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Post by Will Senn on Feb 7, 2007 22:19:55 GMT 8
I was reminded of the importance of breathing, this past Saturday. In a beginner's class that I was attending, I was asked to instruct a woman in the proper way of punching and palm heel. As I was working with her on a proper stance, centeredness, arm, wrist and hand position and movement, I wanted to also correct her breathing. However, when I considered it I realized that I wasn't hearing a whole lot of breathing from her classmates. I thought about it for a bit and then decided to tell her she should exhale some breath on the extension. I then explained that in some styles they teach explosive breathing and in some they seem to hold their breath and in some there's a healthy mix. I also explained that the expulsion of breath during strikes and blocks served a many fold purpose - focusing, preparing for the possibility of a counter strike, tension, etc. I demonstrated some of the risks associated with holding one's breath and then I asked the Sensei, how he felt they should be breathing, so as not to offend. I was a bit shocked when he demonstrated with somewhat more explosive breathing than the students in the class seemed to be using. Apparently, the class had developed the habit of holding their breath or at least breathing more quietly than I considered good for one's gut, independently of the instructor whose form seemed unreproachable. I realize that explosive breath is not necessarily necessary and making strange noises while punching and kicking is, if not silly, at least bizarre, but, what's everyone's take on it? Should obvious breathing be taught at the beginner level, or not and what about intermediate and advanced? Personally, I tend to breath, if I'm in a room where I'm the only one doing it, I try to tone it down, but it's strange and I'll argue up and down that holding one's breath is the devil -will
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mat
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Posts: 45
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Post by mat on Feb 8, 2007 2:21:14 GMT 8
Hello. Here's my limited view on it : Breathing is vital. Not doing so in techniques is anti-vital. as for the progression of things, I learned first the technique. When it was at an ok level, I learned to breathe, very relaxed like. as if I were walking. when that was good, I learned to tense my abs while breathing relaxed. when that was good, I learned to exhale in two beats. About 60% of lung in one short outburst followed by 20% slow with a contraction at the end. When that will be good(expect a year or so), I have to learn diaphragm breathing and then, taoist breathing.(expect a lot of years or so). All this on the course of two years. But different schools have different ways of breathing. We have a specific types and all Sensei's around me do not turn blue and can finish all types of kata while, although breathing faster, are not short of breath. Which is a good sign, right? Be well
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Post by Colin Wee on Feb 8, 2007 12:05:08 GMT 8
I noticed that when I was in the States, the breathing we did during kata exercise was a semi-explosive kiai-like breath at the end of each technique. It was basically like a kiai, but done with no shout ... just an audible hiss through the teeth. This really wipes you out.
Nowadays, I get all beginners to breathe out on all techniques and all movements. The breath out is a steady ah-ha, starting at the start of the technique, a little squeeze in the middle, and ending off at the end. This allows them to learn to let go the breath, and readies themselves to kiai (because they're actually emitting a sound with the breath).
This is as opposed to the kiai, which is a more truncated version of the ah-ha ... used twice for their first kata at the end of a punch.
I tend to encourage the steady breath out for everything - from blocking to stepping, to rolling, and to striking. This breath out is again emphasized when they start 'limited' sparring at orange belt. Limited sparring is blocks and covers, and punches (lunge and reverse). Their opponents can do everything else.
This means the student doesn't have to struggle to remember 40 techniques and also to breathe - all they do is to remember maybe 3 blocks and two strikes ... and of course to breathe out.
This skill progression has produced extremely good results in my beginners. I've been happy with the results.
:-)
Colin
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Post by Colin Wee on Feb 8, 2007 12:09:53 GMT 8
and then I asked the Sensei, how he felt they should be breathing, so as not to offend. -will Basically Will, you should be here training with me. So long as you keep using deodarant ... you can offend all you want in other ways. :-) Colin
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Post by Will Senn on Mar 12, 2007 22:02:29 GMT 8
It's been a month, but in that time, I've come to adjust my position on this, slightly. I begin to see that the breathing I had been doing (explosive breath trough the teeth type thing) was overdone and unnecessary. It's not a bad way to teach beginners, because it makes the breathing obvious - but at the end of the day, you just don't need to make all that noise to breath correctly and sufficiently.
Where I came to the realization, was in Karate, but where it hit me hardest was in practicing Sai, there is a sense of artistry in breathing naturally while performing Sai kata - also sans kiai.
Stellar to be learning again.
Will
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Post by Colin Wee on Mar 15, 2007 13:20:12 GMT 8
Excellent post Will. You're right. It's a little overdone but a great teaching technique for beginners. I have also come to the realization that you don't need to breathe out so hard to strike really hard. If you REALLY need the kiai to generate power, then the technique isn't as good as it should be. Colin
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Post by supergroup7 on Mar 30, 2007 22:56:47 GMT 8
"Should obvious breathing be taught at the beginner level, or not and what about intermediate and advanced? Personally, I tend to breath, if I'm in a room where I'm the only one doing it, I try to tone it down, but it's strange and I'll argue up and down that holding one's breath is the devil."
Breathing is the bellows of the body. Our body heats up, and creates waste as we ask it to perform such physical activity as karate. Our muscles start to choke on it's own waste and feel tired, and weak. The waste gathers and hinders oxygen, and sugar exchange like ashes covering a fire. Lymph fluid is only moved by two actions, the contraction of the muscles, and the movement of the diaphragm. Deep breathing using the diaphragm is the most effective mechanism to clean out the body. Breathing done properly can speed up oxygen/ carbon dioxide exchange, and help bring more sugars to the muscles. Deep breathing using the diaphragm CALMS you, and helps your mind refocus, and concentrate. Someone who holds their breath when executing technique are asking to put far too much stress on their heart, brain, and lungs. I've actually seen stars from holding my breath. Breathing out helps tighten the core muscles, and unite the torso to the arms, and legs... and actually helps unite all the movement into one wave of energy.
I totally agree with teaching the effectiveness of breathing, but not to a beginning student. When one first starts martial arts, they have no idea of what is expected of them. First they need to learn the big muscle movements to get the idea of what their goals are: For example, the punch needs to come from here, and end up there with the shoulders down, not up, and the head up, not down. (etc) These concepts are difficult enough at first. Then as the student advances up in experience and knowledge you can add the idea of distance, timing, breathing, target, etc. etc.
What I found my Sensei doing to get us to learn how to breath properly during our techniques is that he would make us do some conditioning exercises, or run laps before we started working on our basics, kata, or kumite. We'd enter the karate part of our training already breathless, and breathing deeply from all of the laps that we ran. We naturally found ourselves breathing out with our techniques, and breathing in deeply for the next movement. He really didn't have to "tell" us to breath.. it just happened by itself.. we were struggling to meet the expectations of that exercise. The only time that I remember my Sensei mentioning breathing is when he noticed someone holding their breath. It was pretty obvious because that person's face would turn red, and purple, and they'd be gulping air pretty quickly. Then he would mention that we should breath out with our techniques, and explain the reason "why".
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Post by Will Senn on Mar 31, 2007 0:07:10 GMT 8
Excellent post, Mireille!
In our class we've been doing a 5-10 minute run to warm up and I didn't really notice the connection to breathing until you mentioned it. In the last month or so, I've come to better appreciate the differences between the way I was taught before and the way I am being taught/learning now. Breathing is one of those differences.
Will
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