Holding boards for breaking

[jthomas1600]

So I guess a couple of follow questions come to mind. At what point in a TKD practitioners development would you expect them to start holding boards and what kind of training is usually provided? It seems to me a lot of it can be learned by simple observation, but of course not everyone pays attention. Also it seems to me for older teens and adults breaking a 1 inch pine board with a kick is not overly difficult so at least for those it seems holding should be pretty easy. But I can certainly see where holding for multiple boards would be a different story.

 

[dancingalone]

So I guess a couple of follow questions come to mind. At what point in a TKD practitioners development would you expect them to start holding boards and what kind of training is usually provided? It seems to me a lot of it can be learned by simple observation, but of course not everyone pays attention. Also it seems to me for older teens and adults breaking a 1 inch pine board with a kick is not overly difficult so at least for those it seems holding should be pretty easy. But I can certainly see where holding for multiple boards would be a different story.

I don't think there is any set rule. In general you want someone with big and strong enough hands to be able to hold the boards steadily. Perhaps even more important is someone without fear so they won't flinch away and foul the breaking attempt.

I've pulled big, strong guys out of the audience before to hold boards during demonstrations. It's generally worked, the potential problems Archtkd has described notwithstanding.

 

[granfire]

So I guess a couple of follow questions come to mind. At what point in a TKD practitioners development would you expect them to start holding boards and what kind of training is usually provided? It seems to me a lot of it can be learned by simple observation, but of course not everyone pays attention. Also it seems to me for older teens and adults breaking a 1 inch pine board with a kick is not overly difficult so at least for those it seems holding should be pretty easy. But I can certainly see where holding for multiple boards would be a different story.

The qualification usually is - drum roll - being an adult, or close to it. So older juniors, around 15/16 years of age on up. rank is irrelevant. Size is more important, somewhat (not being a giant myself)

The instruction is as follows:
Stand close together, in a solid front stance (70/30 on the front leg, around 3 to for times the width of your shoulder in length)
Line up directly behind the board

Hands along the edges going with the grain (not the cross cut one), inside hand on top.

Lock elbows, tighten hands.

look away

when the person breaking asks you to adjust the board, you naturally do it and try your darndest not to move after.

To get the right height you might be required to get down on a knee.
Holding is hard though, after a couple hours the wrists, a couple of my fellow buds had arthritis and were excused from holding for most parts.

Also: we had boards ranging from 3 or 4 inches up to 12, as soon as you could put 2 hands on there we had 2 holders. Makes for a more stable grip, but even on the one handed gig, a second person would grab the holder's wrists to stabilize them

(We seldom did not have the same leg out front, depending on the technique...on an axe kick it might be better to have the outside legs out front...)

 

[d1jinx]

breaking boards is stupid.... done.

haha, being BANNED after 2 posts is STUPID.... hahahahahahaha