I BROKE A BOARD!!! Okay, it was a practice board (plastic and made to come apart). But it wasn't easy. We were taught how to do an elbow strike. The guys were able to break on second try, the females (young, thin teens) were not as successful. I was last. I have a little more mass then the other females :) and I was determined to succeed!! I did it on the second try. I felt powerful and triumphant (and bruised). If you don't have enough body mass to power through the board you technique has to be more precise--that is why the younger girls had trouble. So my weight was a positive for once! I want to do it again--who cares about bruises--I can break boards! Woo-hoo!!