If there is any "secret" to breaking, it lies in the conditioning process. Conditioning is what allows you to strike powerfully without incurring injury. The goal is to break a target without breaking yourself upon it in the process. If you injure your hand everytime you attempt a break, you are not going to be able to progress very far.

Proper tameshiwari does not involve blocking out pain. If your hands are strong and your technique is good, there will be no pain because there is no injury.

The conditioning required to break a concrete patio block can be accomplished in as little as three months with dedicated training. The complete process of conditioning can last a lifetime.

There are two major methods of hand conditioning.

KARATE METHOD: MAKIWARA[click] Simple, direct, can be done anywhere, hard style.

CHINESE GUNG FU METHOD[click] More involved, requires sturdy space, softer style, very effective in shortest time.