1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related in general to the field of martial-arts equipment and, in particular, to an adjustable breaking-board holder for use by practitioners during training for rank testing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The practice of martial arts involves breaking wooden boards of specific dimensions and thickness by striking them while they are being held in a stationary position. This skill is required for ranking and it is tested by having one or more people hold a board while it is being struck by a practitioner, the intent being to break the board with a single blow. Therefore, it is impossible for an individual to practice kicks and hand or elbow blows while alone, which is a severe drawback in preparing for tests that are required to achieve higher rankings in the martial arts.
Devices have been developed to facilitate the process of holding a board during practice. For example, a board holder with hand grips is marketed by Asian World Of Martial Arts, Inc., of Philadelphia, Pa., to provide some safety distance between a holder and the impact zone. The device consists of two separate handgrips that are adapted for attachment to the edges of the board, so that it is no longer necessary to hold the board directly in order to resist the impact of a blow. This device is useful to minimize the possibility of injuries to a holder, but it still requires an additional person to hold the board.
Another device, marketed by the Academy Of Karate Martial Arts Supplies of Haddon Heights, N.J., consists of a stand for supporting a wood board horizontally against the impact of the blows of a practitioner. The stand eliminates the need for another person, but it can be used only for practicing downward strikes against a perfectly level board; otherwise, it is unstable and it could be dangerous to a user. Therefore, there still exists a need for a safe, self-contained breaking-board holder that enables a user to practice martial-arts blows without the assistance of another person.