TaeKwon-Do: Break A Board With The Front Fist

Step 1: Preparation

Before executing any break, it's important to physically prepare yourself to avoid any kind of injury.

The first and main thing to learn is how to form the fist correctly. Start by holding your arm out in front of you and closing your hand into a fist. Be sure to align the first two knuckles with the wrist, elbow, upper arm and shoulder as you strike your target.

You'll also need to prepare your knuckles before you attempt any fist break. Bruce Lee preferred punching bags of steel sawdust and gravel, but if that sounds a little out of your league, try Push Ups on the first and second knuckles. Not only will this harden the skin and muscles around the area of impact, but it'll strengthen your arms and chest too.

Don't forget to warm up your muscles with practice pads this will also help you begin to focus your attention on your striking technique.

Step 2: Practice

Before attempting an actual break, take some time to practice your focus. It cannot be overstressed how important this is to the final break.

Try using plastic training boards that you can break as many times as you like, and put back together again!

Just make sure that when breaking a board, the person or people who hold the board have a firm grip. If the board moves at all during the execution of your technique, it will soften your strike.

Step 3: The break

Ask a fellow master or student to hold the board. For the front fist speed break, just the one person is needed.

Now set the board to the appropriate height. Just under the solar plexus, where your power and energy comes from.

Start from the basic ready position - this is balanced with your feet firmly on the ground and 70 per cent of your weight on your back supporting leg and with your arms and hands up in the guard position.

And now you need to begin activating your concentration.

But before you try and break the board, just take a little time to measure the exact distance you need. Get it wrong, and you'll fluff it completely.

Return to the ready position one final time and focus on your small target area. this should be just a few centimetres squared.

Now combine your focus, concentration and speed to break the board.