Self-study and improvement in breaking?

Question

I would like to get better at breaking. The most I have done is two boards. I'd like to graduate to mulitple bricks, a whole cinderblock and eventually to ice. However, I don't know any teachers who are breaking specialists.

How can I improve at this through self-study? Any videos, books, and/or exercises recommended? If self-study is not an option, what are some tips on finding someone who is good at breaking to teach me?

Answer 1

Breaking is one of the more dangerous things you can do IF you get it wrong.  I've seen some pretty gnarly hands and fingers from guys who have gotten it wrong.  It's a shame to go through life with twisted fingers and crushed knuckles.

Your best bet is to find someone who is good at breaking and get instruction from them.  There are breaking competitions held all over so start there.

Answer 2

Okay Cinderblock is ok but not many break ice anymore. Well any way you don't need an instructor to teach you to break. It all deepends on a few variables.

1. Technique- The way you hit, and where you hit are very important.

2. Placement- Where your holders are placed if it dosen't go well together it won't work.

3. What the move is.

Answer 3

If I had a quarter for every board, brick, and concrete block I have broken, I be on vacation.

My point is that I've had a lot of breaking experience. After years of research I can find no real connection between the martial arts and breaking. Yeah, there are some myths floating around that martial artists toughened their hands and practiced breaking so that they could break through a Samurai's armor. That is just a myth.

I quit breaking years ago. I see not point in it and a lot of risk. My self-defense skills are the best they have ever been. When someone ask if I can break a brick with my hand, I simply say, "Why would I want to"?

Breaking has little or nothing to offer you except an expensive way to increase the likelihood that you will injure yourself.

Answer 4

Instead of studying "breaking" you should be studying conditioning (which most instructors can guide you in). Conditioning is an "exercise" or habit that is often done alone, or on ones time.

Find a hard surface, cover it with a softer surface and mount it to a solid free standing object (tree, stud in wall, concrete wall, ect.) and begin to strike receptively. This will build strength in your bones and connective tissues with out spending large amounts of money on wood, bricks, and large blocks of ice. You may want to set up multiple targets at varies positions and angles for different breaks (punch, cross elbow, falling elbow, hammer fist, chop, sidekick, round kick, ect.).

Try to consult with a master to find out how to set this up and build strength instead of tearing down your body.