Breaking

The question is always asked, "Why do you break bricks and boards in Karate?" Well, let us explain why Ryu-Kyu believes in Breaking, (Atemi). Ryu-Kyu Karate is Okinawan Te. We train hard to become very powerful in our striking techniques and in our blocks. Each movement in Karate, from the time of a student's first lesson to the time he has perfected it, will require thousands and thousands of repetitions. However, the repetitions will be irrelevant if the student is not actually striking an object and feeling the impact of the blows. Without this experience, he will have no idea of how great his power is and how he can control it. Breaking is a way of applying power in a controlled method designed to measure the force of the blow. Making contact with a solid object has a beneficial effect, psychologically, as well as physiologically. It conditions the mind to control what the body is doing and to measure the amount of pain it can tolorate. The capacity to accept pain from the shock of a blow on impact is a mental attitude derived from repeated contact with a surface that offers resistance. The new students always hear about great power in Karate, but if they always practice just striking air they will never benefit from knowing the fact that they posess this kind of power. Breaking takes great skill and dedication from a student of Te. Many hours are spent in front of a Makiwara Board training. Atemi is not an art that everyone can master. Master Genereux once told me that one out of a thousand students will be able to withstand the training, but the benefits are great. The following pictures are of two men; Master Genereux who is a Te Master, and his Te Apprentice, Kelly Keys. They are breaking bricks and boards using different techniques used in Ryu-Kyu Karate.