Breaking Competition

LOCATION: SAN RAMON DOJANG
TIME: 11-1PM
All ages & All Ranks Welcome!

Student from all schools are encouraged to take part in the upcoming Breaking Competition on February 28th. All students will be competing against students their own age (see age categories for the competition below) and all competitors will win a trophy just for making the successful choice of challenging themselves!

WHAT TECHNIQUE WILL I BE USING FOR THIS EVENT?
Once the tournament begins all competitors will test their strength by seeing how many boards they can break with a hammer strike technique. They will be practicing in class for this event throughout the month and are encouraged to practice at home as well!


HOW CAN I PRACTICE AT HOME?
Students will be practicing in class throughout the month so while practicing at home is encouraged, it is not required to compete in this event. But for students who are interested,
there are many fun and safe ways to practice for this event at home. First, make sure you ask your parent for help! Parents make the best coaches at home!
There are three basic ways of practicing at home: Practice for speed, for accuracy, and for power.

SPEED PRACTICE
Practicing for speed can be as simple as getting into your correct stance (front stance), visualizing the target in front of you, and swinging your arm down as fast as you can as if you are breaking through a brick. Be sure to have a nice long stance for forward power and the longer the arc of your swing the more power you will have in your technique.
For Parent Coaches: One of the most common mistakes students make is not following through! Many students practice by stopping at their intended target but they should actually follow through for maximum impact. *Much like a golf swing*

ACCURACY PRACTICE
A commonly overlooked tool for practicing any breaking technique is to practice slowly for accuracy. Even if students are fast and strong enough to break through ten boards, if they miss their mark it will be impossible for them to become successful. A simple way to practice at home would be to stack telephone books on top of each other about a foot and a quarter to two feet off of the ground (depending on their height). Assuming a phone book is on top you can make a small x in the middle of the book to signify the striking point. Get into your proper breaking stance (front stance) and practice swinging you fist high in the air to directly down to the X on the book stack. Start out in slow motion and be sure to keep your eyes glued onto the X from start to finish. As you become comfortable with this exercise you can slowly pick up speed so that you can swing your arm without thinking about it. DO NOT HIT AT FULL POWER! This is a confidence and focus exercise, you should not be hitting at more than 50% of your full power. Books can absorb a decent amount of the impact but this exercise is not designed for full force!

POWER PRACTICE
Practicing for power is typically everyone's favorite exercise so I am strategically putting this one last in hopes that students will practice the first two as well. For all students under the age of 16, YOU MUST ASK YOU PARENTS FOR HELP WHEN PRACTICING! That being noted, practicing for power involves find a striking surface capable of providing cushioning while at the same time giving you a good amount of resistance. In the past, many parents have found that couch cushions tend work the best because they are durable, soft, and easily stackable for a good height (but any flat cushions can work). Students should start off slow and slowly pick up their speed until their can reach full power. Always keep in mind your stance and focus throughout the strike.
Parent Tips:
After practicing for speed, students should be able to strike from a strong stance with a full range of motion. Meaning their fist comes up as high as possible and circles down following well past their intended target. After the accuracy practice they should be able to keep their eyes on their target the entire time. Many students while practicing for power lose their focus and strike randomly. If they have a specific target to focus on while practicing (folded handkercheifs, a small piece of paper, etc... work well) then they are much more likely to practice effectively.

We hope this information is helpful to both parents and students. Our instructors always encourage students to practice at home and the best and safest way to do that is with parents!

Age Categories
Group A - 4 & 5
Group B - 6 & 7
Group C - 8 & 9
Group D - 10 & 11
Group E - 12 & 13
Group F - 14 & UP