How I used hypnosis to break concrete tiles

Back when I was 16, I had this huge fascination with martial arts. You know, the kind where people use their mind and body to do amazing things, including feats of both strength and skill. I was especially obsessed with those martial artists who could smash through concrete tiles and thick wooden boards using their hands, feet, elbows or seemingly any part of their body.

I was getting ready for my pre-grading test, which is a test to prove that I was ready to sit the grading for my black belt. To pass, I had to do some really cool things like break boards and tiles. The tiles that martial artists usually break are either made from really hard clay or concrete. The clay ones are easier to break than the concrete ones.

Now, I'm someone who likes to save money whenever I can. So, I decided to find my own tiles instead of buying them. I came across some roofing tiles made of reinforced concrete that were just lying around on a construction site. They looked like they needed a new home, and I was happy to oblige.

I had experience breaking wooden boards, but breaking concrete reinforced roofing tiles was new to me. These tiles were about two inches thick and had a thin bar inside them to make them even stronger.

For two whole months leading up to my black belt pre-grading, I trained for an hour every day, six days a week. I was getting my body ready for tough fighting routines and the hardest part of the test - the demolitions (breaking stuff).

After getting my body in shape, it was time to train my mind for the challenges that lay ahead. I bought a book about self-hypnosis that taught me how to put myself into a trance-like state where my subconscious would be open to receiving new ideas and positive instructions. I read that book from cover to cover and successfully learned how to put myself in a state of hypnosis at the end of each training session.

While in hypnosis, I kept imagining the night of the test again and again in my mind. I pictured myself breaking boards and doing all the moves perfectly. And of course, I focused on the part where I had to break those concrete tiles.

But there was a problem. I realised I didn't know how it would actually feel when my fist hit the tiles. So, I came up with a solution. In my visualisations, just as my fist was about to hit the tiles, I imagined my mind going blank. It was like I turned off my thoughts, and my body would do the action automatically. I'd only "wake up" once my fist was through the bottom of the last tile.

This seemed like a good plan. I could imagine this scenario in detail and get used to it in my mind before the big day.

Fast-forward eight weeks to the night of the black belt pre-grading. All the other students were breaking clay tiles, and you should have seen their faces when I showed up with these heavy concrete tiles. They thought I was crazy. In reality, I don't think I fully understood the size of the challenge I had set for myself yet.

When it was my turn to show what I could do, I broke all the wooden boards without a problem. Then came the moment I had been equally been dreading and looking forward to - the tile break. I stacked three roofing tiles on two concrete blocks and covered them with towels so I wouldn't hurt my hands.

A sixth dan black belt came over and tapped the tiles with his fist to check if they were okay. I expected him to give me a thumbs-up, but he looked worried instead. That's when it hit me how hard this was going to be.

In front of everyone, I got ready. I stood over the tiles in my fighting stance and imagined myself hitting the tiles like I'd practiced. I raised my arm to my shoulder and gently brought it down to the tile in preparation, repeating this three to four times. The tiles felt impenetrable and the last thought that I had in my head was, "Here goes nothing, I'm probably going to break my hand doing this."

But then, something changed. As I prepared to hit the tiles one last time, a strange feeling washed over me. It was like I was ready, like everything was in place. I drove my fist down with maximum acceleration toward the tiles and let out a loud "Kiai!". Suddenly it was like I wasn't even thinking anymore. My training in self-hypnosis had taken over.

I don't remember the actual moment of impact. My mind went blank as if I was in a dream, and I only "woke up" when I felt my fist had gone through the bottom of the second tile. I did it! The first thing that came to my mind was how powerful self-hypnosis was. It had helped me perform without overthinking, just like in my practice.

At that moment, I realised how incredible self-hypnosis is for getting your mind and body to achieve what seems impossible. As long as your goal is meaningful to you, you believe in it, and you're willing to do the practice, hypnosis can unlock your hidden potential.

So, whenever I look back at those tiles, I remember that night and how I broke through not only the tiles but also my own doubts. I had discovered a whole new pathway to achieve higher performance. Our minds are capable of way more than we think, especially when we learn to tap into the power of hypnosis.