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Body parts used for breaking

Practically any rigid part of the body may be used for breaking, including the head, elbow, hand, knee, and foot. Due to Taekwondo's stress on hand and foot techniques, hands and feet are most commonly used in breaking, primarily using the ball, outer edge, and heel of the foot.

Start light

Always use one board with untested techniques. Add boards as skill and confidence increase. Do not use a technique that is beyond your skill level,

Punches fail because of fear, not because of lack of strength. The less your brain perceives the board as a barrier, the more likely the punch will succeed. For beginners, aim beyond the board, i.e., follow through! As any martial artist can attest, the hand hurts more when you fail to break than when you succeed.

Keep hand in a tight fist

Your punching arm should be tight, but all other body muscles should be relaxed. Some martial arts require the thumb of the fist to point upward in a punch. Taekwondo requires that the thumb face inward. Biologically speaking, the strongest support for the punching hand is when thumb is not up or inside but relaxed so it naturally points 45 degrees inside. Punch contact area should be first knuckles of index and middle fingers. This offers minimum contact area for a greater breaking force and it keeps the contact area in line with the forearm to reduce chances of spraining the wrist if the punch is not successful. Punching with other knuckles forces wrist to bend and may result in a sprained or broken wrist. Always punch in middle of board.

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