breaking for kids

[kyosa]

Question for all you instructors-when do you have kids start to break boards? My instructor always taught that children under the age of 16 should not break boards with a few exceptions. My understanding was that their bones and ligaments were still growing and there could be potential damage in younger children. In general that was what many felt about weight lifting also-you should wait until you are 16 years old. I have recently seen some stuff coming out saying that it is ok for children under the age of 16 to lift weights but you want more repetition and lighter weight. I'm wondering if other schools have children breaking boards. I have a student age 14 about to test for 7th gup and he wants to break boards at his test. I am thinking about letting him but i would buy the boards and make sure they are easier to break than average. Any other thoughts from other instructors?

 

[Makalakumu]

I, personally, would buy the boards and have them planed to 1/2 inch. A 14 year old should be able to break that without that much effort. Of course, all of this depends on how this student is built.

Another option is buying the rebreakable boards on various martial arts supply websites that are marked as youth. Those can be broken by most kids and they are reusable.

The bottom line is that breaking can really be a motivator for many students. They see it as a challenge that needs to be overcome. I think that a teacher should at least try and present an option that gives every student a chance to experience this.