Rules and Etiquette of Speed Breaking

Speed breaking is nothing new. We see it all the time at demos, tournaments, and rank tests. Although the techniques we use to break the boards are somewhat universal and uniform throughout our style, the ways in which we address the board holders, set up our break, and complete our breaks are not. In World Yoshukai, we have procedures and rituals for everything we do: bowing in, sparring, forms, Ippon Kumite, self-defense, and competition; however, it appears that we have no such formality in our speed breaking. The following rules apply mainly to rank test situations, but they could easily be applied to demos or competitions.

Be Polite to Your Holders: If there is one activity that I dislike in Yoshukai Karate, it is holding boards. Over the course of the last 9 years I have been kicked in the head, punched in the face, kicked in the groin, suffered sprained wrists, dislocated fingers, and split lips all while standing defenselessly holding a board. Holding boards takes guts. Some might disagree saying, "All you have to do is stand there and hold up a piece of wood!" No, it is so much more than that. When someone holds a board for you, they are telling you, "I trust you and your technique so much that I am going to allow you to punch or kick at my vital areas as hard as you can with only a 1" thick piece of pine shelving between me and almost certain injury." Think about this the next time you need to perform a speed break.

Over the past few years, I have seen a significant decline in the appreciation of our board holders. People are now simply shoving boards in people's face without any explanation of what technique they will be using or they act in very gruff manner when adjusting board heights or positions. I've also seen quite a few fingers being hit with no apologies coming from the person who is breaking. This is unacceptable.

The way it should be: The student should be standing at attention with his boards roughly in the area of where the techniques will be executed (if time and space permits). As each holder approaches, the student should bow to the holder and hand him the board with two hands while telling the holder the type of technique that will be used. The student should adjust the distance and position of the board at this time. When speaking to the holder the student should address the holder as "sir" or "ma'am" and speak politely when giving verbal commands. This process should be repeated for each breaking station. In the event that the student accidentally hits a board holder, they should bow and apologize. Once the entire breaking sequence is complete they should then bow to the holder they hit and apologize again. After the break has completed, the student should bow and thank each holder as they give him the board pieces.

Be Prepared: As an instructor and board holder, nothing frustrates me more than when the person breaking has no idea what techniques they are planning to use. By being unprepared, the student is creating in increased chance of injury to himself and the holders while simultaneously decreasing the chances of successfully breaking the board. During rank tests in my dojo, students who come to testing unprepared for breaking will automatically fail that portion of the test. When you have 3 or 4 months to prepare a 5 station break, there is no excuse for coming to the test without having the entire break planned out.

The way it should be: Weeks before the testing, the student should refer to the student handbook to determine the required breaking techniques for successful completion of the test. The student should practice the breaking sequence just as they would practice a kata.

Set Up Should Take No More than 2 Minutes: Often times I watch demos or rank test breaks and the performer or student takes an extremely long time to set up. If an individual is prepared and there are no gimmick breaks involved, a 5 station break should take no more than 2 minutes to set up. Typically, I see people set up on a board more than 3 times before setting up the next board. They then set up on the second board a few times and go back to the first board to set up and then return to the second board before moving onto the third. This process is as tedious in person as it reads on paper.

Another thing that irritates me is when people "micro-position" the board. Micro-positioning is when adjustments less than 10 degrees or 6" are made to the position or height of the board. Often times micro-positioners set up on a board, make a miniscule adjustment, set up again, make another tiny adjustment, etc. etc. etc. If 2 degrees difference in the angle of a board is going to ruin your breaking technique, then you are not performing the technique correctly. Micro-adjustments in heavy breaking may be necessary because of momentum, weight, and gravity issues; however, these types of adjustments do not apply to speed breaking because the cumulative effect does not exist as it does in heavy breaking. (You are hitting a single 1" piece of wood with all of your power versus going through multiple pieces of 3" thick concrete with ½" of space in between each slab). After setting up, the student should bow to the black belt in charge to indicate his readiness to break. The student should not begin breaking until the black belt signals him to begin.

The way it should be: After giving the holders the boards and designating the technique, the student should run through each of the boards in succession only pausing to adjust the position or height when necessary. The student should run through the entire breaking sequence no more than 3 times. This is important because speed breaking is supposed to simulate a street confrontation with multiple opponents. On the street, your opponents will not allow you to adjust their distance or position. You will simply have to move and attack. In essence, your technique must be precise, not the position of the board.

Do Not Hit Boards Repeatedly: This rule is two fold. First, if a board in a sequence doesn't break on the first try, move on to the next one. Second, do not hit a board more than 3 times unless directed to do so by the black belt in charge. In regards to the first part of this rule, you must move quickly from station to station. If you miss a board or do not break it on the first try, immediately move on to the next board. In the case of multi-station breaks, if you miss boards 2 and 4 of a 5 station break complete the sequence before attempting to break boards 2 and 4. You should also attempt to break boards 2 and 4 in quick succession on the 2nd attempt only. 3rd attempts should be done with short set ups before hitting the boards. DO NOT hit the any board more than 3 times unless directed to do so by the black belt in charge. At my rank testings, if a student hits a board more than 3 times without the permission of the black belt in charge, then that individual fails board breaking.

In recent months, I've seen too many people miss boards and then start hammering them over and over. What is even more appalling is that after the 5th time someone hits a board it finally breaks and everyone applauds as if the person did something spectacular. Once you have hit a board for the 3rd time, you should step away from the board, bow, and indicate to the black belt in charge that you have hit the board the maximum times allowed. The black belt must then decide whether or not to allow the student the chance to attempt the break again.

The way it should be: The student sets up a 5 station break. The student breaks stations 1 and 2, but when he gets to station 3 he misses and then he immediately tries to break station 4 which does not break. He then proceeds to station 5 which breaks. The student pauses realigns his body and adjusts the position and height of the remaining boards (if necessary). The student bows toward the black belt in charge and then attempts the break. Station 3 breaks but he misses station 4. The student then sets up on station 4 again and awaits the black belt's signal to begin. Unfortunately, the student is unable to break station 4. The student then comes to attention, bows, and states that he has hit the board the maximum number of times allowed. The black belt then decides whether or not the student should proceed to hit the board again or to mark the breaking section of the test as a "Hold".

These are the general rules of breaking that I teach to my students. I leave you with some final tips to ensure that you don't hurt your career in Yoshukai Karate. First, if you are unable to break something, never blame the holders even if it is their fault. If it is obvious the holders are at fault most black belts or instructors will give you another chance or indicate that it was holder error. Remember, the holders are doing you a favor. If you get into the habit of blaming the holders every time you don't break, you will soon find that no one will hold for you. Secondly, never laugh at someone who has problems breaking or make condescending remarks about people's inability to break. Doing so violates every tenet of Yoshukai Karate and could lead to your expulsion from the organization. Finally, if you're having trouble breaking boards, don't get too down on yourself. There are many factors that can lead to an unsuccessful break. Sometimes the boards are really hard or you might slip or stumble. Make sure and practice your technique and ask for help if necessary. Remember, "Make and effort and you will achieve."