How to Break Boards with Your Bare Hands

Choosing and Situating the Board

Wrap boards with foam or canvas to condition your hands. Before trying to break a board, you need to start toughening up your hands. Punching a slab of wood for the first time may only result in bloody knuckles, so it’s best to prepare your hands before attempting the break. You can do this by wrapping a post or wooden board with foam. For a tougher surface, wrap the board in canvas or twine.

Practice your speed using a punching bag at first. When you break a board, you want your hands aligned correctly and your speed to be fast so that the board will definitely break. Before using boards, practice striking a punching bag to develop the right technique. Practice hitting faster and stronger each time, and hold your hand in the correct position depending on which strike you’re using.

Use boards made out of pine without any knots. Pine is a very soft type of wood, making it ideal for splitting in half with your hand. Look for a pine board that is 0.75 to 1 inch (1.9 to 2.5 cm) thick, with a 1 foot (30 cm) diagonal. Choose a piece of pine that doesn’t have any knots in it, as hitting the knots could hurt your hand. You can also buy rebreakable boards to practice on that will snap back together once they break. These can be found online and cost $20-$80.

Secure the board so that it doesn’t move. To prevent any hand injuries, you want your piece of pine to stay still when you go to break it. Either have someone hold the board steadily with 2 hands, or place the board evenly on concrete blocks so that the board is stable. If someone is holding the board for you, they should have 1 hand on either side of the board, gripping the edges while keeping their fingers out of the way. Their feet should be positioned one in front of the other to provide better stability. Spread the concrete blocks out so that there’s 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) of board on each block, and make sure the blocks are tall enough so that you don’t hurt your hand when striking through.

Situate the board so that it breaks along the wood’s natural grain. A board will split in half much more easily if it’s hit along its natural grain. The type of strike you plan on using will dictate how the board should be held. For a knife hand strike or straight punch, the grain should be positioned horizontally, being secured on the top and bottom of the board. For a palm heel strike, the grain should be going vertically with support on either side.

Position your body correctly. Your stance is important for making sure your strike is successful. Both of your feet should be planted firmly on the ground, with them spread slightly apart, 1 foot ahead of the other. Your back foot should be supporting 70% of your weight. With correct footwork, your strike will maintain its speed and strength. You should be twisting your hips into the strike.

Measure the distance needed between you and the board. To make sure you’re not too close or too far away, check to see if you have a good distance between you and the board. Stand firmly on the ground and then practice throwing out your arm while someone is either holding the board or it’s secured on cement blocks. When you extend your arm as you would when striking, your hand should reach a few inches beyond the board. If you extend your arm and it just touches the board, you need to move up a couple of inches. Make sure your hand is aimed at the center of the board.

Choosing a Strike

Use a palm heel strike for your first board break. Palm heel strikes are the best for beginners, as they’re easiest on your hands and shouldn’t result in any injuries. When using a palm heel strike, tilt your wrist back so that the heel of your palm is out and hold your fingers up to keep them out of the way. Be mindful about bending your fingers inwards when doing a palm heel strike — this could cause them to break. The board should be held with the grain running vertically and a hand on each side.

Choose a knife hand strike to break the board with the side of your hand. To do a knife hand strike, hold your hand flat so that it looks like the edge of a knife. Squeeze the sides of your fingers together so that they’re touching one another and bend them inwards slightly. You’ll strike with the outside edge of your hand, near where your palm is. The grain of the board should be running horizontally.

Opt for a straight punch to break the board with your knuckles. If you want to go with a regular punch when breaking the board, you’ll need to line up your wrist so that it’s even and you’re using the right knuckles. When creating a fist, your palm should be facing downwards. If you bend your wrist inwards too far or strike using just your outer knuckles, you’ll end up injuring your hand. Don't keep your thumb in the middle of your palm. Place it on the outside of your hand to avoid breaking or injuring it. For a straight punch, the grain should be positioned horizontally.

Breaking the Board

Release all fears and commit to breaking the board. If you’re scared of injuring yourself when you hit the board, you aren’t going to be successful. Clear your mind and tell yourself that you will break the board. If you believe this, your hand won’t hesitate when it gets close to the board, and your speed shouldn’t slow down, resulting in a clean break.

Focus on speed, not power. While having strong hands won’t hurt, the key to a successful board break is your speed. You want to hit the board as fast as possible, as this is what causes the board to break. Practice striking over and over again on either a bag or a board wrapped in foam. Increase your speed each time, striking faster and faster.

Aim at a point beyond the board. You shouldn’t think of the board as your final target — otherwise, your hand will slow down once it gets close to the board, and the board won’t break. Focus at a point beyond the board and aim for that spot when you strike. This will keep your momentum going as you strike through the board instead of at it. Since you’re aiming beyond the board, make sure your distance is set up to reflect this. Your body shouldn’t be set up to only reach the board, you should be reaching through beyond the board.

Yell as you strike to release more energy. The kiai that martial artists often emit when striking is not just for show or to startle the opponent. The contraction of the diaphragm and torso muscles can be used to put more power in your strike. When you yell as you strike, you’re releasing stored energy, giving your strike more strength.

Maintain your follow-through. Once you make contact with the board, you need to keep your momentum going and finish the strike all the way through. If you stop as soon as you feel the board, you might not end up breaking it completely, and you could injure your hand.

Keep trying if you don’t immediately break the board. Not everyone breaks a board on their first try, so don’t give up. If you’ve conditioned your hand, practiced the right technique, and feel confident that you can break the board, you’ll be able to. Try not to feel discouraged by failed attempts and keep trying.