Breaking Boards

Hi!

I've always enjoyed breaking boards. It's fun. As long as it's a real board (not one of those super-flimsy ones), it can also be a good challenge. In order to break, the technique has to be right. Of course, with certain techniques, if you're strong enough you can break without good technique, but I'm not that big. Also, it hurts to break with poor technique, it doesn't hurt when done properly. Here's a video I put together of several breaks I've done over the years.



I prefer to break with kicks, but I have done speed breaks with my hands. My favorite is holding a board with my left hand, and breaking it with a reverse punch as I let go. It's not hard, if done properly, and looks pretty cool. I've done some brick breaks, too, but have only done them with a palm-heel strike. I don't imagine it'd be hard for me to break with a kick (like Nick and Shannon did for their black belt test as shown here), but I've never done it.

Breaking is all about focus and precision. Power is only an issue if you're breaking several boards. Of course, it's VERY difficult to have focused power if you don't have the technique down. It's also impossible to break if the people holding for you are afraid they'll get hurt. Breaking is fun, but it's also the breaker's responsibility to ensure that the holder's don't get hurt. When I break, I take that responsibility very seriously...

Thanks,
Matt