Board Breaking Tips

One of the things I love most about Taekwon-Do practitioners is their unique openness to trying new things despite potential failures. Not the least of which is our exposure when demonstrating a board break at a test.

Everyone wants to break on the first attempt (including the holders!) All eyes are upon you as you stand there staring at those boards knowing you just have to hit it hard in the center, but knowing there is the risk for failure. Missing on the first attempt can be embarrassing and even physically painful. Then, one begins to feel disappointed in oneself, especially if the board holders were injured in the process.

Having had more than my fair share of failures in Taekwon-Do, board breaking and otherwise, I decided to share some words of encouragement and also explain how to use your mistakes and failures to become a better practitioner.

At our last test, I decided to give a demonstration and failed to break the boards on the first (and second) attempt. The poor gentlemen holding boards for me claimed dislocated thumbs and other serious injuries as a result. I’m very grateful for their trust and support and it is in honor of their spirit and sacrifice that I decided I must “go to the video tape” to make sure it doesn’t happen again. (This idea was inspired by Master Paul Hoppe’s book, “Way of the Poker Warrior”)  As the images below indicate, I made several physical mistakes. My technique was off. But I made a big mistake before I even took my first step. I failed to commit my mind to my success.

The last time I did a board break, it was 5 boards and I had never broken 5 boards before. But when I stepped up to do the break that day, I heard myself say out loud and in my head “I’m gonna smash these boards right now”. I felt it in my heart. I felt in my stomach. I didn’t just THINK it, I KNEW it. The result was success and I can’t lose the look of Ken’s face after I broke through. It was utter bewilderment as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened.
Contrast that with the things that went through my mind this time: “I SHOULD be able to break 4 boards. I’ve done it before. It would be really embarrassing to fail in front of all these people. I’ll be fine. I’m sure I can do it.

Now, having a good attitude and confidence is a very significant part of successful board breaking, but no amount of confidence will overcome bad technique. After my second attempt, I knew that I was missing the proper extension. I hadn’t “stretched the rubber band” far enough to create the elastic snap needed to generate the speed and subsequent power. At this time, I also heard the enthusiastic and electric words of my teacher, Grandmaster Kim: “Just pick your knee up and KICK IT!”

At that point, I got a little mad and I decided there was no way I was going to miss a third time. I decided I would intentionally make my first motion stronger and faster and pick my knee up toward the target.

So, what can you take away from all of this? What does this teach us about mistakes? First and foremost, mistakes can and should be corrected whenever possible.

In order to correct the mistakes, you have to go backwards in time.
What was the mistake? I didn’t break the board.
Why didn’t I break the board? I didn’t hit the center.
Why didn’t I hit center? My knee wasn’t high enough.
Why wasn’t my knee high enough? I didn’t have enough speed.
Why didn’t I have enough speed? I didn’t elongate my leg and torsoe enough at the proper angle in order to cause the proper snap.
Why didn’t I elongate properly? I didn’t think to do it.
Why didn’t I think to do it? Because I didn’t commit to my success and I lacked confidence.
Why did I lack confidence? Because I hadn’t warmed up sufficiently or practiced diligently enough.

I think this method of thinking can be applied to all kinds of mistakes in our lives. Usually, we see only the last consequence, the unbroken boards and feel the pain. Sometimes, we see the prior event that led to the failure directly. Only by continuing to ask “and why did that happen?” can we trace back to the initial mistake and the subsequent mistakes made further on the journey.

Why did I lose my temper at work? I was upset.
Why was I upset? My boss took credit for my hard work.
Why did my boss take credit for my hard work? Because I didn’t sign my name to it…….

I urge you to take a look at something that happened to you recently which felt like a failure and ask yourself the “why” question 10 times. See if it provides any answers. I humbly offer my gratitude to Tom and Brian for agreeing to hold the boards for me and promise to be better prepared next time!

Most martial artists and non-martial artists understand that a black belt is something you “earn”, not just something you “get”.

But, please hear me out, I would like to take it a step further.  I like to think of a black belt as something in the present tense.

I like to think of a black belt as something that you “Be“.

Today, I’m going to be a black belt.  Tomorrow, I will be a black belt.

I call myself a black belt because I do the things that a black belt does.  I go to a dojang.  I bow to flags.  I try to learn from my teacher as best I can.  I practice as hard and sincerely as I can.  I do sit-ups and pushups, stretch, hit the heavy bag, and practice my patterns.  I try to further the teachings of Taekwon-Do by inviting other people to practice and then I do my best to give them the training they need for their development.  I try to “be” the best black belt I can “be“.  This is something I “do”.

When I’m not training, I hold myself to the tenets of Taekwon-Do by being courteous and being an indomitable spirit.  I also try to build a more peaceful world as General Choi wished in the oath.  This is the way I choose to “be“.  (That’s a great link, by the way – Calvin & Hobbes help explain the Oath!)

One day, I got an email from some guy who wrote:

“Ray, I trained Taekwon-Do for 5 years and just missed out on getting my black belt and was wondering how long and how much it would cost to get one.  I’m only going to be in town for 5-6 months, but I don’t like having loose ends out there.”

I was offended by this for a few reasons.

My first thought was, “you trained for 5 years in Taekwon-Do but didn’t learn that rule about calling black belts Sir or Ma’am or Master?”  Okay, some schools are like that.  I’ll let that go.

I re-read the 1st sentence: “how long and how much…”, I felt like I was Burger King being asked about a special order cheeseburger or something.

To me, a black belt is a personal experience and there is a great deal of growth that goes on during the years leading up to and after black belt.  I do my best to consider each of our students from white belt to 2nd degree black belt and I devote my energy to helping them be the best they can be.  In Master Kim’s school, there is a relationship between teacher and student that transcends mere coaching.  It’s a tough thing for me to consider doing for only a 5-6 month commitment.

Not everybody needs to make Taekwon-Do a lifelong journey.  However, boiling it down to a “loose end to tie up” left me without much common ground upon which to build a bridge with this gentleman.  But, you never know who will turn out to be one of your best students, so I responded:

“Dear Shawn (not his real name), congratulations on your accomplishments.  Thank you for your interest.  I don’t think 6 months is enough time to earn a black belt.  However, please come and see us when you get to town and perhaps when you visit our school, you’ll get a sense of how it would be to train with us.  Nothing is impossible.  Are you familiar with the original Taekwon-Do patterns or the newer ones? “

I forget what his response was.  Something about not being able to attend on the nights when we have sparring and that’s mostly what he was interested in anyway….

I guess what I wanted to say to him was that getting a black belt is not a “loose end” and a black belt isn’t something you just “get”.  It’s something you earn on your way to becoming a master.  It is something you become, and then it is something that you continue to be on a daily basis.

It’s okay that this guy didn’t approach me in a wiser manner.  He didn’t understand my perspective.  That’s called a student.  Who knows, had he finally showed up, he may have gotten more than just a belt that was black…..

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there.
- Yogi Berra

Zig Ziglar books at Amazon.com

Theory, theory, theory. Blah, blah, blah.

Over the years I’ve read countless articles and books on personal development and the pursuit of goals.  Most of them were put down, tossed aside, <yawn>, NEXT!

A couple of years ago, I was in one of the worst financial struggles of my life and happened to borrow this video by Zig Ziglar on goals.  Before it was over, I had pen in hand, a half dozen of my goals written down, and the 7 critical factors needed to achieve them.  I can honestly say that this simple video and my attention to filling out these one-page worksheets is the second biggest reason I overcame financial disaster.

This video and Ziglar’s 7 steps to setting and achieving goals are so tangible you can taste them!  What’s more, by following his instructions and writing down the answers to the 7 critical questions, you can FOCUS your attention on doing what needs to be done.

Click here to view a sample copy of a goal sheet I wrote when setting out the goals for Oneonta Taekwon-Do for 2010.
Click here to download a blank copy in PDF format
Click here to download a blank copy in MS Word format

The following 3 videos are excerpts from the 1 hour video and don’t quite do it justice.   Here is my summary of the 7 questions:

1)  State the goal in detail  (see Yogi Berra quote, above)

2) Set the due date  ( A Goal is a Dream with a deadline – no date means it is just a wish )

3) Identify the obstacles to achieving the goal  ( By thinking about them and writing them down, you can face them head on.  If you don’t, you’ll surely quit at the first sign of trouble. )

4) Identify the PEOPLE, GROUPS, and ORGANIZATIONS that can assist. (Yes!! People will help you if you ask them.  If you don’t THINK to ask them and identify them, they can’t help you!!! )

5)  List the benefits to achieving the goal.  ( Achieving goals isn’t reward enough – focus on the outcome and hold tight to that vision! )

6)  List the skills you need to acquire to attain the goal. ( This becomes your next set of reading.  Go ahead and put a couple items on your Amazon wishlist!  Seek out people who PLAY at things that are hard for you!  )

7)  Develop a plan  ( Break your goal down into manageable chunks.  You’ll see your roadmap and have the confidence that you can succeed! )

You might also consider checking out the audio CDs offered by Nightingale Conant.

Looking for gifts for that special Taekwon-Do student?

Be careful, there is a lot of junk out there! What’s more, some Taekwon-Do practitioners are offended or disappointed when they receive “Karate” gifts or books associated with a different Taekwon-Do style than the one they practice.

Below, I’ve done the hard work of finding the best stuff out there from reliable sites and described, as best I can, the ideal recipient of the gift.

Yes, my wife makes a small commission from some of these links, but you’ll see that it doesn’t affect your price whether you buy through this site or not! ( Our school includes website income to offset the costs of running the school in order to keep prices low. )

For all practitioners:

Gifts for kids:

For adults:

For black belts and masters:

Belt/Plaque Display Holder

Congratulations! Judging by your comments on our YouTube videos, it sounds like you’ve trained very hard at Taekwon-Do. It seems from your comments that you consider yourself superior to our students so I’m guessing you have excellent skills and are proud of your teacher. Congratulations. I’m sincerely happy for your accomplishments.

You made some comments so please allow me to return the favor.

Please do this: Print out the page with your comments and bring the printout to your teacher along with a copy of this article. Explain to him or her that you saw a video and are very proud of your comments. Ask if he or she agrees.

If your instructor says “good job, that was great, I’m really proud of you” then please ask him or her: “What are the tenets of Taekwon-Do“?

If your instructor calls himself a Taekwon-Do master and doesn’t teach Courtesy, Integrity or Self-control, then he or she is merely a “coach”.  In my opinion, your comments violate all three of these virtues.

If you are embarrassed at the thought of showing your teacher your comments, then I congratulate you again on your continued learning. General Choi said “Pain is the best teacher, but nobody wants to attend his class.” In my opinion, Taekwon-Do training is for anyone who wants to be the best they can be. Taekwon-Do training is not just training people to kick each other in the head.

Here is a useful tip for you:
Preface your insult with humility. “In my humble opinion” or “I could be wrong but…”. Below are some comments I received which were hurtful to read at first. However, the simple use of “I’m sorry” was enough for me to grant some respect to the writer and indeed see he/she was correct.

i’m sorry but… this is not a back kick, this what you performed is a a side kick. You even turned your waist first and then you kicked. Just pause at 0:29, your knee is completely sideways…

So, what are you going to do next? Are you going to print your comment and this article and give it to your instructor? Are you going to apologize? Are you going to post more rude comments on our other videos? How about writing some sarcastic retort? Imagine yourself standing before me, a 3rd Dan, and before my student, face to face. What would you do then?

Indeed, most of the people who make rude comments like this rarely have videos of themselves performing anything impressive. Most are simply yellow and green belts with a chip on their shoulder and that’s great. It’s all part of the process. By the time they are black belt, if they make it that far, I’m pretty sure they won’t feel compelled to take the easy path of writing an insult on a webpage to demonstrate their self-ordained superiority.

Thank you for reading this. I wish you all the best in your continued training and pray that your school holds dear the tenets of Taekwon-Do. Without them, Taekwon-Do is just another sport.

Hwa Rang is a 29 movement pattern named after a youth group in early 7th century Silla Dynasty. This is one of the many patterns that Matt and Owen have had to achieve in order to demonstrate their next step…. becoming a 1st Degree Black Belt. Obtaining the Black Belt is an honorary achievement for any martial art.

There are many qualities that must be achieved for any belt, whether it be yellow or black. Each belt signifies an advancement of learning. The higher the belt the more the student has increased their awareness and personal growth.

The 1st degree Black Belt means that the student is now ready to learn some of the more advanced techniques in martial arts.

To become a black belt, a student must show many qualities other than techniques learned in self defense. Some of those qualities include self-control, self-discipline, respect, humility, confidence, passion, helpfulness, patience, and gratitude. Many more qualities are expected as one advances in martial arts.

The belt color should be an honor for all members of any martial art whether it be Taekwon-do, Aikido, Judo or Sumo. Achieving these qualities and techniques are no easy task and takes years of practice. Ask any member who has hung in there during the sweating and injuries caused by an incorrect kick or punch. This along with the inner improvement of our body and mind have made us strong outside, as well as inside and will stay with us for an eternity.

Students at Oneonta Taekwondo test for their belt upgrade. The Hill Family (Tom, Chris and Tyler), Cael McCabe, Alex Lusins, John Buck, Ken Graig, and Matt Goodrich have worked hard to achieve personal goals by their perseverance in Self Control and Improvement of Mind and Body. Other Taekwondo students participate by giving their support from the side lines.

During testing, the Hill Family demonstrates ‘punch in an L-Stance’ as well as one of Oneonta Taekwon-do’s mottos….. “the Unity of Members”. This exhibits a correlation between family and Taekwon-do members. As the Unity of Members motto states “….it is our desire to learn that brings us together as a family”.

At the age of 21, I was handed keys to a Junior High School classroom in a part of South Central Los Angeles named Watts. I became a teacher because I felt I had an innate ability to communicate well with children. I also felt I was skilled at teaching mathematics in a way that made it easy to understand.
During college, I tutored high school kids privately for extra money. I also coached a high school diving team. For 5 summers in high school and college, I taught swimming and diving lessons to children aged 5-15 at the town pool. From these experiences, I had built hundreds of memories of laughter and the pride of blossoming self-confidence on the part of my divers or tutoring clients. The look on a child’s face popping out of the water after successfully completing his first back flip is indescribable and priceless.

During my 6 week preparation for teaching, one of my mentors at Teach For America handed me the following two sheets of paper. I have kept them in a folder since I received them in 1992.

In the near future, our school will be offering Taekwondo classes to children and I decided to pass this on to our senior students in the hopes it will help them be the best teachers they can be.

The significance of these two pages is they teach us to approach children from the perspective of THEIR NEEDS rather than our own. These pages offer strategies for dealing with needy or dependent children, shy withdrawn children, as well as other useful tidbits.  Sometimes the suggestions are counter-intuitive or not what you would instinctively do.

When you think back to the best teacher you ever had, the teacher probably found fun ways to make you learn and made sure that the challenges you were given were within your grasp to accomplish. Nothing is more frustrating for a child than to be given an assignment without the requisite skills to accomplish it. When children are repeatedly presented with challenges they can complete, their confidence soars and their behavior and cooperation increases.

Click here for the .pdf of the 2 pages. They are posted below as pictures. If you click on a picture, you can see it in a larger size.  This was credited to Reynold Bean.  Search the internet, I believe he has written a number of books.

How to Raise Self-Esteem in the Classroom Page 1

How to Raise Self-Esteem in the Classroom - Page 2

For those interested, I found a published copy of Albert Camus’ essay on the Myth of Sisyphus:
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~samg2/sysiphus.html