Breathing Tips for all

[supergroup7]

I wrote about this on my friends weblog: Colin's Traditional Taekwondo Techniques:
http://traditionaltaekwondo.blogspot.com/2009/03/protecting-our-selves-from-our-selves.html

BlackDice572 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6PiGDQd0jM has offered a wonderful informative relaxed video on Youtube filled with explanation on the mechanics of breathing, and how it supports our training. In his video, he mentions the "Fascia Train theory". If you would like to learn more about this, feel free to visit this website: http://www.anatomytrains.com/explore/tensegrity

Mr Aaron Hoopes http://www.usadojo.com/articles/breath-training.htm from Australia offers an in depth article explaining various deep breathing exercises in a convenient understandable step by step manner. As he explains some exercises take years to learn, while others are quite easy. All are beneficial.

Sensei Derdeyn http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/6929_aikido-breathing-exercises.htm offers a comprehensive, well made, and fact-filled series of Aikido Breathing instructional videos on www.expertvillage.com. He gives the history of combat breathing, and ties it into modern athletic sports as weight lifting, football, etc.

The breathing in a kata depends on the bunkai of the set of techniques being done.  Some techniques will require short breaths others will need longer extended breaths.  The better you understand your kata, the better you can breath during the expression of it.

Feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

[Gi]

I was taught some breathing exercises that calm the mind and slow the heart rate.  They all have different arm movements but the idea is the same.  For "Praising the Sun" you stand with your feet together and clasp hands in front of your waist.  Then while raising your hands out in front of you inhale as much air as you can until your hands are directly above your head with the palms facing up.  Hold your breath as long as you can and then drop your hands about six inches and let the air settle to the bottom of your lungs.  Lower your hands, outstretched, to your sides until they reach your hips.  Then push your hands out to the front, at hip level, while you exhale.  Then take a full inhale while spreading your arms and exhale at your normal breathing rate while bringing your arms back to the previous position.  I have found this exercise to help when I want to calm nerves, get in a state of "no mind", or need to recover from hyperventilating.

We do a number of similar exercises all taught at above dan grade level, some of them are quite powerful and need to be done at first under supervision.

[cfKarate]

Thanks for the tip galahad. I'm always looking for ways to calm my nerves.

[galahad25]

I was taught some breathing exercises that calm the mind and slow the heart rate.  They all have different arm movements but the idea is the same.  For "Praising the Sun" you stand with your feet together and clasp hands in front of your waist.  Then while raising your hands out in front of you inhale as much air as you can until your hands are directly above your head with the palms facing up.  Hold your breath as long as you can and then drop your hands about six inches and let the air settle to the bottom of your lungs.  Lower your hands, outstretched, to your sides until they reach your hips.  Then push your hands out to the front, at hip level, while you exhale.  Then take a full inhale while spreading your arms and exhale at your normal breathing rate while bringing your arms back to the previous position.  I have found this exercise to help when I want to calm nerves, get in a state of "no mind", or need to recover from hyperventilating.

[Baylin]

I haven't been taught much in the way of breathing exercises but one lesson that sticks in my mind is to be cautious when about to breathe in as that is when you are most vulnerable. It's difficult to move when you have no air in you so if you get struck as you are breathing in you are more likely to become winded, also if you can move it's much harder to put any power in to your strike when you can't kiai, which is something you definately can't do with no air in your lungs.

With this in mind when your opponant is about to breathe in is a good time for you to make your attck!

[Gambatte Karate]

When practicing kata, I breathe short breaths in when I chamber, and short exhales (or focus breaths) when I block or strike in any way.

[cfKarate]

This topic may have already been covered. I'm looking for a little help. If you know a lot about breathing as it pertains to the Martial Arts, could you post some "breathing concepts" or tips for better breathing? For example, how does someone breath in specific katas? What are the breathing exercises you practice? Anything breathing-related is would be great.

As you can tell, I am rather intrigued by the subject, and I hope there are a lot of knowledgeable people here that can help. That said, tell me something so I can learn!