Braking bricks

[Deathtrap101]

Ive seen it done and i know people can do it, but how hte hell do you do it???????

Anyone here able to brake bricks using there bare hands??

[Nightingale]

haven't done it myself, but this is what I've been told.

A lot of it has to do with how you stack them. the supports are on the very edges of the bricks, making them bend and break more easily. When someone breaks a stack, most of the time they have little spacers in between so its not just brick on brick. stacking two bricks together is a lot harder to break than the same two bricks with spacers. People have also said that if you think about hitting the brick, you hurt your hand, but if you think about hitting past the brick, the brick breaks. like I said, I've never done it, so I don't know for sure. this is just what I've been told.

[tonbo]

Well, I've seen a multiple brick break done "close up", and it is pretty amazing. Works along the principles that nightingale set up, as far as I can tell.

I also haven't done much breaking--mainly a couple of the rebreakable boards, nothing fancy. I think a LOT of it has to do with physics, though, since I have seen kids do it more than once--it can't all be about strength.

Before I start talking about stuff that I really don't know anything about, however, I am going to back down and let those people who know breaking do the explanations...;)

Peace--

[Deathtrap101]

make sense, thanks, but does that mean that you CANT break two bricks stacked with no spacers??I'd think it would be possible?Maybe not, i dunno. Anyone els have any idea;s or opinions. ANyone who has done it would be nice to get a response from him\her.

[KennethKu]

Mr Mavis's website has a pic of him breaking 5 boards w/o spacer. That is equivalent to at least one concrete patio block.

May be he can enlighten us about power breaking. :asian: :)

[TLH3rdDan]

wooo hooo braking one of my favorite things to do... yes there area tricks to breaking that make it easier such as spacing the bricks or boards... and using bricks that are cut in half or some taekwondo schools have seen even go as far as using peices of balsa wood glued together looks impressive from the audience if you dont know what it is... but there is real technique involved in real breaking... if your technique is not perfect if your focus is not perfect if your aim is off then you will not break the brick you will how ever have a nice bruise on your hand... is strength is part of it but only a small part... like nightingale said you focus beyond the brick dont simply hit the brick it will never break unless you use brute force... hope the infor helps

[Nightingale]

It is definitely possible to break bricks stacked with no spacers... I believe the United States record for this is ten bricks, held by Mr. Gary Pitts, but I'm not sure if that's been broken or not. Breaking four or five stacked together is VERY impressive.

[Kempojujutsu]

The last demo we did I broke 9 curb bricks. This is the second time I have done that. I believe could of broke 10-12. I use forearm to do my breaks.
Bob :asian:

[MartialArtist]

For breaking bricks, you need many things but the major two things are...

Technique
Mind Control

Technique allows you to have the maximum power available. Using your hips, shoulders, legs, back, etc. and when you time it right, the blow will be powerful.

Mind control. All in the mind. Confidence also has a lot to do with it, try to hit the ground.

[Kempojujutsu]

For me personal it doesn't take me to long to get ready. Once the bricks are set about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then when I get up to the bricks, I look at them one practice swing set back set up and smash. I have seen guys spend what seems to be around 10 minutes look like it last a day. They step up then back, then up again a few practice swings set back smack themselves step back up breathe out then break. If it works use it. To me it seems like they are milking the crowd.
Bob :D

[Chiduce]

I break whenever i can. The problem with breaking is usually in the mind set. Personally, i do not pay much attention to the brick, block, or concrete tile block. The concentration comes form within. The body weight, hips, legs and waist action play a major role in breaking several to many brick /blocks at one time. Yet, breaking 1-3 blocks, bricks, or concrete slabs relies more on the practitioner's concentration within than focusing outside of the end past the block. Multiple brick breaking is definately Yang breaking because of the strength and power associated with the body pushing down on the blocks. However, these same blocks can be broken by Yin Breaking, where the practitioner relies more on internal chi cultivation and the releasing of the chi into the blocks to help break them. I prefer the internal breaking through chi cultivation. In the breaking of large ton's of ice, the breakers particularly rely upon chi cultivation because body weight , power and strength is not that much of a factor, even though it does play a part in helping the body use what external forces it can to aid in the breaking process. Hand conditioning is the major proponent of the break. I 'am only addressing breaking with the hand , (knife hand, fist, open palm, or back of hand) and not elbows etc. Breaking is another science within the science of the martial arts. A very good url is; http://www.karatebreaking.com/chinesemethod.html
This site will teach you the basics of understanding and performing the break. Great site, and tecaher. Be sure to check out the breaking videos, hand conditioning, and the class pictures of women and men breaking the huge blocks of ice, etc,!
Sincerely, In Humility;
Chiduce!

[KennethKu]

Originally posted by Chiduce

...... Hand conditioning is the major proponent of the break. ........ Breaking is another science within the science of the martial arts.. ....


YES. I have been waiting for someone to state this.

Techniques and other factors aside, hand conditioning is paramount.

[Deathtrap101]

what kind of hand conditioning??

[Deathtrap101]

http://www.karatebreaking.com/tenblockgif.html

man is that awesome.......

[Nightingale]

that image is ten blocks with spacers. The world record is ten blocks WITHOUT spacers.

[Dark Knight]

I broke five hands with one brick, once ;)

Actually breaking a brick is fairly simple...

If you are using spacers, you aren't breaking 2, 3, 4, etc. bricks...you are breaking one brick several times...

As someone already stated, NO spacers is much more impressive because it really increases the difficulty of the break.

Even more impressive is when someone can select a brick in a stack and break only that brick (yeah, the one in the middle)...I can't do that yet...but I know people who can...or, when you place a single brick on a solid surface and break it with a slap.

:asian:
chufeng

[Dark Knight]

Hey moderator, what happened to my name??? I'm not Dark Knight...

:asian:
chufeng

[Kirk]

If you need help with anything, please PM a moderator so that
we can assist you.


Kirk

-Martial Talk Moderator-

[Angus]

Like someone has said, the key is to strike beyond/through the targets, which technically you are supposed to with any strike anyway. If you pull away or pull back once you hit the bricks, you'll break your hand. If you just go through them, you'll break them. They don't feel quite as hard when there is nothing under them and you are swinging your hand full force.

[Shinzu]

my instructor is great at breaking bricks.

he told me to imagine them crumbling before me when i am standing in front of them.

this mind set has worked for me.

[thesensei]

i'm involved with a demo team, so i've done quite a bit of breaking. bricks (to me) aren't that much different from breaking boards - only in the mind. and of course, your technique MUST be absolutely perfect. i've done breaks before where my technique was good enough to execute the break - but i had a great big bruise afterward!! the most i have done is 6 bricks with spacers with my elbow. i have also done 5 with an axe kick, 4 with a palm, 2 on fire, and 2 with my head. the key is prefect technique, and striking all the way through - though when you're breaking more than about 4, that becomes theory only!

btw, i have never done any hand conditioning, other that working with a bag. and the only time i use a cloth to cover the bricks is when doing a head break - for obvious reasons!!

[Chiduce]

I have never done any head breaks, and i do condition my hands!
Never tried breaking ice either or the back of the hand break; yet i would very much like that type of breaking experience.
My breaking experience was stated in a previous post.
Sincerely, In Humility;
Chiduce!

[Shinzu]

breaking is an area that interests me very much. i enjoy this aspect. i did perform a 2 brick break with a downward elbow strike. man did that ever hurt. i had a bruise that took up half of my arm. i'm lucky i didn't break my arm instead.

i broke it correctly and had no problem, but perhaps my arm was not ready for such force. anyways i don't regret it :)

[MartialArtist]

Originally posted by tonbo

Well, I've seen a multiple brick break done "close up", and it is pretty amazing. Works along the principles that nightingale set up, as far as I can tell.

I also haven't done much breaking--mainly a couple of the rebreakable boards, nothing fancy. I think a LOT of it has to do with physics, though, since I have seen kids do it more than once--it can't all be about strength.

Before I start talking about stuff that I really don't know anything about, however, I am going to back down and let those people who know breaking do the explanations...;)

Peace--
You don't have to be strong to hit hard. Strength and power are two different things.

[Damian Mavis]

I can tell you a little about ITF Tae Kwon do breaking. We have board breaking as an event at the world chamionships so breaking is pretty common in all ITF TKD schools across the world and is often a requirement for testing. We use pine and do not use spacers.

Basically you can measure your progress and power by how many boards you break over the years. 1 or 2 boards is usually a "special technique" like big jumping kicks or punches where you throw the boards in the air and snap them with a speed punch. 3 boards is starting to get to power breaking and is common for adults to try the first time they try a power break like a stepping or turning sidekick. Black belts usually break 3 with their hand using knife hand or ridgehand and break 4 with sidekick or turning sidekick. Once they feel confident black belts usually move up to 5 or 6 boards sidekick/turning sidekick which is an accomplishment because if your technique is not good you will be stopped by 4 boards easily. Most blackbelt men do 4 boards knife and ridgehand. I myself have done more but in all honesty I can break well simply because I don't care if I break my bones...a complete lack of fear or worry does wonders for your power. I'm sure the day will come when I do care and I won't be breaking so much. I've been lucky not to break any bones yet. Power breaking with your hand hurts and almost always leaves a bruise (sometimes a huge bruise) but power breaking with your foot usually doesn't leave a mark and rarely hurts.

If you want to break more than 6 boards with a kick you need a board holding machine as most peoples hands arent big enough to hold more. Not only that but when people hold boards with no machine you run the risk of the holders moving when you make contact and not being able to break as a result. The most boards I've broken is 8 with a turning sidekick, which is really good for a man my size but I still envy those heavy weights I hear about doing 12 boards....insane.

Power breaking with no spacers = confidence (no fear and full commitment) and sharp, fast, acurate technique (if you dont hit the center you probably won't break).

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD

[Kong]

I witnessed a 3 dan grading (wtf tkd) not too long ago, where they had to break 2 bricks no spacers among other things.

[jazkiljok]

Originally posted by Deathtrap101

Ive seen it done and i know people can do it, but how hte hell do you do it???????


this site will give you a good idea of the science in the break.

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/newtons/12/karate.html

hand conditioning does help but ironically, it's more for when things don't go right then when they do.

as a side note--Don Bluming recently exposed the many tricks by Mas Oyama and his students commonly used in japan to build false reputations and records for breaking ice, cement slabs, bricks, bottle tops...etc.

peace.




:asian: