Rayners Lane Taekwon-do Academy

The art of breaking objects such as wood, tiles or even the boards used at the club is a very spectacular method of demonstrating the power & effectiveness of Taekwon-do techniques.

Breaking tests the effectiveness of a technique as well as the skill &
confidence of the trainee & requires a combination of intense concentration &
considerable courage. Breaking originated from alternative methods of testing
the full power of kicks, punches, elbow strikes & head-butts for use as a
weapon against another human being.

The whole point of breaking should be to try & improve the quality of striking
techniques, and ease of execution is a good way of measuring improvement
in skill. Another important point in breaking is the conditioning of the body.
Conditioning is vital to performing some breaks effectively. For example, an
unconditioned person attempting to break a board with the fist would
certainly bruise or fracture their hand. Time has to be spent on conditioning
the body to be able to perform breaking techniques. The feet need less
conditioning than the hands, as they are used to the stress delivered to them
by the weight of the body.

Ultimately, breaking is a combination of discipline, skill & commitment & like
the rest of Taekwon-do training, the important thing is not to be in too much
of a hurry.