Author: sensei
Many martial artists staunchly support “breaking.” They believe that a martial artist needs to understand the power behind the art. Still others argue that if breaking were not part of the fighting art, it would not be a true martial art.
Breaking helps the practitioner to experience the principles behind self-defense through equivalency: understanding the technique and its ultimate use and power. When a break is attempted it represents the strike to a designated area. Depending on how many boards or bricks are broken, the material is equivalent to a particular body part.
Before breaking boards, the student should be well-conditioned and understand the mechanics of the break to be protected from injury. Before conditioning, he or she needs to understand the bodily functions of the skeletal structure. Also, what physiological changes happen during training and how the body reacts to these changes must also be realized.
Despite the hard, dry appearance of a skeleton on display, bone composition is 25% water and 30% organic material. The strength and hardness of the bone is largely due to calcium. Bones contain living cells whose function is to manufacture connective material. Bone cells produce the formation of mineral matter which is deposited in the organic framework, hardening bone and giving it strength.
When a bone is injured, blood flows through and around the damaged tissue. The injury itself increases the local supply of blood. Additionally, the blood carries the needed nutrients to the injured tissue while eliminating waste products. Increase the blood supply and you should accelerate healing. During repair, an injured bone depends on three different types of cells: Osteoclasts which tear down the old bone to make way for healing; Osteoblasts which manufacture tissue that hardens and becomes bone mass in clotted blood surrounding the injury and forms a callus which connects the new bone; and Osteocytes which keep bone alive. If the bone dies, it is surrounded by soft substitute tissue that fills the space of the old bone without having equal strength.
Exercise makes the bone building cells more active. An athlete usually has not only more muscle, but more bone than the average person. During exercise, the muscles pull on the bone and stimulate growth.
What is the relationship of muscle to bone for conditioning the body and for “breaking?” The body has three types of muscles, one of which is skeletal muscles. Skeletal muscles are part of the muscular system which makes up about 40% of the body weight. The muscles are attached mainly to bones having movable joints. Muscular contractions bring the skeletal muscles together or pull them apart according to where the ends are attached. The muscles help support the bone and when conditioned properly, can become solid enough to help protect the bone as well.
A normal leg bone is as strong as a cast iron, but only a third as heavy and more flexible. Under conditions in which the iron would break, the leg bone will bend slightly and remain essentially unharmed. Cut and shaped appropriately, bone is a good tool. For example, primitive man used bone for self-defense and for food gathering.
The body is the basic tool or weapon of the martial arts. The hands can execute knife-hand strikes, palm-heel strikes, spear fingers, middle punches and ridgehand strikes. The ball, instep, heel (bottom and back) and big toe can be used as striking implements.
CONDITIONING FIRST!
To begin conditioning, start slowly and use soft striking materials. The bone and muscles will adjust to the conditioning through the re-absorption of its tissues to form calcified areas. Then it is recommended to build body strength slowly using harder materials.
The conditioning process must allow the body time to repair and strengthen before advancing to more strenuous training. Various hand and foot techniques can be administered on these different conditioning combinations. The contact of body to the equipment will simulate injury and repair and strengthen the various body parts used for breaking.
There are side effects to conditioning. Bruising and premature arthritis are two examples. Damage can be prevented with proper training and adequate rest between conditioning periods. Special herbs are recommended for use after each conditioning session to aid in recovery. (A skin toughener, an analgesic helps to relax sore muscles, aids in the restoration of bones or as a preventive against arthritis of the joints.)
When the student is ready to break a board, begin with one board and increase according to conditioning and expertise. When the practitioner can break five boards, he or she can begin brick breaking. (For this, it is best to begin with a side kick and advance to the hands.)
While some may believe there is no purpose to breaking boards and bricks, they cannot deny that the conditioning is beneficial. Conditioning not only builds the body for breaking but also protects the student from sparring mishaps in the training hall or from an
attacker on the street.
