# How do Martial Arts experts smash stone and wood?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-martial-arts-experts-smash-stone-and-wood/22487>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 15, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-martial-arts-experts-smash-stone-and-wood/22487 "2000-06-15T15:10:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-martial-arts-experts-smash-stone-and-wood/22487/21 "2000-06-16T13:30:17Z")

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> [@](#):
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> > A good piece of wood to use is 3/4 in. plywood, roughly a foot square. Break WITH the grain (side of foot/side of hand/knuckles parallel with grain of wood). Almost anyone, trained or not, should be able to break such a piece of wood by hitting. The training keeps you from getting bloodied.  
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> I thought _plywood_ was laminated and would not split easily parallel to the grain esp. a foot square 3/4 inch thick piece of the stuff. I would be mighty impressed if I saw a Karate Expert put his hand through a 3/4 inch piece of real plywood. Standard wood boards yes -plywood no. I think the karate expert’s hand would break before a 3/4 inch piece of _plywood_ would split.  
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Doh. Pine. Pine. Pine. Soft white pine. Christ, I just built some shelves with the damn stuff last week.

Pine is what was in my brain. Plywood just came out my fingers.

Sorry.

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