| Remember,
training is not recommended at all for those
under 16 years of age. Those individuals
under 18 years of age must get permission
from a parent or guardian before starting
training. Always consult a physician before
beginning any exercise program. Train at
your own risk. These training methods only
reflect personal experience, and Wesler's
Karate, Inc. cannot be held responsible
for any injury resulting from attempting
to train in these techniques.
These
following breaking methods outline the actual
techniques used in tameshiwari once you
have properly conditioned your hands. Conditioning
allows your hands to withstand impact but
these techniques give you the ability to
break objects. These techniques are my personal
variations on the standard methods.
Use these methods with caution and proceed
at your own risk.
When
beginning to practice breaking or when breaking
extremely strong or rough materials, you may
want to place a small folded towel on the
striking surface as a safety precaution. When
practicing extensive breaking, a wrist brace
is a also good idea. Palm
heel and straight punch- The palm heel
use usually the first technique learned
because it is powerful and has the least
chance of injury. The punch is advanced
due to the hard bone contact and need for
superior conditioning. Both of these weapons
use the same thrusting movement. The only
difference is the contact surface and how
you hold your hand. Of course, you must
make contact with only the first two knuckles
(next to the thumb) when using the fist.
People untrained in karate tend to make
contact with either the last two knuckles
or the entire hand. All you have to do is
look at the size of the first two knuckles
to realize that they are better for breaking.
These two knuckles are also in line with
the bones of the wrist and arm, providing
the necessary support structure to absorb
impact.
Observe
the standard dictates of karate punching
for both the fist and palm heel. Utilize
hip movement to add power to your strike.
Remember to keep your elbow close to your
side at all times in order to preserve linear
movement. To help with this, just keep your
arm so that it brushes against your side
as you strike. The faster you move, the
better your chances are of breaking. Above
all else, make sure the movement you are
making feels powerful. Everyone's structure
is a little different. Guidelines are only
there to help you find what works best for
you.
Tegatana
(shuto or knifehand)- This is the classically
recognized "karate chop." See
this technique, and you know you are watching
martial arts in action. For this reason,
it is the first technique that I practiced
for breaking and is still my favorite technique
for breaking with spacers. It is superb
for penetrating strikes. I personally never
preferred the palm heel or hammerfist because
they do not seem like classy techniques
to me (but hey, whatever works best). I
devoted my first two years of breaking to
perfecting my knifehand. Its combat applications
are also fantastic.
This
are the outlines of my techniques (hammerfist
may be substituted):
Traditional
technique
1.
Stand with your feet at a 45 degree angle
to the break with your body rotated away
at a 90 degree angle. The lead leg is opposite
to the breaking hand.
2.
Pull back across your body to the hip with
the free hand.
3.
Follow by turning your body to face the
break. Do not rotate past the break.
4.
Bring the elbow of the breaking arm up above
the head, fully extending the tricep an
d pointing the elbow tip to the ceiling.
5.
Pull down forcefully with the tricep and
the muscles running down the side of the
torso.
6.
Direct the force out towards the fingertips
while pulling the elbow down towards your
side. The outward momentum plus the pulling
down and in with the elbow will load the
hand with blood and energy, translating
to speed. The large swinging motion rapidly
condenses into a smaller, tighter pull of
the arm which will generate power.
Modified
Technique (the one I use)
Many
of the previous steps apply with two variations:
1.
Face the break with the lead leg on the
same side as the breaking hand.
2.
Bring the arm around and over your head,rotating
into the break. You may follow through by
striking past the outside of the lead leg
in order to add speed.
*
I find this to be a smoother motion, preserving
the flow of the momentum. It is also easier
on the shoulder.
modified
technique
General
tips on knifehand (any technique involving
swinging )
1.
EXHALE! This aids in muscle contraction.
2.
Strike through the object. Aim past it as
if it does not exist on the same plane as
your strike.
3.
Try starting with your palm rotated fully
away from the break to allow for a greater
wrist twisting motion.
4.
"Toss the hand." Strike down with
the greatest speed possible. Throw the hand
as if pitching a stone.
5.
Tense the hand at the last possible moment
to maximize speed. You can also envision
the object free falling away from you so
that you must catch it with your strike
as well as break it.
*Remember,
a hurricane can put a plank through the
trunk of a palm tree or a piece of straw
through a board. The faster you move, the
more powerful the strike, and the easier
it is on your hand.
Iron
Palm Technique- This is the pride of
kung fu. I prefer this strike over any other
when it comes to breaking solid objects
that do not have a great deal of flexibility.
The iron palm slap creates a shock that
is devastating. If you have ever been slapped
hard on the back, you can get a sense of
the effect.
The
iron palm can land with either a flat palm
(palm center) or the palm heel surface of
the hand. This technique is still not a
palm heel because it is a whipping motion
rather than a thrusting motion. The true
iron palm slap lands with the flat palm.
The motion is difficult to explain but you
can see an example with my red
brick slap. Keep in mind that this is
a flowing motion like crashing water and
not a stiff arm strike. It is, by far, the
most powerful technique that I have encountered.
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