Re Breakable Boards

Earl Weiss

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What are you using?
20+ years ago I got some putty color boards where both sides had a tongue and groove that slipped together. There was a recessed square with a logo. They are the same width as standard "1 x 12" No. 2 Pine. So they fit in the reguular board holders.
This type was used at the ITF Champs in Russia in 1997. Later tried to buy more and found some but the recessed square had no logo and the tongue and groove portion broke off after a few uses.
Returned pieces for a refund. They were about $30.00 each.

Still have the originals but they have become easier with time and use. We used to say they were = to 1.5 Board each, but now they are about 75% or less of #2 Pine.
In the past I found some websites that had them, but when checking further they were no longer available.
So, what are you using?
 

SuitableScroll

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I'd recommend the century re-breakable boards or the pro force re-breakable boards. Both are great and long lasting in my experience.
 

Dirty Dog

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I've used the ones from Century, and while I am generally happy with their stuff, their rebreakables sucked, frankly.

I tried a number of different options and eventually ended up with these boards. I've been using them regularly for about 3 years now and I have not noticed any degradation in the impact needed to break them. They break crisply, and my mechanical engineer son (who does stress testing to determine the expected lifespan of locomotive stuff) tells me the pin design will be much more reliable over time than the tongue and groove.
 

WaterGal

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We've got some Dynamics brand ones - 3 heavy ones (like you have) and 3 lighter ones (a little stronger than a 1/2" board). They've held up pretty well so far. My only complaint is that the joint on the lighter ones is getting looser. It's not really making them easier to break, but the two halves try to slide apart if you only hold it on one side!
 

granfire

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I tried a number of different options and eventually ended up with these boards. I've been using them regularly for about 3 years now and I have not noticed any degradation in the impact needed to break them. They break crisply, and my mechanical engineer son (who does stress testing to determine the expected lifespan of locomotive stuff) tells me the pin design will be much more reliable over time than the tongue and groove.

these I have two at the house, orange and blue. I did not get too much use out of them, so they are still rather crisp.

But I have seen one dad breaking the ones for his id in to the point that they pretty much fell apart when you looked at them, white and yellow. plus a little added vaseline....

you do have to break them in though before you can attempt the first technique on them.
 

Dirty Dog

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these I have two at the house, orange and blue. I did not get too much use out of them, so they are still rather crisp.

But I have seen one dad breaking the ones for his id in to the point that they pretty much fell apart when you looked at them, white and yellow. plus a little added vaseline....

you do have to break them in though before you can attempt the first technique on them.


Well, since these boards are color coded to match belts, white/yellow/orange are going to be pretty mushy. I've got green (1" board) through black (2 1/4" board). The green gets used a LOT, since one board is the minimum required break for all students. I've got 4 of the black boards. One has been broken several hundred times. I broke it tonight, and then dug out the one that's been sitting in the bottom of the bag and has been broken maybe a dozen times and broke it. While my hands are not exactly carefully calibrated scientific instruments, I could not feel any difference between the basically new board and the hundreds of breaks board.
 

clfsean

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Ooooohhh... I remember those things. Silly putty colored... harder than hell when you're an 11 or 12 year old green belt going for your first ever break. But me & my hammerfirst survived!!!! I haven't done much breaking in recent history so if I need to, I just go to Lowe's or Home Depot & buy a 12 ft white pine plank & have them cut it down to 12x12 pieces.
 

granfire

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Well, since these boards are color coded to match belts, white/yellow/orange are going to be pretty mushy. I've got green (1" board) through black (2 1/4" board). The green gets used a LOT, since one board is the minimum required break for all students. I've got 4 of the black boards. One has been broken several hundred times. I broke it tonight, and then dug out the one that's been sitting in the bottom of the bag and has been broken maybe a dozen times and broke it. While my hands are not exactly carefully calibrated scientific instruments, I could not feel any difference between the basically new board and the hundreds of breaks board.

LOL, I got cocky, thought I could annihilate a white one, straight from the wrapper...they are rather tough!

Like I said, I got the orange (kid was 7 or 8 then) and the blue, max strength required for the ladies.

but I certainly felt it in my legs after we broke in the school set!

(the kid who's dad went way overboard was maybe six and a sliver of a kid, but cocky as hell!)
 

Dirty Dog

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Ooooohhh... I remember those things. Silly putty colored... harder than hell when you're an 11 or 12 year old green belt going for your first ever break. But me & my hammerfirst survived!!!! I haven't done much breaking in recent history so if I need to, I just go to Lowe's or Home Depot & buy a 12 ft white pine plank & have them cut it down to 12x12 pieces.

Don't know about silly putty colored ones... The ones I have are pretty comparable to the Lowes lumber. If anything, they're slightly tougher. And they are definitely more challenging than the boards sold specifically for breaking by various places.

They're great for practice and conditioning. For demos, I favor a stack of concrete pavers.
 
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Earl Weiss

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Ooooohhh... I remember those things. Silly putty colored... harder than hell when you're an 11 or 12 year old green belt going for your first ever break. But me & my hammerfirst survived!!!! I haven't done much breaking in recent history so if I need to, I just go to Lowe's or Home Depot & buy a 12 ft white pine plank & have them cut it down to 12x12 pieces.

For testing we typicaly use the real stuff, but for practice at the school doing thousands of breaks that gets pricy.
 

SahBumNimRush

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We used to use these http://www.ebay.com/itm/Adults-Rebr...reaker-Hard-/200667211833?hash=item2eb8b2a839. I couldn't find them in any martial arts supply store. When new, they are about as hard as a 2x12" pine board. After a few years, they do start to soften up. We have one from the early 1980's that is really easy to break now. Wish I could still find them, they were really great compared to anything I've found these days.
 
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Earl Weiss

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We used to use these http://www.ebay.com/itm/Adults-Rebr...reaker-Hard-/200667211833?hash=item2eb8b2a839. I couldn't find them in any martial arts supply store. When new, they are about as hard as a 2x12" pine board. After a few years, they do start to soften up. We have one from the early 1980's that is really easy to break now. Wish I could still find them, they were really great compared to anything I've found these days.
So far those look the closest. I will get 2 and report back.
 
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Earl Weiss

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First link states out of stock Third link website did not work so I called them. They no longer have that. I ordered some from the e-bay site.
 

SahBumNimRush

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Wow. I don't want to read into something that isn't there, but I would think that demand would dictate supply. Those breakaways were great! All I can find nowadays in the major martial arts supply stores are very easy to break; akin to the "demo" boards, 1" thick concrete blocks, and the super long landscaping blocks that I see so many "breaking" with these days.. .

If these work out Mr. Weiss, please let us know, I need to get some new ones!
 
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Earl Weiss

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Got these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Adults-Rebr...ard-/200667211833?hash=item2eb8b2a839&afsrc=1
Bought 2 to try.
They came and I put them in the Holder. My son and I try them. Did some side Kicks that would break four regular boards and Bouncce off. Try only one. Same result! Pretty comical.
Finaly use a dead blow hammer to break one. After tthe first break they seem to be equal to about 2 regular boards. I will take them to the school and have them broken 100 times to see how they hold up. With shipping they are over $40.00 each.
 

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