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Board Breaking in Martial Arts Essay

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Board breaking is often exhibited as an incredible talent performed by martial artists at demonstrations or tournaments in order to show off strength. This isn’t true, however, as breaking is an illustrated example of a perfected technique as one would use in a real situation. The accuracy, strength, and power of these techniques is demonstrated through the break. Many people are amazed by breaking, but don’t fully understand how truly easy it is. Breaking can be explained by both the physics behind the act and the mental aspects of the preparation of the break. Breaking really isn’t as hard as people make it to be. It is all determined by the precision of the technique used and the mental preparation of the person. Physical strength …show more content…

Very seldom do students believe that they are physically incapable of breaking, but they are intimidated by the break or haven’t overcome other mental obstacles. After completing the first break many students find it easier to perform their next break because now they know that it is possible for them. They learn to focus their body and concentrate. Breaking is the measure of your focused energy, referred to by martial artists as Ki (Whitfield). Ki is the life force or energy within a person, defined as “the intrinsic power of the mind or the overwhelming attitude of self-confidence and mental projection of power” by 10th degree black belt O’Sensei Jan Wellendorf (14). Everyone projects Ki at all times. Ki is projected by the way that one carries oneself (Whitfield). An illustrated example of projected Ki is if two men were standing next to each other, dressed in the same fashion and the same height, and one was holding his head up, had his arms crossed over his chest and seemed confident he might have an overbearing presence. Because of the way that he carries himself we would fear him, feeling the power of his confidence, or Ki, and we would shy away from him naturally. However, if the other man was slouching, his hands in his pockets and staring at the ground we might feel stronger than him, and possible respect him less because he does not carry himself strongly. This latter type are people

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