So do you breathe?

[Xue Sheng]

Does your art train breathing with forms, postures, kata, etc.?

And if so how?

My main style is Tai Chi, Yang style, from Tung Ying Chieh and my Sifu always responds to the question about breathing with the forms/postures the same way his Sifu (Tung Ying Chieh) did. He says “yes you should.”

Tung Ying Chieh believed that if you train the forms and become relaxed in them that the breathing will naturally follow. So there is really no separate training for breathing in at least this version of Yang Style.

 

[terryl965]

I guess I'm with him breathing should come natural as the movement become fluid

 

[bydand]

Yeah, same here really. The only thing we really hear is "keep breathing, never hold your breath." I think it boils down to the same thing, natural breathing helps smooth things out.

 

[JasonASmith]

I do, but not enough...That's another one of those newbie mistakes that I am making, and probably contributes to the tenseness problem that I have...

 

[rutherford]

Simply put,

1. Passive Exhalation on Compression
2. Passive Inhalation on Expansion
3. Active Exhalation on Effort
4. Passive Inhalation on Relaxation
5. Lengthen the Control Pause, the period after exhalation and the next inhalation
6. Perform Fine and Complex Skills during the Control Pause

 

[charyuop]

Xs I was told not to worry about breathing now, but it will come with time. I agree with that also coz doing the whole form (and I am sure you know it) trying to stay low on your knees it is a big effort till your muscles don't get used to it. And as soon as your muscles get used to it here 1 or 2 new postures come into play and the effort comes back.

When you are a beginner your body gets to do a job new and requires more oxygen, thus it comes out heavy breathing. If I try now to go with a regular slow breathing as it should be in the Tai Chi form, the oxygen intake wouldn't be enough and that would create an even heavier breathing. I can go with a regular breathing for the part of the form where my muscles got used to, but as soon as I reach the new part I start panting. Thus I try not to worry too much about breathing now...

 

[rutherford]

Actually, it is not low oxygen levels that stimulate breathing. You breath harder because of higher carbon dioxide levels.

 

[Kacey]

Breathe in as you prepare for the movement, exhale as the movement completes. The only exception is for connected movements which specify 1 breath for 2 (or, rarely, more) techniques, where the emphasis is speed, rather than power. This is for Ch'ang H'on (ITF-style) TKD.

 

[Flying Crane]

My main style is Tai Chi, Yang style, from Tung Ying Chieh and my Sifu always responds to the question about breathing with the forms/postures the same way his Sifu (Tung Ying Chieh) did. He says “yes you should.”

Tung Ying Chieh believed that if you train the forms and become relaxed in them that the breathing will naturally follow. So there is really no separate training for breathing in at least this version of Yang Style.

My sifu says essentially the same thing. If you ask pointedly about a specific sequence, he will tell where you should inhale and exhale, but overall this should be natural and you figure out the correct spots as you get better at the set.

 

[Adept]

Simply put,

1. Passive Exhalation on Compression
2. Passive Inhalation on Expansion
3. Active Exhalation on Effort
4. Passive Inhalation on Relaxation
5. Lengthen the Control Pause, the period after exhalation and the next inhalation
6. Perform Fine and Complex Skills during the Control Pause

What he said.

 

[charyuop]

Breathe in as you prepare for the movement, exhale as the movement completes. The only exception is for connected movements which specify 1 breath for 2 (or, rarely, more) techniques, where the emphasis is speed, rather than power. This is for Ch'ang H'on (ITF-style) TKD.

I had some movements that were really long and trying to breath in during preparation and out at the complete was killing me. For example we do a brush knee in the 24 form (who does Tai Chi knows what I am talking about) that is divided in 4: form the ball, raise left hand, lower right hand and then "strike". The teachers want us to do it divided to learn better the movement....well I was breathing in in steps 1, 2 and 3 and out in step 4....a real torture. They told me I can divide the breathing in 2 in and 2 out. So I guess breathing can be adjusted to the stences.

 

[MBuzzy]

Many of the hyung in Tang Soo Do have portions of them devoted to breathing. Yuk Ro Cho Do for example is a collection of fast and slow movements, the slower movements are all concentrated on inhaling and exhaling while you move. There are also single movements in some other forms where you slowly inhale before a movement.

That does not mean that breathing isn't important for the rest of these forms, it is just specifically concentrated in those areas.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

my instructor didn't teach breathing. when i moved back home and opened up my school, i started to take tai chi and got a lot of good info there. also from (of all places) tony robbins.

i teach breathing even to my childrens' classes. it's such a powerful and important thing to make conscious.

 

[still learning]

Hello, We all breathe air......when we are punching you breath out,kicking you breath out,blocking you breath out.

Then after breathing out....you will need to breath in! When getting hit you will also find breathing out is better than holding air.

For alot of people doing Kata's...they usually try to hold there breathe...one must learn when to breath in...even if small breathe's.

In adrenline situtions (heart beating fast) ...one must learn to slow down the breathing...this only comes with practice...we must practice slow control breathing every day.....

One practice is hold to 5 release the air...hold for count of 5...breath in hold for count to 5. THis count can be more or less...you will need to build up to a higher number (this will only come from practicing)

This is only one of the many ideas and ways to learning breathing techniques............take what works for you.....best to use clean AIR...Aloha

PS: On sale in a few days (Clean air by the 12oz can..made in China.available at your nearest martial art store))

 

[Robert Lee]

I was taught to breath in on blocks out on strikes. And Breath in on retraction of a strike. Far as kata Sanchin and tensho Are good breathing katas. Refured as walking zen But they also train the proper breathing and muscle tension of striking. I no longer do any kata at all. But trained for around 15 16 years. Breathing is a part But conditiong the over all body Is also a must. Or you still get short of breath.

 

[still learning]

I was taught to breath in on blocks out on strikes. And Breath in on retraction of a strike. Far as kata Sanchin and tensho Are good breathing katas. Refured as walking zen But they also train the proper breathing and muscle tension of striking. I no longer do any kata at all. But trained for around 15 16 years. Breathing is a part But conditiong the over all body Is also a must. Or you still get short of breath.

Breathing in on blocks works too! maybe even stronger here! Thank-you for that fresh air on this....Aloha

 

[pstarr]

We use reverse breathing and emphasize it from the very beginning. More advanced students learn a second special method known as "inverse breathing."

 

[still learning]

We use reverse breathing and emphasize it from the very beginning. More advanced students learn a second special method known as "inverse breathing."

Can you explain more on this "inverse breathing"? Please ......Aloha

 

[Shotgun Buddha]

Yeah its kinda neccessary when doing MMA. You don't control your breathing, you''re gonna gas in about a minute. So have to keep it tight controlled bursts no matter what you're doing. Big breath in, two or three short bursts out.
Keeps your hear rate up and ensures you're still getting enough air.

 

[pstarr]

I really can't say much about the inverse breathing on an open forum - it's taught only to advanced practitioners in Yilichuan - but it allows them to deliver maximum force or even receive hard blows when they're inhaling.

Most people cannot strike powerfully when they inhale (in fact, they tend to slow down considerably when they take in a breath) and their bodies are highly vulnerable to injury if struck when inhaling. Inverse breathing eliminates these problems-