# What is "combat breathing?"



## shesulsa (Aug 10, 2004)

I am looking for specific information on combat breathing.  

 What is it?
 How do you train using the breathing technique?
 Where can I get more information?

 Thank you all. :asian:


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## Tgace (Aug 10, 2004)

"Under intense pressure from a life-threatening event, human beings tend to hyperventilate. This response was appropriate when our ancestors had to fend of the attacks of wild beasts, but it is counter-productive in a modern threat environment. Breath control is the key to remaining calm, in control and aware.

Make a point of checking your breath regularly in a threat environment; if your breath is out of control, you are out of control. In force-on-force training or an actual high-risk situation, you will tense up and you will hyperventilate unless you consciously work to control your breath.

Training yourself to check your breath before entering a threat area and during a confrontation should be as natural and common sense as checking your six and looking behind doors. Proper breathing is easy: breathe deeply and slowly, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Breathe into the lower abdomen, filling the lower lungs first; avoid high, shallow breathing from the upper lungs..."

-Derek McDonald
SureFire Institute tactics instructor


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## Andrew Green (Aug 10, 2004)

shesulsa said:
			
		

> I am looking for specific information on combat breathing.
> 
> What is it?
> How do you train using the breathing technique?
> ...


Sounds to me like another "ancient art" that you can learn through a 10 video  set for only 299.99....


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## Paul Genge (Aug 20, 2004)

Breathing is one of the cornerstone principles of the Russian Martial Art, Systema.  This is a very indepth subject and touches on the relms of health as well as combat efficiency.

I have some exercises and drills relating to breathing on my site http://www.russianmartialart.org.uk, but I can give you some of our ideas on the subject here.

First you should breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. The mouth should be 'O' shaped on the out breath.  The more intense the physical activity you are carrying out the sharper your out breath should be.  Concentrate on the out breath and not the in breath.  The body as an organism will regulate the amount of breath you need to take in.  Doing this will control hyperventilation.

When carrying out any movement your breath should proceed your movement slightly and last throughout the movement being carried out.  The way we practice this is to use breathing during exercises such as squats, pressups and leg raises.  Using pressups as an example start breathing in and continue the breath smoothley throughout the press to the raised position.  Breath out continuely as you sink to the bottom position of the pressup.  This exercise can be reversed with the breath out being used for the movement from the floor to the raised position.

Another thing to learn is to regulate your breathing to the amount of air you need for the movement.  There are lots of exercises for this.  This include slowing the pressups so that each one takes a count longer than the one before.  Make the in and out breath last the length of each movement. 

To learn to breath through physically difficult exercises try doing slow pressups and squats.  The breathing should get sharper and and more frequent as the tension increases.  Try making the pressup last 1 minute.

Another thing to take into account is the bodies natural reaction to fear where it holds it's breath.  This causes more fear because the body starts to panic at the lack of oxygen.  A good exercise to get your body use to this is to do 20 pressups.  During the first five you make an in breath last the time taken to do these press ups.  You then hold your breath for 5 pressups.  You then make your out breath last 5 more pressups and the final five you do on empty lungs.  When this becomes easy try going twice around without a break in the two sets of 20.

One of the tips I got from a Russian Special Forces Soldier was that if you feel frightened before a fight take a step back as you breath in then exhale as you step forward and go to work. 

There is plenty more to this including breathing to relax during stressful situations, breathing for health and using breathing to take strikes on the body.

Paul Genge


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## Corporal Hicks (Aug 20, 2004)

Can combat breathing help when you've got the 'wobbles' in a threat situation. Could it make your more stable or is the 'wobbles' your bodies natural response to fear?


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## Taimishu (Aug 20, 2004)

Sounds to me like another "buzz word" to make things sound mysterious.

David


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## Paul Genge (Aug 20, 2004)

I asked Vladimir Vasiliev about the shakes pre and post fight.  His explanation was that it is caused by your concious mind trying to over ride the bodies natural animal instinct to kill the opponent.  

I do have to say that from a personal point when I have just got on with what had to be done I do not suffer, but if I hold back in the face of naked threat I do get shakey hands post incident.

Paul Genge
http://www.russianmartialart.org.uk


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## Han-Mi (Aug 21, 2004)

Combat breathing is just fancy talk for control. Control your breathing or you will not have enough to last the fight.  This is trained from the begining of your white belt.  It satarts with a simple Kia and turns into breathing techs, and different Kias for different levels of power, technique, focus, etc. I use my breathing to my advantage , and it allows me to fight much longer than some others that might be able to beat me otherwise.


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## Troy Ostapiw/Canada (Aug 26, 2004)

Another methos of Tactical breathing, has been explained by Lt. Grossman.  He is famous for his Killology series, and his indepth study of Combat.  He advises a person to inhale in through the nose, hold yor breath for aprox 4 seconds..then breath out the mouth...exhale.  continue this breathing pattern if you have the time to so.  I am not aware of a breathing tech. that will calm you once you are engadged in combat.  to apply grossman's breathing you need to be approaching a threatening situation.  If you find your self in a combat situation, just try to remember to breath in the nose out the mouth, try to relax and calm yourself, breath deep, from your center ( just below the belly button).  Visualization is also very helpfull for preparing the mind for conflict.


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## shesulsa (Aug 26, 2004)

Thanks to all for your replies.


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