Twitchy Go wrote:@edlee
Fair enough assertion.
A follow up question. If you had two groups that were undoubtedly alive and your opponent cuts inbetween them. Would that still be broken shape?
You would still call it broken shape. Whether it's bad or not is another question. Certainly knowing that both of the separated groups are 100% alive removes a major concern, but there are others.
1. Are you really, truly 100% sure they're alive?

2. What about all the stones that are hanging off your two live groups - are they all completely connected after your shape is broken?
3. What about the enemy's groups - were they both completely alive? If he broke your shape he may have connected two groups that would have been cut otherwise, and might have been separately weak or dead.
4. When he breaks your shape, is he playing moves on dame or breaking into your territory? When you get enemy stones reducing your territory you can block, and when you have stones running around inside your territory you can kill, but when he breaks your shape, abandon all hope.
5. Did he create aji or cutting points in sente?