How to Break a Board With Your Bare Hands

Ever wonder how to break a board with nothing but your bare hands? It is actually much easier than people think. As a matter of fact, it takes little physical effort to punch, push, or slice through a board with your hand. But what it does require is a little mental preparation. Follows these steps and you'll ready yourself for this exciting technique.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch pine boards
• A partner to assist you in holding the board
• Or a pair of cinder blocks to place the board on

How to Break a Board With Your Bare Hands

1. There are specific boards designed for martial arts board breaking techniques. If you were to try breaking just any piece of wood of unknown type, grain, or consistency, you could seriously hurt yourself, even if you have proper training. Typical boards for breaking are made of pine, cut in sheets so the grain of the wood aligns with the direction a martial artist typically breaks. A typical board is 1/2 inch thick, but 1/4 inch boards can be purchased as well. The easiest way to obtain these boards is through a local or an online martial arts supplier. They can be purchased by the boxful, and are fairly inexpensive, so you'll get plenty of practice.
2. Before you try breaking them, you'll need to prepare yourself mentally. This my sound a little silly, but this technique is much more of a "mind-over-matter" trick than a martial arts move. The number one mistake people make is thinking that they have to hit the board hard. This is not the case. What you actually have to do is send your energy through the board to the other side. An interesting way to interpret this is to imagine that the board isn't even in front of you, but pass your hand or fist on a path that goes through the board. In actuality, anyone throwing a punch or strike at their fullest speed can break through one, two, and potentially, even three boards.
3. With this in mind, you now have the resources to actually strike through a board. Have your assisting partner hold the board at the farthest edges and out in front of him. Make sure he extends his arms to the point before locking his elbows, and have his tense his arms, hands, and grip the board tightly. He should be standing firmly on the ground, typically with one leg back driving into the floor to absorb the impact.If you are using cinder blocks, position them spaced apart just far enough so that the farthest edges of the board can rest on the blocks. Unfortunately, when using cinder blocks, you can only use a downward strike.
4. Now you are ready to throw your strike and break the board. It is important for you to relax at this moment. Tensing up and getting nervous about breaking the board is actually going to cause you to more likely mess up. With a partner, stand to face him in a comfortable "fighting" stance, with your hands up, one foot back, and your feet firmly planted in the ground. Extend your arm fully and place your palm on the board. With your arm completely outreached, if you can touch the board with your palm, then this means you need to position yourself about two inches closer to your partner.Relax. Take a few deep breaths, and slowly extend your fist out and gently push on the board, exhaling as you extend. This motion and breathing exercise will relax you, and clear your mind. Aim for a target in the center of the board but a few inches beyond the board. When ready, throw your fist at full speed while exhaling. If you don't stop when you hit the board, you will pass right through it.
5. If breaking a board over cinder blocks, you must position your body next to the cinderblocks. Keep the same "fighting" stance, but position your legs a few inches from cinder blocks. The same technique and relaxation exercise applies when using cinder blocks to hold your board. But rather than throwing your strike out in front of you, you must throw it down through the center of board. To assist during the break, as you are striking and exhaling sink your knees down, dropping your body weight. Just be careful not to scrape your legs or knees against the cinder blocks.

Tips & Warnings

• It is important to understand some basic technique to throwing a punch or strike.
• Never ever tuck your thumb inside your fingers when making a fist you intend to punch with, this is the easiest way to break your thumb.
• When throwing a punch, it is important to pivot with your hips in the direction of the strike. This puts more of your body weight and force behind the punch, making it more likely to pass through a board.
• Practicing board breaking or any martial arts techniques without proper training and supervision is extremely risky, and I recommend you consult with a martial arts practitioner before attempting this technique.
• Make sure your partner holding the board is completely safe and out of reach of your fist as it breaks the board.
• If you fail to break the board the first time, it is likely because you stopped your strike when it hit the surface of the board. If you continue to do this after a few attempts, you can seriously hurt your hand. It may require several attempts, but do not try more than two or three times in a row. Wait a few days for your hand to heal any bruises or cuts, and try again.