How do you break-in a rebreakable board?

[Lynne]

I bought a rebreakable board for my daughter. She had attended a board-breaking clinic and they used the 3/4" pineboards. She did great with those, just fine.

I asked one of her instructors which rebreakable board he would recommend. He recommended either the blue (next to hardest) or the black (hardest). I bought the black. When I got home, I saw that it was equal to a 1-3/4" board, more than two regular pineboards.

She tried to break it. No go. (And it stung the heck out of my hands and fingers!)

Someone told us we needed to break it in using chairs or cinderblocks. Is that true? What do you hit it with? Drop kicks (and should you wear athletic shoes?)? You wouldn't use hand chops would you? What about a sledgehammer (joking)?

Any suggestions? Also, any suggestions how to keep from being hurt when I'm holding the board? I worry about my thumbs being broken.

 

[Marginal]

How old is your daughter? (Just seems like the toughest rebreakable could be trouble for a younger kid.)

On holding the board, it's safest to keep your thumb out of the way. Brace it with your palm from behind and use your fingers to hold it steady. Since I'm not sure if that makes sense, google image offered up this:

http://www.kimstkdomaha.com/DSC02860.jpg

I'd say the less padding you use, the less trouble you'll have getting the thing to break. Atheletic shoes, gloves etc tend to disperse enough of the shock so that the rebreakable will just laugh at you. With cinderblocks, stomps can work, knifehands are very good tools as well (just be sure they're being done right or else the fingers take a nasty beating)

 

[morph4me]

The rebreakable boards are denser and harder to break than real ones. I have no advice as to how to break them in, I didn't know you can do it, all I know is that you have to hit it hard, fast, and correctly or you'll know about it. The easiest way to hold it is against the heel of your palm and allow all of your fingers, thumb included, to wrap around the front of the board. Don't lock out your elbow because if she hits the board and it doesn't break, all of the force of the blow will be transferred up your arms, and that doesn't feel good at all. Good luck.

 

[Ninjamom]

Are you using the Ultimate Martial Arts Board? These are the longest-lasting rebreakables I've found (and unfortunately, the hardest to break in). To break mine the first time, I had to lean in against the wall from the floor, and stomp with a low, downwards side kick on it. After about 15 to 20 times breaking it this way, THEN the board acted like the advertised amount of pine wood.

 

[Lynne]

Thanks, everyone, for the advice.

I appreciate the photo link, Marginal!

My daughter is 17 and has strong legs - I think that may be why the instructor suggested the harder board, to challenge her/build up even more strength in her legs.

Ninjamom, her board is a Proforce one. Thank you so much for replying. We will try your technique.

 

[Lynne]

The rebreakable boards are denser and harder to break than real ones. I have no advice as to how to break them in, I didn't know you can do it, all I know is that you have to hit it hard, fast, and correctly or you'll know about it. The easiest way to hold it is against the heel of your palm and allow all of your fingers, thumb included, to wrap around the front of the board. Don't lock out your elbow because if she hits the board and it doesn't break, all of the force of the blow will be transferred up your arms, and that doesn't feel good at all. Good luck.

I can imagine the pain...ouch. I wondered about hitting the funny bone on an elbow strike, too. I bet someone would only do that once.

 

[Lynne]

We propped the board aganst the fireplace hearth last night and was able to break it with Ninjamom's downward stomp (and a loud Kihap of course). We broke it 10 times or so, haven't tried breaking it yet.

Will let everyone know how that goes and if I'll be buying a less difficult board.

 

[Last Fearner]

Just to let you know, I've been using re-breakable boards at my schools for a couple of decades now. When I first started buying them there was only one type and one difficulty level. In order to create a "children's" board, I had to take a circular saw and cut one adult re-breakable board in half to make two smaller ones.

When you first get a new re-breakable board, the groves fit very tight and it will be difficult to break. It could take hundreds of breaks before the plastic starts to wear down enough that you notice a slightly easier popping apart of the board as the newness begins to wear off. However, you could break these boards every day for a couple of years and not notice too much wearing down, or change in the difficulty.

It depends on how many times you break the board every week/month/year, but after a few years, you will notice that an older board will pop apart easier than a brand new one. That is when I start using those weaker boards for the kids who can easily break a half-sized board. These days, they sell the boards with different resistance levels, so I would suggest to just go ahead and buy one that is only slightly difficult to break, then work your way up to that hard one as a goal. Eventually, you can put the two together and try to break them both at once.

CM D.J. Eisenhart

 

[Lynne]

Thank you, Last Fearner,

I plan on ordering a less difficult board. Like you said, one that is a challenge but at least one she can break.

I had no idea it could literally take 100+ tries to even begin breaking the thing in. Well, I guess we got what we paid for!