Growing Towards A TKD 8th Dan: The Arrow Break

I learned about the Arrow Break 3 years ago when I became a Firewalking Instructor and its lessons resonate into my martial arts experience and my life.

As you place the metal tip of the 28 inch cedar arrow against the soft, supple part of the throat, your “mind trash” (fears and doubts) boil up.

Internal negative messages tend to take over the moment you realize that this is going to require absolute commitment and that you will have to push through some uncomfortable mental, emotional, and yes, even physical sensations.

“Resist, resist, resist… this is gonna hurt!”
“What if I got the one ‘bad’ arrow and I pierce my throat?!”
“Do I have this is the right spot – really? What if I don’t?”
“What am I doing?!?!?”

In fact, the quicker you step forward into the challenge, the less it hurts.
This kind of arrow will break when more than 25 pounds of pressure is applied, while the trachea can withstand up wards of 3 times that pressure.

The arrow HAS to break first.

You CAN break through internal and external resistance when you KNOW it is going to work and you believe in yourself and the situation.

You can and will meet with amazing success if you just take that one step forward with your whole self – regardless of the discomfort.

The key to the power of arrow breaking is that you are doing something that you think should kill you, but then finding out that you are truly more powerful than your fear.

Trust in yourself and the fact that you are in the hands of a trained facilitator who has taken all the necessary precautions. The arrow will break and you will triumph over the obstacles in front of and inside of you.

The Arrow Break is NOT a trick and it is NOT something to do without proper training and guidance.