who don't know how it works, it's a great way to get people to sign up. I think that's the reason they started doing breaking demos in TKD.

I myself don't know what's up with all the breaking ,but i know it's something alot of karate and TKD schools do.

I usually just watch a few seconds and then turn ,it doesn't intrest me one bit.

jeff

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Although you'd be glued to the scene if it was your best friend's 5 year old son doing it. Of course that would beg the question why are you letting your best friend sign his son up for a class that teaches useless breaking techniques.

One reason for breaking is that it is a training method to focus power and see a result, to develope follow through, effectual speed, penitration and so on.
Another is to train the person not to see surface conditions and react to them.
For the most part now days its show but that was not the reason it started.

If a student is taught correctly breaking is a means to train the mind and body and to be able to do far more than the person could do before.

Breaks have been miss-used as a teaching and development tool just as many aspects of the arts have been. Media, hype, and excitement for kids have turned it into something else.

Then there are those that break that truly can accomplish something special.

A stack of spaced tile is for beginners; the idea is to break at your level.

Breaking also develops proper position for the hand arm etc; a proper break takes some skill its not meant to be just a hard hit.

Another development on breaks that's is hardly done is to work on silencing the break, few can do that at all even with one board.

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Board breaking should be left for the kids, it helps them build self-esteem, etc.

Here's one for the adults, it's not really a break.... more of a smash, crush. Maybe some of you can try this at home..... pumpkins. Nice big, round, pumpkins. I'm not there yet, but I wonder if anyone else is

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It's all about the nitty gritty.......

Why not let them build self esteem on something that's actually useful

Aqira makes some good points. I didn't know that a quiet break was a goal, for instance.

Though given that a break requires the destruction of some molecular bonds, I would think that some noise would be inevitable.

We do breaking when we do demos. I personally don't care for breaking and I could take it or leave it, but we do ours a little different. The baked boards and concrete I have never heard of. We use regular masonary concrete block (not I-beam cinderblock, were not crazy ) and we use regular pine boards and long two by two wood planks. When we break we do it to demostrate Iron
bone training by breaking long wood planks across our forearms, shins, backs, stomachs etc. We also do the typical breaks but no where in our breaking demo's do we put spacers in anything. When we do breaks it is also to demostrate speed and power. We'll drop boards and break them in mid air (I know big deal) and we'll also do finger breaks on boards. I know it seems stupid and pointless but you do have to train your body in certain cases to perform some of these breaks. I don't see any Joe Schmo going out there and doing what we do without suffering some significant damage.

<<I would think that some noise would be inevitable.>.

True, but the type and amount is what is important. The break should not be loud like a whack, it should penetrate through. The board should separate almost as if parting. This produces a different sound not the common breaking sound. When you can do that you will have a better skill.

Hard breaks like ice or solid bricks are for depth of penetration and continues force. Pounding a heavy bag is good but it is a pounding force.
Proper breaks can help develop (and see the result or mistake) penetration. Speed narrowed focused line of penetration, alignment with joints and body timing all are things you don't get from slamming a bag.

Breaks for training and breaks for show or to see how many you can do are different both in reason and training intention.

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“	Originally Posted By: WraithAlcon There is a neat video you might enjoy. Its called Extreme Qigong.	”

has anyone seen that thing
I've seen the ads for that, but never felt the urge to buy it

we used to do breaking in a Personal Development training years ago...
everyone got a board and they had to write their personal goals on one side and the things they felt that held them back on the other
then on the last day we taugth them a little breaking trick and we had a 100% score of people breaking the board
it was fun, no more, no less...

Chief108

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all hail Martyr Fakka

And what should that do for personal development "I want that girl. But, she has that boy friend. Ah, I know! Yiiihaaaa!".

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“	Originally Posted By: Robin Ashe Why not let them build self esteem on something that's actually useful	”

Hey, your guess is as good as mine. I can't comment on different schools and their approach for building self-esteem. As for us, we don't have kids in our class, and board breaks really don't amuse us.



Aqira, I understand what you're saying. In my post, I made the comment of crushing, smashing..... didn't know how to put it in words. The object in point shouldn't really make a whacking sound, those strikes may be thought of as an external break.

Still don't know if I worded it right, oh well.

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It's all about the nitty gritty.......

Chief, I used to have a copy before I let someone borrow it...I haven't seen it in years.

It was actually pretty entertaining and had some awesome demonstrations. One was from that guy (I forget his name) who is the head of the chinese military doing the crazy 2 finger hand stand and needles through glass.

Its definitely stunning to watch. And the mantra is, "No way...".

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"You must eat bitter before you can taste sweet"- Iron & Silk
"I see no virtue where I smell no sweat"
"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you" - Chris Cornell