Breaking>Types of breaks

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Types of breaks

Intro

Supports are used in breaking to support or hold the breaking material in place so it may be broken safely. A break may be classified as to the type of support used for the break. In the following Break type descriptions, it's assumed the breaking material used is a wood board.

Types of breaks

There are types of support breaks used in breaking:

• Strong support break. A strong support break is the simplest type of break. A strong support break is one where the board is either placed on and between two, solid, unyielding objects or held in place by some type of unyielding apparatus. Since the board cannot move, the breaking force need only be applied for a short time and over a distance slightly over the thickness of the board. 
• Semi-strong support break. A semi-strong support break is one where the board is held firmly and solidly by one or more people. This is a more difficult break than a strong support break since the breaker has less control over the positioning and movement of the board, the holder may relax his or her body before the strike impacts the board, or the holder may give way under the power of the strike. Since the holders will always allow some backward movement, the breaking force must be applied longer and over a longer distance.
• No support break. A no support break is the most difficult type of break. In a no support break (also called a speed break), the holder holds the board by the fingers of one hand. For the break, the board may be held in place, dropped, or tossed into the air. The breaker must use extreme speed and accuracy to break the board. If the strike impacts with insufficient speed, the board will be knocked away before it breaks. Also, if the board is not struck directly in its center of a side, it will be knocked away before it breaks. The breaking force is applied for an extremely short time and over a distance that is less than the thickness of the board.

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