2. Tameshiwari (breaking stuff)
Tameshiwari is the art of breaking stuff with a striking part of your body, i.e head, foot, elbows etc. While less emphasized in martial arts today, tameshiwari was once the only real way to measure the force of a strike.
This art has become something of a sport to itself, and competitions are held worldwide. Unfortunately this has also become an abused “spectacle” where martial artists with a less than legit skill-set can create visually stunning spectacles, even though the items they are breaking may not be as strong and sturdy as the onlookers are supposed to think.
When used ethically however, tameshiwari can demonstrate the ability of a precise and powerful strike. Breaking objects has also been used as a test for promotion (higher belt) in many different martial arts throughout the years.
