Close Topic Options

Breaking Boards With Your Bare Hands

Breaking Boards With Your Bare Hands

Name: Stu
Country:

Comments: Whats the best way to build up your hands so you can break a one inch board? I want to do this in the shortest time possible without waiting for years and ending up in a cast.

Hands Bare Your Boards Breaking

This isn't an overnight process, it takes years sometimes depending on how hard you are now. When I say hard I don't mean your muscles but your bones. That is why martial artists hit beanbags and bamboo over long periods to make their bones more dense than the typical person.

Breaking Boards With Your Bare Hands Sports & Fashion Music Movies

Hello Stu,

First of all, it would depend on the type of strike and the position of the board.

For example, a board supported on the ground by, say, two separated cinderblocks would be easier to break than one held by your friend. This is simply because a lying board has greater support force keeping it in place, making it require less energy to break the board.

However, many people will try to break such blocks with an open hand, making a chopping motion. This is something done by people who really know what they are doing, and I would advise against it for soomeone without long, arduous practice. However, keep in mind that all punches must be quick and strong, similar to such a chop. Think about trying to "shoot" your hand out of a gun. Maximum acceleration and maximum breaking force. Often the finish of a proper punch is described as a "popping" motion.

The most common break is the simple punch. First thing to do would be form a "correct" punch. Although there are many ways to punch, each is subtley different from one another, with varying degrees of efficiency. The way I was taught by my father (who actually learned martial arts the traditional way, with all those years and years you mentioned). He advised curling your 4 fingers (excluding the thumb) so that your fingernails sorta bit into your hand, with no air within the curled fingers. The thumb is then positioned between your fingers' second and third joints. The space between your fingers' (excluding the thumb, of course) knuckles (which I consider the finger's 1st joint) and second joints should be relatively parallel. That parallel surface is the first and foremost point of contact with your target.

Of course, if that was a bit too complicated, a basic punch should work, but I've simply found the explained punch much more effective.

The advice I gave above was to help you understand the proper format for breaking. Learning the technique correctly can greatly increase your power/breaking-force efficiency, thus limiting inefficient practice. However, practice must always be considered. Practicing punches is unavoidable, of course. Make sure to start with punching soft, non-harmful objects as suggested by muscled above. Let me warn you. This can keep you from getting a cast, but only if you practice for years.

Honestly, I would advise that you don't start breaking boards until you get a black belt in a related martial art. This is because breaking boards can be severly damaging. The worst part is that some of the damage can be concerning growth or internal (instead of the obvious, cast-causing damage), meaning that you won't notice it when you break a board. You might not even feel anything painful, but it can still negatively affect you. Therefore, I advise that you proceed with caution. Even my father, a master who technically has surpassed the qualifications to start his own dojo, refuses to break boards just for entertainment.

Hands Bare Your Boards Breaking

Some months ago there was a documentary series featuring martial arts and some of the best breaking boards (and other things) experts were on the show. From the explanation they give it of course takes years of training but by steps basically hitting things with your hands and legs until the bones become extremely dense. This makes it almost unbreakable.