Knocking Down a Door | The Art of Manliness

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/04/08/how-to-break-down-a-door/

Cole Instrument Corp. Precision Rotary Switches, 35+ yrs. Std. or Custom, Military, Aerospace www.cole-switches.com

Commercial Security Doors Security Closures, Mall Store Front Doors, and other Rolling Closures. security-door.com

CyberLock-Electronic Lock Complete access control for doors, padlocks, gates, and cabinets. www.videx.com

Door manufacturers Trusted suppliers verified by D&B. Source confidently now! www.hktdc.com

News Feed Home About Contact Archives Shop Barbershop Locator Forum Free eBook
Lijit Search GO

Comments

Browse > Home / Blog, Featured, Manly Skills / How To Break Down A Door

How To Break Down A Door

Email This Post To A Friend April 8, 2008

If you're new to The Art of Manliness, you may want to sign up for a daily dose of manliness either by email or by RSS. You may also want to check out our free e-book on how to be a gentleman in 2008. Thanks for visiting and don't forget to man up!

1 of 8

03/03/2009 10:09

Knocking Down a Door | The Art of Manliness

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/04/08/how-to-break-down-a-door/

Alright, lets get this out of the way first: kicking down a door is not the best option for opening a locked door. It will damage the door and cost you lots of money to fix it. It is better to call a locksmith, pick the lock, or attempt to crawl in a window. But lets say its an emergency. Youre in a burning house and you need to escape and the door is on fire. Or your loved ones are in a burning house and youre locked out. You cant stand there fiddling with the lock, youve got to break it down! Or perhaps a loved one is stricken with a medical emergency and is locked inside a room or in their house. What to do? Be a man, dammit! Break down that door! You know youve always wanted to.

74
diggs digg it

How to break down a door

If you have watched enough movies, your next move is a no brainer.run at the door shoulder first, right? Wrong. This technique may be uber-manly, but it will probably dislocate your shoulder. It is better to employ a more forceful and well placed kick. Check to see which way the door opens by checking the hinges. If the door opens towards you, kicking it down is going to be next to impossible. Kicking a door down is best employed on a door that swings away from you. Kick to the side of where the lock is mounted (near the keyhole). This is typically the weakest part of the door. Using a front kick, drive the heel of your foot into the door. Give the kick forward momentum and keep your balance by driving the heel of your standing foot into the ground. Dont kick the lock itself; this could break your foot. The wood should begin to splinter. Today most doors are made of soft wood and are hollow. They should give way fairly easily, especially since the locks deadlock bolt extends only an inch or less into the door frame. Older, completely solid doors will prove more resistant. Just keep on kicking until the door gives way and you can save the day. Avoid jump kicks. While you may be tempted to employ this manly move, jumping diminishes your stability which causes you to lose power. If you liked this article, please bookmark it on del.icio.us or vote for it on Digg. Id appreciate it. Subscribe to Art of Manliness by RSS or email to get your FREE guide to being a gentleman in 2008. Share and Enjoy:

Why not sign up for updates? Here's what you're missing out on!
How To Survive and Thrive In a Street Fight in 8 Simple Steps 10 Manly Feats of Strength Bartitsu: The Martial Art of Gentlemen Spark Up Your Marriage: 4 Ways to Date Your Wife All Over Again Do More Than One Stinking Pull-Up Written by Brett & Kate McKay Filed Under Blog, Featured, Manly Skills
Ads by Google Door Interior Door Anti Fire Door Interior Ideas

Comments 48 Responses to How To Break Down A Door 1. Julian Gall on April 8th, 2008 10:40 pm I think you should tell us whether youve ever tried this. I locked myself out of my apartment many years ago and attempted to break the door in. Zero success - fortunately no one was looking. It isnt as easy as it seems in the movies. Have you actually done it or have you just made this up? 2.

2 of 8

03/03/2009 10:09

Knocking Down a Door | The Art of Manliness

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/04/08/how-to-break-down-a-door/

Stian on April 9th, 2008 1:46 am Great, now I wish I had a door that I could afford kicking down :p 3. Chris on April 9th, 2008 3:28 am Only interior doors are soft and hollow. Besides interior doors with locks are easity opened with a screwdriver. Most exterior doors are thicker and reinforced for strength. I dont think one kick is going to do it. 10-20 maybe. Chris 4. Alessandro on April 9th, 2008 5:12 am How about a follow-up post on how to pick a lock? You know, for those occasions when Bruce Lee tactics dont work or arent appropriate, maybe some James Bond will do? 5. Art Gonzalez on April 9th, 2008 7:16 am An additional tip is to imagine the impact of your kick being around 30 or 40 centimeters further away. This is a tip from Bruce Lee also for punching. Many blessings to all, Art Gonzalez Check my Squidoo Lens at: Quantum Knights 6. Matt on April 9th, 2008 7:42 am This might be effective when applied to the right situation. It is a heel kick that is part of the Pankration martial arts. The url links to a video from Discoverys The Human Weapon. Completely safe for work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPvJHIyFTII 7. Terry on April 9th, 2008 11:26 am In my line of work I have kicked a lot of doors. The best way I have found is a mule kick. With your back facing the door, you kick backwards and aim about six inches to the side of the handle and lock. 90% of the time, the jamb will split in 1 or 2 kicks. Using this method lessens the chances of hyper-extending your knee. 8. knytfyre on April 9th, 2008 12:03 pm When using a front kick, most people have the problem that they choose the door as thier target and only kick the surface, this will do nothing but make you look foolish. As with a well places punch, your target isnt the surface of what you are trying to hit, but actually 3-4 inches behind it. In the case of a punch to the face, your target isnt the face its self, but the back of the skull, the face is just in the way. With the door you want to try to kick THROUGH the door, not just the doors surface. This is why the mule kick listed above works so well, being turned away from your target, you dont stop the kick on the surface, but behind the surface. However a front kick is more accurate and capable of generating more force. Another piece of information to take to heart is, kick solid objects, like doors, with your heel. If you land this kick closer to the toe, you can easily hyper extend your foot and be in a lot of pain. Since the heel is in line with the leg, the leg is able to absorb more of the shock without causing the foot to flex. Using this kick, I can splinter a door jam on a solid door with 3 or fewer kicks. 9. Shannon C on April 9th, 2008 12:16 pm My exterior door most definitely would succumb to a well-placed kick. My 3 year old daughter loves to launch her whole body at it and try and break it down The sad thing is if she could just launch her body a little higher shed probably successfully break it open, too. Now what I really want (need) to know is how to cut through a bicycle lock. One of those uber-strong theft-proof spiral cord locks. Our bicycle has been locked on our balcony since last summer thanks to a very, very, very lost key. 10. Shaze on April 9th, 2008 12:26 pm Just carry around a bump key. Theyre cheap and accessible from almost any locksmith, and best part is it takes about a minute to bust through any lock/deadbolt. 11. Jim on April 9th, 2008 3:54 pm This is typically the weakest part of the door. Its not. The weakest part is actually the top (and bottom) corner opposite the hinges. The door lock is the strongest part on that side, but it is the only area on that side with solid but breakable resistance. If you put the pressure on the top or bottom corner, the force will push the door back but will also distribute through the surface of the door. Kick near the lock and the force is put where you want it: with the resistance from the lock (the door will not give and distribute the force into the rest of the door). 12. Dave on April 9th, 2008 5:04 pm I have broken down a door. It was locked and the only way in was breaking it down. Two things I kicked on the side with the hinges and it caved with my first kick. I found that screws tear out of the wood rather easily.

3 of 8

03/03/2009 10:09

Knocking Down a Door | The Art of Manliness

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/04/08/how-to-break-down-a-door/

Second, it cost less than a dollar to fix. Other than that, this article seems to echo my own experience quite accurately. 13. Albert | UrbanMonk.Net on April 9th, 2008 6:23 pm I loved this post - both for the practical value and also because I couldnt imagine another blog posting stuff like this, gave me a good chuckle. Thumbs up! 14. Brett on April 9th, 2008 8:55 pm @ Albert Thanks! Thats what were here for-discussing important, yet often overlooked man skills. @Everyone else Thanks for the comments, contributions, and sharing your experiences kicking down doors. Ive learned some new things. 15. cory huff on April 9th, 2008 9:48 pm makes me wonder if Chuck Norris wouldnt have written the same thing on his blog 16. Ed on April 10th, 2008 8:56 am Good post and interesting responses. I tried to kick open a door of a house that was on fire as a teen, but couldnt do it. A neighbor came by and broke the door down shortly afterwards. Good skill to have. 17. Jeff on April 10th, 2008 12:19 pm Ive kicked down two doors in my life. The first went on the first kick. The door didnt even break, it just swung open and the only damage was to the lock itself. The pin (im not sure if thats what its called but its the bar that stops the door from opening) flew out into the room. The second time it took 3 kicks. The area around the lock was completely destroyed but the door flew open. 18. Jason on April 10th, 2008 2:38 pm My 2 year old daughter locked herself into a public bathroomsteel door, steel frame. Her mother went to find an attendant with a key and everything was cool until my daughter stopped answering me. I used the shoulder ram technique and while the door opened, it hurt like hell the next few days. 19. Mark Million on April 10th, 2008 6:48 pm Freaking common sense tips secondary to basic physics. Ridiculous post. 20. Some guy on April 10th, 2008 7:01 pm Last Friday night I locked myself out of my apt and couldnt get a hold of my roommate. I did everything I could to reach him but no luck. So since I was drunk I decided I would just try to break it down. I used the shoulder ram technique and 3 hits and 15 seconds later the door swung open and I was in. No bruises or pain of any kind the next day (it obviously didnt hurt at the time either because I was drunk, I cant say how much it wouldve hurt if I was sober though). Unfortunately I did a crappy job of putting the lock back in and had to have my landlord fix it for me the next day so I could get OUT of my apt. In the end though the door had to be replaced (I get to pay for it), but the locks were intact and are now being used on the new door. 21. GUNNY HARTMAN on April 16th, 2008 11:27 am Jason, I assume your daughter was okay? Well, I hope to not have to use this skill, but now Ive got it just in case. Danke! 22. Gdub on April 16th, 2008 8:42 pm Man I shouldnt have read this right before bednow I am going to dream of kicking down doors, and wake up tomorrow looking for the chance to do it. 23. Shan from NY on April 18th, 2008 5:36 am Ive broken down 2 doors in my life. Very invigorating hehe. 1st was an old solid wooden bathroom door. Father-in-law tried to break it open in vain. So I gave it a shot, and front-kicked the area next to the lock. The door knob lock deformed & shot out of the door. Apt management replaced the door =D. 2nd was a steel door at the gym. The lock stuck, trapping me in the locker room. I wasnt waiting around (alone in the gym on a snowy evening), so I also front-kicked the area next to the lock and blasted it open on first try. The steel door, lock, and door frame were all twisted. If you weight-train, make sure to do your squats! 24. LightningCrash on April 22nd, 2008 10:38 am I had to break down about 30 doors when I was working in New Orleans (for various reasons), and none of them were easy. You wouldnt have any success kicking through the ones that I dealt with. 25. Ryan on April 22nd, 2008 5:50 pm I kicked in a dozen or so doors in my house in New Orleans after Katrina. If you do it right, its easy. Some of the real solid doors were tough, especially when they soaked up water and expanded. Use an axe for those. 26.

4 of 8

03/03/2009 10:09

Knocking Down a Door | The Art of Manliness

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/04/08/how-to-break-down-a-door/

Ogre on April 23rd, 2008 7:27 pm Took my house door down with my shoulder but I guess thats easier when youre a 350lb biker. Liked it better using the battering ram we had in the MP corps though much more fun. 27. Charlie on May 1st, 2008 9:28 am Ive never kicked one down but Ive seen one kicked down. A gal locked herself in the bathroom at the restaurant where I worked several years ago and one of the chefs, a beefy ex-soldier, kicked that sucker in just as described above with one kick. 28. Logan on May 2nd, 2008 6:01 am I had opportunity to witness 2 soccer players unsuccessfully kick in their apartment door (made me smile as Im not a jock). I asked to try. Front kick nor mule kick worked, but my shoulder sent the whole door, hinges and all flying. FYI, the door was aluminum with a wooden frame. *grunts* It was fun. Thanks for reminding me of a good memory. 29. David on May 7th, 2008 4:40 pm I have a door security product on all my doors and no one will be able to kick in my door! Not even Bruce Lee! (R.I.P.) Its from a website called http://www.invasionproof.com 30. James on August 22nd, 2008 11:43 am I have kicked in many doors in my fraternity house due to drunken debauchery. Due to the old age of the house, and 25 years of fraternity occupation, the doors all have come down with ease. Our biggest problem is keeping doors on their hinges. However, the most manly way I have ever gotten around a door was to take a shovel and dig through the wall next to the door and then reach around to unlock it. I am obviously better at fixing drywall than door frames. My roommate found me on the couch the next morning sleeping with the shovel 31. Stormy Girl on September 19th, 2008 4:31 am Mule Kicks work well. 32. Willy on October 27th, 2008 10:18 pm It only took me 3 kicks to brwak down the door to my house 33. Paul on November 20th, 2008 10:42 pm Great article! Ive got the Ultimate Lock protecting my door. It distributes the force of a kick throughout the door frame so you cant kick it in. Theyve got a SWAT team officer using a battering ram trying to open the door on their website. Its pretty impressive. Check it out > http://www.theultimatelock.com 34. Firehunter on December 24th, 2008 1:21 pm In some fires, the door can be pinched even more securely into the frame and be harder to kick in. A few years ago, a place behind me was burning down, a baby was in it, so a neighbor and myself went to kick the door in, we did do it correctly, however metal doors are very difficult against metal frames, what actually worked was I kicked the frame the bolts of the door went into, and that gave way on the second kick!,, however,, , yeah I did break my foot, however the important thing was to get someone Into that buiding and save a life! So we kept kicking 2 more times till the door just suddenly burst open! Happy holidays, and be safe!:> 35. Chris on January 9th, 2009 8:07 pm Right well you described the technique correctly, but you missed a couple details. Firstly, you have to be confident that you can and will break the door down. Without that confidence most will not apply all of the force that they can, and you must be absolutely comitted to breaking it in, so its best to only do it in extreme emergencies when the cost of fixing it is the last thing on your mind. Secondly, be aware that kicking in a door can be extremely damaging to your knees and body if you fail or do it incorrectly. You MUST kick in the door so that the impact goes into the door and not your leg itself. Do NOT try to kick at it repeatedly (unless you are making visible progress) as this will only hurt you. Furthermore, as you kick the door there are two key things that can change the outcome drastically. 1: force your whole body into the kick while pushing on the grounded foot. You will be tempted to lean backwards as you kick, which in some cases is the proper thing to do, but here, you want to keep your torso vertical to ensure that you put as much force as possible on the door. 2: Martial artists scream when they punch or kick for a reason. It lets out all the air in your lungs, and thus tightens your core muscles, which prevents injury. Also, unlike the image attached, you want to kick directly under the handle/lock. If you kick in the middle you are likely to put a hole through the door and get your leg stuck or just break your knee. (Im sure doors in Iraq are much weaker than ours which is why he is not worried about it) It must also be noted that actually kicking a door down, as in off the hinges, is next to impossible. Only kick doors that swing away from you, as the goal is not to break the door down but to break the deadbolt housing in the frame or the deadbolt itself. If it opens toward you, best bet is a crowbar. And he is right about not using your shoulder. No matter how many can claim to have done it without injury it is EXTREMELY dangerous and should NEVER be practiced in such a manner. The shoulder is a soft object and usually it will give before the door does. Kicking is undoubtedly the proper technique. And lastly, front kicking is not the only method. Side kicking is actually better for some and even back kicking can be effective, by putting your back

5 of 8

03/03/2009 10:09

Knocking Down a Door | The Art of Manliness

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/04/08/how-to-break-down-a-door/

to the door and kicking behind you under the knob you ensure that your heel hits the door. It is less likely to injure your leg. 36. E. K. on February 16th, 2009 9:21 pm If the door opens toward you, the easiest thing might be to take out the hinges. This would display your manly ingenuity.

Trackbacks
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. TruePravda [Link] How To Break Down A Door would you do this? - MacNN Forums How to break down a door - IUplanet: Indiana Hoosier forums, sports, photos, and Bloomington life the evangelical outpost Carisprodol How To Break Down A Door lock picks picking a lock The Best of Art of Manliness, April 2008 | The Art of Manliness best window and door The Art of Manliness 100 Must-Read Books | Blog ExtraLibris locked out how to get in window lock picks

Got something to say? Please read our comment policy. Name (required)

Email Address (required)

Website

Speak your mind

Submit Comment

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail

Subscribe to The Art of Manliness!

Receive more manly tips plus a FREE eBook.

Get Updates to The Art of Manliness via RSS What is RSS? , Or Get Updates by Email

Join 27624 Subscribers

accordion-door.com

Ads by Goooooogle

6 of 8

03/03/2009 10:09

Knocking Down a Door | The Art of Manliness

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/04/08/how-to-break-down-a-door/

accordion-door.com

Ads by Goooooogle

Recommended Reading American Manhood E. Anthony Rotundo... New $23.40 Best $5.72 Benjamin Franklin Walter Isaacson New $12.89 Best $1.58 The Green Beret in You John Giduck, John ... Best $25.00

Guyland Michael Kimmel New $17.13 Best $12.53

Privacy Information

Manly Words of Wisdom

"The trouble in American life today, in business as well as sports, is that too many people are afraid of competition. The result is that, in some circles, people have come to sneer at success, if it costs hardwork and training and sacrifice." Knute Rockne

Categories
A Man's Life Blog Dress & Grooming Featured Health & Sports Is It Manly? Lessons In Manliness Man of the Year Manly Skills Manvotional Money & Career Relationships & Family Roundup So You Want My Job Soda Reviews The Virtuous Life Uncategorized

Most Popular Posts

100 Must Read Books: The Essential Man's Library How to Shave Like Your Grandpa Talk Like Frank Sinatra The 10 Worst Products For Men Ever Created Make Yourself Stick With These First Impression Tips Bringing Back the Hat The Mechanics of the Man Hug How to Ask and Get a Raise Like a Man 9 Ways To Start a Fire Without Matches Rediscovering the Barbershop

Door Lock, DingLi-China Manufacturer of Door Lock in China. ISO9000 CE. High quality, No retail
www.dllock.cn

Mutual Safe & Security Safes - Vaults Depository - Gun UL & SABS Manufacture & Export

7 of 8

www.mutual.co.za

03/03/2009 10:09

Knocking Down a Door | The Art of Manliness

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/04/08/how-to-break-down-a-door/

Magazine advertising costs Our magazine advertising allows you to promote your website in popular UK magazines with cheap advertising costs...

Recent Comments:
mike: These So You Want My Job postings are the most consistently interesting and provide a perspective... Mr. Willson: Chivalry, Courtship, DATING is dead. Internet, media, society. You name it. The old school... Rich: I couldnt be a game warden. Props to those who are, but aint mah style. maya: I would just like to challenge David Cs assertion that hunting can be a form of charity for local... David C.: Two things: First, very good post highlighting some fine literature. Great work. Second, to echo what Brian...

Friends of AoM
A Tailored Suit Dark Roasted Blend DeputyDog Gear Crave Good Magazine Husbands and Dads Just A Guy Thing Love The Past Manoverse Mental Floss Neatorama Petermans Eye WebEcoist WebUrbanist Wisebread

Blog Networks

Facebook App

The Art of Manliness Facebook Application

Copyright 2009 The Art of Manliness Revolution Magazine theme by Brian Gardner Log in This blog is protected by Dave's Spam Karma 2: 11681 Spams eaten and counting... <

8 of 8

03/03/2009 10:09