# Breathing properly while sparring



## trueaspirer

During contact sparring matches, even just for training, when hit I find it difficult to keep breathing at a regular pace. The break in my breathing pattern slows me down and I have difficulty for the rest of the match trying to keep up with my opponent. Any suggestions?


----------



## Andrew Green

More getting hit! 

Seriously though, don't think about it or you'll mess yourself up.  Breathing should be automatic, not something you are thinking about while fighting.

That said, get in the habit of not having lunges full of air.  They're like balloons, if you get hit and they are full they pop  

Also get in the habit of breathing out when hitting, and getting hit.  This helps absorb the blow.

Keep good posture (for getting hit), meaning crunched up, chin down and all that.  If you straighten up the muscles stretch out and can't stop strikes as well.

If you do get the wind knocked out of you, you need to recover, which means find a safe place for a few seconds.


----------



## mantis

breathing is extremely important.  always try to breathe.  if you forget to breathe you will most likely black out soon.  

no seriously.  in sparring or fighting the way of breathing is extremely important.  your goal is to get enough oxygen to your muscles to promote endurance during fighting.  Breathing should not be too fast.  it should be deep, organized and kind of slow.  always try to let go of air (exhaling only) as you deliver strikes, and as you take strikes.  try to breathe in as you prepare for a strike, and as you yield.


----------



## desousae

Just like wieght training.  When you are about to attack or press some weight, exhale, explode.  When you are floating or on the way down from a rep, inhale, focus, relax.


----------



## pstarr

Practice reverse breathing...you won't get winded nearly as easily or quickly and if you do, you can recover very, very quickly.  It also allows you to strike with great power and from a more stable position...


----------



## stone_dragone

desousae said:
			
		

> Just like wieght training. When you are about to attack or press some weight, exhale, explode. When you are floating or on the way down from a rep, inhale, focus, relax.


 
I agree.  Relaxation is the key.  If you can relax, you're breathing will be fairly normal and you wong get winded as quickly.  Knowing when to tense up and when to relax is very important for extended cardiovascular activity.  

Conditioning plays a big part in it too, though.

My two cents...


----------



## rabbit

While practicing the MArtial Arts (TKD) I focus on my breathing. I focus on it as it passes through my nose. Just like when I meditiate. It seems to me like I can control my breathing  when I get winded. Not that I won't get winded but just that I control it better. Can anyone confirm this?


----------



## Xue Sheng

As my teacher told me when I asked about breahting; when he asked his teacher Tung Ying Chieh about breathing Sifu Tung replied "Yes, you should"

You have some good advice given to you here, let me add one thing.....

relax.......

relax your breathing and the rest will follow.

Also as stated by PStarr Reverse breathing would help quite well..


----------



## FuriousGeorge

In my experience everything follows from breath...good advice so far on how to breathe, in my mind, nothing is more beneficial than always being mindful of your breath...if I am getting dominated, I try and make myself safe so I can breathe and relax for a few seconds...in competition this is the only way I can maintain my cool and come out on top.


----------



## North Star

Another tip ... as well as breathing naturally, try not to make your breathing obvious as this can be exploited by a good fighter.


----------



## marlon

Could you share more on reverse breathing, please?  How and why it can be more helpful as well as how you do it?

Respectfully,
Marlon




			
				pstarr said:
			
		

> Practice reverse breathing...you won't get winded nearly as easily or quickly and if you do, you can recover very, very quickly. It also allows you to strike with great power and from a more stable position...


----------



## lansao

After that hit, your anxiety may be kicking in. I use a recovery tactic public speakers use for resetting from an anxiety attack before speaking.

Take big mouth breaths like you're just coming up for air after being under water for too long. Two or three of them to catch back up/reset and you'll be back in action. Not too many or you may faint!

~ Alan


----------



## Hyoho

If you fight the first sign you losing is your breathing. Lose that and its over. I do the opposite of diving. In through the nose out through the mouth. My students used to take big breaths and hyperventilate. Not uncomon to see beginers lying on the floor with plastic bags over their heads.


----------



## Dirty Dog

Hyoho said:


> I do the opposite of diving. In through the nose out through the mouth.



Diving is in and out through the mouth. The only time you exhale through the nose is when you need to clear water from your mask. If your mask fits properly, that's not terribly often.



Hyoho said:


> Not uncomon to see beginers lying on the floor with plastic bags over their heads.



Wow. Tough class. How many died from this practice?

For less brutal teachers, I'd recommend using a paper bag instead...


----------



## Hyoho

Dirty Dog said:


> Diving is in and out through the mouth. The only time you exhale through the nose is when you need to clear water from your mask. If your mask fits properly, that's not terribly often.
> 
> 
> 
> Wow. Tough class. How many died from this practice?
> 
> For less brutal teachers, I'd recommend using a paper bag instead...


None but we won the All Japans twice in my time. Just temporary and well monitored. And just stressed up first year that dont know how to breath. This has been replaced by giving them water breaks and actually allowing them to take off armor.

Oh your a Dive Master? Me too. I have vents in my mask. Short breaths in and exhale through the vents helps me to conserve air. When everybody is back in boat out of air? I'm still down there.


----------



## Dirty Dog

Hyoho said:


> Oh your a Dive Master? Me too. I have vents in my mask. Short breaths in and exhale through the vents helps me to conserve air. When everybody is back in boat out of air? I'm still down there.



Tech diver. Staged decompression. Any gas mix up to 100% O2, but no hypoxic trimix. Full cave. NDLs do not apply.


----------



## Juany118

for breathing training what did I find helped A LOT?  I found dantian breathing to be a big help in terms of regulating heart rate and thus some of the physiological impacts of fight or flight.  Thing was when I first started trying to use it in sparring/fighting it was a PITA.  It's still not easy now but I found that if you like running and cycling like me there is something useful beyond just building the cardio base.  

note it will actually physically hurt at first but you do get used to it.  When the heart rate goes up your breathing naturally wants to follow.  Your HR increases in sparring and fighting not only as a product of exertion but also fight or flight.  So When I go out for my daily 3 mile run I started forcing myself to dantian (belly breath) and hold for 3 seconds as I ran.  It hurt at first but I go used to it.  I wear a HRM and when I did that I could see it actually keeping the heart rate in check so, in essence, I flipped the control.  Usually HR controls breathing, I was helping my breathing to control my HR.

It takes time to get used to and then more time to make it a habit but once you do, it helps a lot.


----------



## JowGaWolf

trueaspirer said:


> During contact sparring matches, even just for training, when hit I find it difficult to keep breathing at a regular pace. The break in my breathing pattern slows me down and I have difficulty for the rest of the match trying to keep up with my opponent. Any suggestions?


Cardio training and learning how to breathe while moving around throwing punches and kicks.

After that take a look at your techniques. Are you always tense? do you relax? Do you panic? if so then you have to fix those issues as well.


----------



## wingchun100

My Sifu was just talking to me about this. He told me to look up the technique "long breathing," I think. Haven't had a chance yet.


----------



## marques

Avoid being hit. 

In fact, I do not remember having that issue (unless I received hard hits on the solar plexus - and I got many good ones). But I do have an issue when I am tired from the beginning. In that situation, I avoid the fight for a while. I keep moving around from the distance, throwing fakes and weak leg (stop) kicks. When I am restored enough, I come back to the 'normal'.

I think with time it, breathing well with hits, will be solved by naturally (with practice). I wonder if there is a quick solution.


----------



## JR 137

Sanchin kata.  Teaches you how to take a hit and coordinate your breathing with it.  Also teaches you how to breathe when delivering a hit.  At least if it's practiced correctly.

Cardio training.  The best way to get in shape is interval training - shorter periods of very high intensity exercise followed by relatively longer periods of lighter exercise.  Think all out sprint for 30 seconds, followed by slowish jogging for 90 seconds.  Repeat.  Doesn't have to be running though (I hate running), you can do intense bag work followed by very light bag work.  Or anything else; the key is heart rate.

Experience in sparring.  There's no substitute for experience.  None whatsoever.  Fear and uncertainty will get you breathing very hard, very fast, and it'll happen quickly.  The more you spar, the better you control those emotions.


----------



## Juany118

wingchun100 said:


> My Sifu was just talking to me about this. He told me to look up the technique "long breathing," I think. Haven't had a chance yet.



I believe that is essentially the same thing as what is sometimes called dantian breathing, tactical breathing or "belly breathing." When you inhale you focus on allowing your belly to expand vs your chest.  You also try to control the "rate".  The way I practice for doing this with a high heart rate is basically inhaling for 3 seconds, hold for 3 second, try to exhale at roughly the same rate you inhaled, while running.


----------



## wingchun100

Juany118 said:


> I believe that is essentially the same thing as what is sometimes called dantian breathing, tactical breathing or "belly breathing." When you inhale you focus on allowing your belly to expand vs your chest.  You also try to control the "rate".  The way I practice for doing this with a high heart rate is basically inhaling for 3 seconds, hold for 3 second, try to exhale at roughly the same rate you inhaled, while running.


 
It reminds me somewhat of the way they breathe in one of the P90X 3 workouts: Pilates X. To this day I am still not really a fan of Pilates because I don't "Get" it. Then again, I had never done Yoga before P90X, and I didn't like that at first either.


----------



## DanT

trueaspirer said:


> During contact sparring matches, even just for training, when hit I find it difficult to keep breathing at a regular pace. The break in my breathing pattern slows me down and I have difficulty for the rest of the match trying to keep up with my opponent. Any suggestions?


Keep the rhythm steady, in, pause, out, in, pause, out. Don't hold your breath, don't let it all out in one strike, obviously if you're executing a really powerful technique you can exhale with it, but for the most part just keep a rhythm with it.


----------



## wingchun100

I am trying to put a better breathing pattern to use with the way I am practicing Sil Lum Tao now. I am working on sinking into my stance, and the trick Sifu London gave me for that was to sink so that it brings my knees together and I can pinch a softball between my knees. However, I find this is making my quads SCREAM. So last night, I started to inhale and exhale deeply. Then I was focused on the breathing instead of the pain.


----------

