ESPN reports that a new world record has been set in breaking, or Tameshiwari as it is traditionally known.
Breaking an 8″ or 12″ pine board with a punch or chop is a parlor trick, to instill confidence in novice martial artists. On the other hand, breaking a baseball bat with your shin is something that can be done by few experts.
Breaking two bats is insane. Breaking three bats was the record. Count them – this is four:
At the 2016 World Martial Arts Championships at Disney World in Florida, master Chip Townsend attempted to snap four wooden baseball bats in two with one kick.
At the age of 3, Master Chip lost his right eye in a freak accident. His parents, trying to protect him from further injury, discouraged football and other rigorous sports. One day on a whim, he encouraged his mom to turn around and go back to Lim’s TaeKwonDo Academy, which they had just driven past.
When Master Lim retired, Master Chip took on an established academy, and grew it by 600%. After 30 years in the Korean martial arts of TaeKwonDo and Hapkido, Townsend is now a 6th degree black belt master instructor. The martial artist and his wife Glyn Ann now own and operate a chain of Team Chip facilities in West Texas and Oklahoma. Due to dedicated work and training, both husband and wife become world title holders in the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA).Glyn Ann holds three Creative Breaking titles and Master Chip has won 14 breaking titles throughout his career, including three World Ultimate Breaker Title belts.
Team Chip schools have now produced chips off the ol’ block – world class demonstration teams that have competed at the state, national, and international level, achieving rankings as high as National Champion, and third place among International teams in the World ISKA rankings.
