October 25, 2000
Board breakers shatter goal for fund-raiser
ATA Black Belt Academy breaks 17,657 boards, raises $1,500 for cancer foundation
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
With an ambitious goal of breaking 11,000 boards Saturday afternoon, members of the ATA Black Belt Academy took their kicks and chops to the next level.
At the second annual Board Break at the Grand Traverse Mall, participants broke 17,657 boards in ninety minutes. This number topped last year's total by more than 7,000 boards. Their efforts Saturday raised more than $1,500 in pledges, which will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
"I'm proud of them and they all had fun, that is what's important," said Chris Pline, founder of the ATA Black Belt Academy.
Nearly 75 students, ranging in age from three into their 40s, participated in the event. They broke re-usable training boards using their heel of their hand, elbow or foot.
Working in teams and switching off positions as board holders and breakers, students received an intense aerobic workout. One team of five men broke 4,600 boards by working together in a continuous blur of motion.
"You have to get your whole body into it, use all your strength and rotate from the hips," said Andrew Gunsberg, a junior at Central High School who was on that team. "When you get going real fast breaking boards, you get fatigued and cannot break the board in one motion. You have to regroup and start over."
The training boards used were plastic and had different lengths of tines holding them together. Children used very short tines, which broke fairly easily if they used the proper technique. Adults could use longer-tined boards that matched the strength of two pine boards and required greater effort to break.
A student of tae kwon do for 20 years, Pline opened the ATA Black Belt Academy five years ago after moving to the area from Lansing. Board breaking is an integral component of this martial art form, he said, teaching not only strength but confidence and focus. He trains even his youngest students to do it, but uses only the breakable boards during his classes.
"We use only re-breakable boards as training tools," Pline said. "We don't want children to get the wrong idea and hurt themselves trying to break real boards."
Pline's commitment to all his students is to instill in them a black belt attitude, which includes things like courtesy, integrity, perseverance and self control. As his students grow and move through the ranks they incorporate this attitude in all facets of their lives. Giving to others in events such as the Board Break is a natural outgrowth of this.
"This indomitable spirit equals a black belt attitude," he said.
For many participants, the Board Break was a family affair. Troy Mesa came with his daughter, Madeline, 8. Both have been taking classes at the academy for three years.
"I took tae kwon do 20 years ago in college," Mesa said. "Then my daughter signed up and I had to come back."
Mesa is pleased at the results, both for himself and his daughter.
"Tae kwon do teaches respect, discipline, focus and self-control," he said. "It is great for kids."