Breaking boards helps focus at the Independent Karate School

At the Independent Karate School, our students and instructors are starting to get ready for our annual tournament, which will be held on Sunday, March 30, at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua.

I'll have lots more to say about the tournament as the day gets closer.  But one thing that is happening right now is that day-to-day instruction shifts gears a little.  All year long, our students practice self-defense techniques and traditional "forms," and this is true in tournament season too. But as the tournament draws near, instructors start to spend a little more time on certain skills, such as board breaking, that our students may need to sharpen for competition.

Why do karate practitioners break boards, anyway?

Well, while self-defense practice at the Independent Karate School can get kind of vigorous, our students certainly don't hit each other with anything remotely like full force.  So to develop focus and power, they sometimes practice hitting inanimate objects, like a heavy bag, or hand-held pads, or boards.  The great thing about one-inch-thick wooden boards is that they don't lie.  So long as your attempt is reasonable for your physical size and strength, and your strike is properly targeted and executed, then the board (or boards) will break.  If not, then, well, not.

And the other reason that we break boards?  It's just plain satisfying.  Several of our newcomers broke for the first time this week, and they were tremendously excited. 

Tournament season is a time of great energy, so feel free to visit any scheduled Independent Karate School class!  Classes in Merrimack meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6 at the VFW post near the Common Man (for a complete class schedule and more information, please visit www.independentkarateschool.com).  Hope to see you there!