Breaking Boards

memphis

Anyone any idea where I might get some decent breaking boards. I'm looking for a website I can buy em off with a credit card, that'll mail em to my home.

What I'm looking for is a rebreakable board that slots back together after you break it. Its about an inch thick or so. I can buy em through my instructor but I was kinda looking for a cheaper price (no disrepect to him or anything, but 40 quid seems expensive for just one board).

Its hard to describe em, but they are made of plastic with foam around em, and just snap apart, they come i different levels of difficulty. I thought it'd be a nice investment, but like I say I'm on a tight budget, so looking for a cheap offer.

Gilgamesh

try here

http://www.kwon.com/kwon/europa-UK/produkt/bereiche/index.htm

dudara

Have a look at this auction on eBay. The seller has apparently also got easy and intermediate boards.

If you buy, let me know how it goes. I've been thinking about getting some as well, as I really want to improve my accuracy.

breadmonkey

I've got sh1t loads of timber in my back garden....

briano

There is a shop next to capitol on auinger street in dublin that sells them. I think they're twenty five euro each if thats any good to you.

Roper

Make your own from lego.
You'd probably get a cool shattering effect too.

breadmonkey

Just out of curiosity, what is the point in breaking these boards?

dudara

To test accuracy. If you don't hit one of those spot on, you'll hop off it. It won't matter how much power you deliver.

Ger Healy

Roper wrote:

Make your own from lego.
You'd probably get a cool shattering effect too.

Be careful when breaking lego boards in you living room
because they fly through the air and can hit your kid in the eye :eek:

breadmonkey

dudara wrote:

To test accuracy. If you don't hit one of those spot on, you'll hop off it. It won't matter how much power you deliver.

Do they cause a lot of injury then?

breadmonkey

Also, accuracy for what? Sparring?

I can't imagine your opponent standing there stationary like a..... wooden board?

briano

They can. Using breaker boards for hand techniques is tough, as even if you do hit them smack on you are likely to injure yourself. I've heard of people breaking hands before, but usually when trying to break green boards or a few boards stacked together.

Ger Healy

breadmonkey wrote:

Do they cause a lot of injury then?

Ownly when they fight back

Bruce Lee
"Boards no fight back"

briano

Accuracy and technique. Not only do you have to hit the boards straight on, but you have to hit them with the proper breaking 'tool' i.e. forefist, heel, ball of the foot etc.

They are mainly used for techniques that you would never use in actual sparring (in TKD at least).

Originally (apparently) TKD started using wooden breaker boards because the Japanese wore wooden armour, the theory being that if you could kick through 4 or 5 inches of wood, you'd be able to kick through the one or so inches of wooden armour.

dudara

Hit it wrong and the blow recoils up your foot.

our instructor has a thing against breaking with your hands, as it's far too easy to break the bones. Hving seen a friend break metacarpals in his hand last year, I can agree with this.

memphis

Had a look at those links, and did a bit of a search through google also.

They all come in various sizes, and I really am not experienced enough to know which size I require. Plus most of the sites I found are based in the US, so shipping to Ireland is more expensive than if I got it through my instructor. Think I'll just order it through him instead, as he'll know best.

And when I think about it, 40euro isn't much for something that you can use and reuse over and over.

The purpose of these is to practise accuracy and technique.

pma-ire

Ger Healy wrote:

Ownly when they fight back

Bruce Lee
"Boards no fight back"

I think you will find the Quote is...

"Boraads...Don't hit back"

dent

memphis wrote:

What I'm looking for is a rebreakable board that slots back together after you break it.

They are a bitch to break. Just be careful with the knife hands

briano

He clearly never hit one wrong. Or the holder.

Ger Healy

pma-ire wrote:

I think you will find the Quote is...

"Boraads...Don't hit back"

There is no way on earth that Bruce would have spelt boards with two a's

memphis

I found a better site, believe some of the sparring gear I have was bought through this site (instructor put in order).

http://www.playwell.co.uk/store/acatalog/index.htm

Anyway, I bought the red one, its the 2nd most difficult one, came to over 23 pounds sterling, which still seems reasonable, including packaging and shipping.

Memphis

pma-ire

Ger Healy wrote:

There is no way on earth that Bruce would have spelt boards with two a's

I'm sure he would'int :rolleyes:

But he did say it that way

Like he said his own name "Bruuce Lee" he must have had a thing for vouls??

Roper

Like he said his own name "Bruuce Lee" he must have had a thing for vouls??

Since he was originally chinese, he might have spelt vowels like that too

Pedantism rules!

pma-ire

Roper wrote:

Since he was originally chinese, he might have spelt vowels like that too

Pedantism rules!

That what happens when you are typing and hopping into your gi pants at the same time

rainbow kirby

memphis wrote:

Anyway, I bought the red one, its the 2nd most difficult one, came to over 23 pounds sterling, which still seems reasonable, including packaging and shipping.

Memphis

For both my 1st dan grading breaks, I had to break 2 of the black ones and one of the blue ones...
I suck at breaking. Really don't like it. And the next one I have to learn is jumping turning kick with the board at my head height... :eek:

Dyr

briano wrote:

Originally (apparently) TKD started using wooden breaker boards because the Japanese wore wooden armour, the theory being that if you could kick through 4 or 5 inches of wood, you'd be able to kick through the one or so inches of wooden armour.

lol thats a big apparently, the japanese who were wearing "wooden" armour were also packing spears, swords etc. Anyone who decided that the best way to fight that was to try punch through armour designed to stop a weapon and then prepared for this brilliant idea by smashing boards that didnt resemble that armour in any way wasnt gonna last too long i reckon. Plus TKD didnt come about until the 1950s so i doubt if there were many samurai still available by then to test this on

MA+history=BS :rolleyes:

dudara

TKD as a modern organisation didn't exist till the 50s but it goes back far further than that

Tim_Murphy

TKD as a modern organisation didn't exist till the 50s but it goes back far further than that

Before that time what they were doing wasn't called TKD and as far as I know didn't really look like what we call TKD nowadays. There is so much bullS said about TKD it's unbelievable, I mean how many websites claim that it's history goes back thousands of years?!

TKD started using wooden breaker boards because the Japanese wore wooden armour, the theory being that if you could kick through 4 or 5 inches of wood, you'd be able to kick through the one or so inches of wooden armour.

Who told you that?! :eek:

Anyway, why hasn't anyone mentioned how big a waste of time breaking is already?

memphis

dudara wrote:

TKD as a modern organisation didn't exist till the 50s but it goes back far further than that

TKD was established on April 11th 1955 to be exact.

General Choi Hong Hi, worked tirelessly for 10 year perfecting the art. Its said that it is a combination of tradition korean MA, know at the time as Taek kwon, and fused it with his learnings of Japanese karate, or so the history says!!!

Probably little purpose in breaking boards, but it is known to aid improvement of ones accuracy and technique!

dudara

All I'm saying is that TKD didn't suddenly pop out of the general's arse into existence. He based it on arts that had existed for ages in Korea and the East.

memphis

Totally agree with you mate! But although it is based on previous arts, its teach method and techniques (some at least) are unique, are they not?

Dyr

lets be honest, does anyone actually think that whatever tkds precusor was went around throwing reverse punches into armed and armoured opponants?

memphis

rainbow kirby wrote:

For both my 1st dan grading breaks, I had to break 2 of the black ones and one of the blue ones...
I suck at breaking. Really don't like it. And the next one I have to learn is jumping turning kick with the board at my head height... :eek:

Jumping turning kick? I am sh!te at any form of kick that involves jumping, I just can't seem to get the technique, but when the board arrives (and lets hope it not too hard to break) it should be fun trying stuff like that.

dudara

I found the hardest thing about jumping kicks to be letting yourself go. If you can get the fear of falling over etc out of your head, and just let fly, you'll find that you'll be able to do them no problem. You have to commit yourself to the kick. After that, it's a matter of polishing it.

memphis

I guess, its cos I find myself concentrating on the jump more so that the kick. Its terrible, when I try do a jump kick, it look so clumsy, maybe I'll perfect it in time, I donno.

Tim_Murphy

But although it is based on previous arts, its teach method and techniques (some at least) are unique, are they not?

I don't think there is anything unique about the training methods used in TKD, they are similiar enough to other arts like TKD.
As the techniques, yes there are some techniques pretty much unique to TKD, eg some of the kicks. They reason they are unique to TKD and that others don't use them is that they don't work all that well outside of a TKD setting. Although there are exceptions.

lets be honest, does anyone actually think that whatever tkds precusor was went around throwing reverse punches into armed and armoured opponants?

Well apparently they went around trying to break the enemys armour with kicks so anything is possible!

pma-ire

I've bit my tounge here but I kinda guessed thing would go this way :rolleyes: Let me first say that I respect anyone that does break boards and like doing it!! I to done it for all my gradings after green belt!!

why hasn't anyone mentioned how big a waste of time breaking is already?

Thats right Tim! Board breaking gives a false sense of ability! (unless you can tie a holding frame onto a guys body and then break while he is fighting you??

Strikes don't have to be as big and powerful as to break 3 or 4 boards! Some people can't break on the day of a grading and get depressed and loose the confidence in there ability because of it. But they could still have a fairly handy technique that would get the job done, just that they won't use it now because they don't think it will work

Before that time what they were doing wasn't called TKD and as far as I know didn't really look like what we call TKD nowadays. There is so much bullS said about TKD it's unbelievable, I mean how many websites claim that it's history goes back thousands of years?!

Here is a more ballanced history of TKD or Korean MA...

http://www.practical-martial-arts.co.uk/practical_tkd/dj_tkd_history.html

MA+history=BS

Your Spot on Bambi! The Koreans are masters of Bullshi-do!

General Choi Hong Hi, worked tirelessly for 10 year perfecting the art.

Sorry to burst your bubble memphis. But all he done was take the Okinawan kata that the rest of the Korean Kwans and Shotokan were using, and chop them up into a mesh of there former selves. Anyone who has looked at both arts can see this quite clearly.

Infact the hand positions of the early TKD were all Shotokan. The WTF was formed out of a Korean distaste for TKD being called Korean Karate, and so developed there poomse/taelguk etc to be different again.

Have you ever seen Tae Kyon? It's a sight different from TKD!! They sweep! Lock and throw with the legs!! TKD only took the flashy stuff to make there karate look cool.

All I'm saying is that TKD didn't suddenly pop out of the general's arse into existence

Very funny But alot of people think it did and thats sad

He based it on arts that had existed for ages in Korea and the East.

Indeed he did, and then forgot that he did! Fueled by politics!!

But although it is based on previous arts, its teach method and techniques (some at least) are unique, are they not?

All martial arts are linked! Mainly because you can only do so much with the human body. So apart from style cross overs you will also be sure to see very similar moves in arts that should have not links?

Proof is when "cave drawings of two warriors in modern (insert your style here) stances and techniques" is used to claim an ancient history :rolleyes:

I love history!:D But I hate Bullsh*t :mad:

john kavanagh

"Probably little purpose in breaking boards, but it is known to aid improvement of ones accuracy and technique!.............yes accuracy and technique required for breaking boards

Timing, Motion & Progressive Resistance and blah blah blah.....

...hey whatever makes you smile

Tim_Murphy

While John is right, what people tend to forget is that breaking LOOKS COOL! Surely that's what martial arts are all about??!!

dlofnep

They don't come any cooler than this man.



But then again, he was choked out by this man.

Millionaire

Judo Gene Labelle what a tough dude. Did he really choke stevie baby out?

I was at a Sales Training seminar in London last year and as part of it all the seminar attendees go to smash wood. all did it out of like 800 people and I would say only a small % did martial arts.

It was a room full of sales people smashing wood, what a sight!

dlofnep

Yeah, he choked him out on set.. There were countless reports about it. Gene was years ahead of his time.

breadmonkey

dlofnep wrote:

Yeah, he choked him out on set.. There were countless reports about it. Gene was years ahead of his time.

Why did he choke him out?

Kevin_rc_ie

Why wouldn't he?

dlofnep

Because Segal is a cocky ****er..

mattsylvester

The KTA and TAGB over here have dropped them because of injury caused both by the boards themselves and by/to the holders.

There is a wood contraption called a 'breaking horse'. You place the boards in a holding area and the break them. Above, below and slightly behind and to the side is a lot of very hard wood.

I watched a white belt attempt a roundhouse break. He kicked the horse in an upward angle and literally peeled the skin from one of his toes. You could see the bone sticking out.

I've broken knuckles doing punch breaks and they're never the same.

Compared to padwork there's not a lot to be said for breaking except it looks cool if done well. If you want to go for accuracy, try Imptec pads, they'll give you far better information.

breadmonkey wrote:

Do they cause a lot of injury then?

Musashi

I've broken for near all my colour belt gradings and a lot for my Dan Grading,I have to admit I do like it.We use a fair standard "Red" board,which is a plastic slot together board of a Scarlet hue
If you forget about the hurt you may get from it rebounding and just go for it you won't get hurt unless horribly off line on the break! I broke with up set punch and reverse knife hand, as well as jump side kick for my Dan grading.I've seen guys break with outward knife hand block! It's mainly mental once the speed and power are there,just twat it hard in the middle!It's main benefit is making you over come a fear and strike anyway. I see a lot of gradings no longer require the break for liability reasons,but I did like it and would like to see the same rules I graded under back today "No Break,No Pass".
You felt you had achieved something ,other than shaping well ,when you smashed stuff up with the hands and feet

pma-ire

board breaking vid

the site might have more interesting stuff??

http://www.tmatiel.nl/explore.htm

**Edit**

There was something interesting!! Scroll down to "Open Wales 1996" This was an international comp held in Cardiff that I was at with TKDI!!

Mark L,

Noel (Axe Kick) Quinn is in the 1st two vids you can hear all the Cork accents in the crowd (it's deasent like ).

TKDI team warming up in moive 7 (Don Duff flying across the screen, with Don Dalton walking just next to him!!!)

I think Don Duff is in 8 and 9 fighting? I recognise the guys that he hurts and has to take off his head gear!!

Number 10 is Don Dalton doing his party piece and knocking everyone all over the gaff :cool:

I got all emotional!! I soo remember that weekend away like it was yesterday That was nearly 10 years ago now!! God I'm old

cletus

breadmonkey wrote:

Why did he choke him out?

I could be wrong here ( it happened once before ) but I think i remember reading an interview with Judo Gene, He said that he was choeographing fight scenes on one of Segal's films. Segal was being a bit heavy handed in the fight scenes and Gene asked him to lay off a bit cause the extras were getting hurt. Segal did his "do you know who I am" bit and Gene choked him out.
I heard afterwards that when Segal was brought back around he said he was caught unawares and Gene wouldnt be able to do that again, so he promptly did, but that could just be an embellishment

dlofnep

That sounds about right Cletus..

nesf

dudara wrote:

Hit it wrong and the blow recoils up your foot.

our instructor has a thing against breaking with your hands, as it's far too easy to break the bones. Hving seen a friend break metacarpals in his hand last year, I can agree with this.

Breaking with any part of the hand requires very good technique, any flaws will result in alot of pain. The guys who punch through boards make me cringe, I've done some nasty things to my wrist through punching through the years and the idea of breaking via punch does not appeal to me at all!

On the other side of things, breaking with the forearm is very easy, the technique isn't difficult and you are very unlikely to break anything. At worst you end up with bad bruising. I could break more boards this way than with kicks because accuracy from a forearm strike is much easier to attain.

Board breaking requires good technique, accuracy and follow through, not power as some people think. But it does build a false sense of confidence. Sure I've put my forearm through 4 inches of wood in the past, but there is no way I could land that strike on a person unless they were immobile, or very stupid.

The particular technique for a forearm break is not of much use outside of board breaking. In fact it is something that I feel now that I focussed on too much. It really was a waste, sure breaking a few inches of wood is nice for the ego, but it really is of no use in self defence or sparring. Plus a focussed strike like that really shouldn't be used lightly, breaking peoples bones is not an acceptable form of self defence when one can merely disable or slow them enough to get away.