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Press Release: Mont Vernon Karate Studio to Host a Break-A-Thon
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MONT VERNON, February 2004:The Mont Vernon Karate School will host a Break-A-Thon on March 13th at 1 p.m. to raise money for repairs to the roof of the Mont Vernon Village School, which was damaged during a snowstorm earlier this winter.
The goal of the fundraiser is for students of the karate school to break a total of 100 boards, using various kicks, elbow, knee and hand movements. Sponsors are asked to pledge a donation per board, and there is no minimum amount per board required. The goal of the fundraiser is to raise $2,000 toward repairs of the roof. The Break-A-Thon will be held at the karate school, which is located on the second floor of the McCollom Building in the center of the village.
Techniques of breaking boards were originally developed in Okinawa. According to Okinawan legend, peasants were not allowed to own weapons, so they taught themselves to use their hands and feet to break through the one-inch wooden armor worn by Samurai warriors. Speed was essential because the blow had to disable the Samurai before the warrior had the chance to strike with his sword.
Speed is also necessary for the technique of board breaking to work, since Newton’s Second Law of Motion states that Force equals Mass times Acceleration. The smaller the student, the faster he or she must move in order to create the force necessary to break the board.
The Mont Village Karate School teaches American Kenpo Karate, which does not usually teach board breaking techniques. “Even though we are not an Okinawan art, board breaking is hugely popular,” said owner Jim Peacock. “We’ve used it as a fundraiser for several years to help St. Jude’s Children Hospital and raised nearly $2,000 last year.”
But this year, when Peacock learned that the roof of the Village School was badly damaged, he decided to focus his fundraising efforts closer to home. “What a great thing we could do for the town and its taxpayers by giving them a little ‘break’ by doing a fundraiser,” he said. “It would also be a pretty cool thing to teach our children about community and their contributions to it!”
The karate student raising the most money will receive a gift certificate worth $50 of items from Century Catalog. For more information about the Break-A-Thon, or to make a pledge, contact members of the Mont Vernon Karate School at 672 –3570 or email Jim Peacock.
- by Alyson Landrum
