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Breaking Properly
We have all seen someone jumping up in the air, coming down on a brick or board and smashing it as hard as they can. When they are breaking, they are told to look through the target, making sure that they go right threw by a foot. This is what we call the most basic method of breaking. Yes everyone starts this way, but it should not be the only way. In fact if it is, find some one else to learn from, because this is what we call the, "Caveman", method. One thing to note, we all have to start somewhere, and yes this is where you start, but this is not the end, not by no means. This should be the start of many many types of breaking. This is how you get someone used to breaking, and believing that they can do it. Once they see that they can do it, you can teach them many different methods of breaking and each time they go threw with a different type of break, it gives them confidence to go threw the next type of break they are taught. One of the hardest types of breaks is putting your palm one inch over the target, concentrating your power or energies to go threw the brick, but not your hand, only your minds energies, then slapping down on the brick, and it breaks. Some types of breaking teach us to break deep inside the body of our opponent, some types of breaking teach us to stop right at the point of impact with our hand or arm, yet concentrating our energies to go threw deeper into the target. I know this sounds strange, but it is so amazing once you learn that there are many types of breaking methods, and you start to learn them one at a time. One thing about breaking is that it truly helps students to gain confidence in themselves, it helps them focus on what they are doing. It also helps students to learn what different types of powers are, and how to use them. Breaking in fact is one of the best ways to show students that there truly is different types of power. For instance, think about power this way. One type of power is exactly as I explained above, someone jumps up into the air, comes down very hard on the target, board or brick, and smashes it. That is the most basic method of all. When you start to do more unique types of breaking, there are methods to practise to build up your, "Chi", and your hand strength. One such method is slapping sand bags, and using, " Dit, Dat, Jow", right after your practise, this is what is called Iron palm herbs, and is very important to use it when you start to build up your hands, fingers, wrists, and feet. Using these herbs helps your limbs to heal faster, and it helps your blood flow faster, which in turn heals your bruising. If you do start training in breaking, make sure to get a good, Dit Dat Jow, ask your teacher where to buy it, and or ask him to pick it up for you the next time he goes to the city and goes past a China Town. Which is the only place you can buy it. Try hard to get the herbs in powder form, and make the meds yourself, it takes a few months for the herbs to sit in alcohal, and you have to shake the bottle at least every other day. This way the good parts of the herbs comes out into the alcohal, and when you rub it into your joints, it heals your hands much faster. The faster your hands heal, the more you can practise, the more you can practise the better you will become in your area of expertize. Good luck to all of you, and if anyone want to make fun of you buy saying, breaking is no good, or breaking is for show offs, or, or and more or. Just let it go over your head, don't let it bother you. There are many people out there that will just that, and all because they do not have the knowledge to break themselves, or they are frightened to break, so they make up excuses as to why breaking is not good for you. Believe me folks, I was one of the worst breakers ever. I had to start with the skinniest boards, and it took me a very long time to learn how to break properly, and to harden my hands up properly. I was so fortunate to have a great teacher to start me off properly, because the one thing I have seen over the years, is the students of teachers that did not know anything about breaking. Their hands are so disfigured, and by the time they are forty or fifty, they cannot even make a fist any longer. This is what happens when you have teachers with no knowledge. They teach you improperly, and you pay the price down the road. I have met so many instructors that say they wish that they would have had learned kung fu in their lives, but back in the sixties there was no kung fu. By the time they could have taken lessons in kung fu, they were already with black belt karate, because of that position, they did not want to leave because they worked so hard to get to that position, and if they leave. But each and every one of them told me when they were alone, that they should have left and should have started at the bottom no matter how long they put into the art they started in. Now they always think what if, and that is something each and every one of you have to make sure not to do ever in your life. When you make a decision, you make sure you make the right one from the start, never regret what you do in your life, always be proud of what you have accomplished, and always make sure to be a student as long as you are training, you are a student first and foremost. You might have a position to teach, but you are still a student no matter what.
Sifu James Croy not a, "Cave man" Notice where his hand is, as you can see the board is not even hit the ground yet, and Sifu James Croy's hand is exactly where he started his break. He did not swing down on the board from afar, he did not go threw the board as you can see. Now look at the board, can you see the way it ripped. When you can break like this perfectly each time, the board will make a ripping sound, which is very cool. This break will teach you a type of power that is amazing. But most of all, this is not a, "Caveman", break, a type of break that most people use that have no knowledge in breaking. And remember that anyone can do a, "Caveman" break, anyone, as long as they can suck up the pain from a broken hand, or arm, or worse, compound fracture. Break properly from the beginning, and if you can not find someone to teach you how to break properly, go out and find a good Chinese Kung Fu teacher, and you will have your teacher. One more important thing to remember about breaking, it is not for showing off, or stupid things like some do, what it is for, is to learn how to use different types of powers to go threw different types of material. Boards, Bricks, Roofing tiles, there are many different materials one can use. Start very slow, and make sure that the break you do is easy before trying something harder. Never ever try to do something that can cause you to break you hand, this is plain stupid, and lack of knowledge in breaking.
We have a few students who have started their training in breaking. Sifu James Croy has been breaking for over ten years, and can already do one of the hardest types of breaks, bringing his hammer fist, or palm down on the brick, then as soon as you touch the brick, you pull your arm back to its starting point, you do not go threw the brick with your hand or arm, you pull it back. You would think this to be impossible, and if I did not have the pictures to prove it, you might think that I was talking into the wind, but I do have the pictures and you can easily see it for yourself. You need to find someone to teach you how to break properly, not the "Cave Man Method", smashing down on a board or brick and going right threw the target with your limb. Some people that only know this method, will put down as many boards or bricks as they can, and smash at them as hard as they can, not taking care to protect their limb. If they break their hand, or arm, so what, better luck next time. This is not breaking, this is lack of knowledge. This is the easiest method, and also the stupidest. Especially if you have been breaking for years and still only know one way to break. There are many methods of breaking, each method teaches us a different method to use our powers. Again do you remember what I am talking about when saying the word, "Powers", it means the different types of "Ging", different methods of hitting something to cause different reactions. Let give you a few other examples. How about someone holding onto a board or brick and someone breaking it while they are holding it. Did you know that it is far more important for the person holding the board or brick, then it is the person breaking. For instance, if a person is holding a board, and he sees the punch coming towards the board, and he moves a little bit backwards as the fist hits the board. This can break someone's hand, or arm, if the person holding the board reacts this way. You have to make sure to teach the person holding the board to hold it professionally. What would he do to hold it better. For one thing, most important, he must close his eyes, that way when the fist comes towards the board, the person holding the board cannot move or grimace at all. One slight move, can cause the person breaking to break his fist, instead of the board, so what does that teach all of us, yes if you do not know what you are doing, do not do it. Make sure to learn properly before you do anything like this. Please go out and find an excellent teacher in this area, you will not be disappointed. Again to get back to the point I am trying to make about many types of breaking, you would be truly amazed if you only knew what I was taught, what I seen with my own eyes, and yes to know that many of these methods are dying, and will be lost if more people with this knowledge do not start teaching it. There are a number of methods for students to try as soon as they know the first method of breaking, yes going through the target. Once you know this method, try what we call a speed break. With this type of break, a student holds one end of the board, not both, he holds one end of the board with his hand, holding the board out to his side. The student breaking the board, stands in a combative horse stance, and concentrates his energies towards his target. He flies into the board with a side kick, very fast, and cuts the board clean in half. This break, you do not aim through the board again, you aim only one inch into the board, and make sure to pull your foot back, faster then what you kicked in, and if you do it just right, you will have learned how to do a speed break. When you know how to do a speed break, then you will know how to put a different type of power into your opponents body when kicking for protection. Kicking with a speed break type of power, can cause internal organs to split, or rip. If you touch your opponent very lightly with a side kick with the same force you used for a speed break, and use it to touch your opponent very lightly on the short ribs, or solar plexus, he is going to be unconscious in one second. And this is what I mean by being able to learn how to use your powers on your attackers, or opponents, by learning how to break, in various methods. Another method is to light a candle, make sure that the candle is some where it can't cause your house to burn down, or club, always be careful of fire. But lets get back to this type of exercise, take a candle, light it, and stand in a horse stance in front of the candle. Have your hand on your hip, and use a snap punch to try to put out the flame. Once you can put out the flame, try putting the candle further back, and again if you can put out the flame, again further back. This method will teach you a much different type of power, but I cannot tell you what it is for. Or I would have to, "Well you know the rest". But on a serious note, breaking is something that is not for everyone, and not everyone should have to break. You should never ever force anyone that does not want to break, to make them break, that is wrong. If they do not want to break to begin with, they will have a negative attitude, and will break their fist for sure, and what again would that achieve, nothing but stupidity. So always make sure to teach students how to break properly when they are ready, and only if they want too. Remember life is long, they might not want to now, but later after seeing the other students and their results, then they might want to start, and that would be at the right time for them. Never make anyone do something they do not want too, all you will do is make them resent what they are doing, and that is not what you are trying to achieve as martial arts teachers. what we are trying to achieve is to bring all of the most wonderful aspects of our human nature out. We are also trying to show the students that they have various types of power not used since we became civilized. What we mean by this is since we stopped having to hunt for our own food, since we had to stop protecting ourselves from wild beasts, road bandits, things like this. Plus we try to show all of the students that we all have to turn to our insides and look deep into our minds eye. That is the only way we can correct our own problems. To many people are pointing in all directions when something goes wrong, when in actual fact, what they should be doing is looking inward. If they look inward, they will be able to correct most of their negative attributes, like jealousy, or anger, or being manipulative to hurt others, all of these things can be corrected through meditation and reading philosophy. And do not think that you are the only one with these problems, we are all with problems, the difference between us and them. We look to correct ourselves, they blame everyone else for everything that goes wrong. We blame ourselves when things go wrong, I hope you see my point. God bless you all, and I hope each and everyone of you find something useful in this web site. If you do find something that touches your heart, do more research on that topic, it is very important for your own growth. Or you can email us and we will get back to you, ask away, and when we can we will try to answer your question as best we can.
Sifu Dee Breaking two inch board
Thank you Sifu Dee
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