This is the second part of a series on the study of breathing for Martial artists. In the first part – https://www.martialjournal.com/breathing-in-martial-arts/ – I discussed the basics of abdominal breathing and how it is a practice to learn to use the lungs to their maximum capacity which can enhance all aspects of physical training. In this second part, I want to delve deeper into breathing exercises and start to focus on practices that specifically can assist martial artists in generating energy and power in their practice.
Reverse Abdominal Breathing
Reverse Abdominal Breathing is just as it sounds. It is reversing the practice of the Abdominal Breathing training I discussed in Part 1. Practicing this type of breathing has a different effect on the body. It is a little more difficult than Abdominal Breathing simply because it reverses the natural flow of the breath in a focused way that is not something most people are familiar with. Reverse Abdominal Breathing is a breathing method best suited for those who study the martial arts since it specifically concentrates focus on the dan tien (hara) during exhalation. Regular practice strengthens the abdominal muscles and makes breathing naturally strong.
If you try to blow up a balloon while keeping one hand on your abdomen you will notice that as you blow out your abdomen naturally expands instead of contracting. The same is true if you are trying to push a car that has run out of gas. In order to express the power you are putting into the act, you exhale while pushing out. This is the secret of Reverse Abdominal Breathing it is designed to infuse you with with power.
Again, start in whichever stance or posture you feel most comfortable. This time, however, as you inhale through the nose, slowly begin to draw the abdomen in and up. The upper chest will naturally expand as oxygen fills your lungs. As you inhale, contract the muscles of your perineum. The perineum is the area between the anus and the lower edge of the pubis at the front of the pelvis. The central point of the perineum is called the huiyin in Chinese and is known as the Root Chakra in yogic traditions. The Perineum is the focal point for Reverse Abdominal Breathing. By contracting and pulling it up you are able to concentrate on the abdominal area. At the same time, you want to feel as if you are pulling your navel in towards your spine. Relax and engage the muscles without force. Focus on keeping a smooth motion. When the lungs are full, exhale through the nose, release the perineum, and push the abdomen out and down. Repeat for ten cycles of inhalation and exhalation, filling the lungs to maximum capacity and emptying them out completely with each breath.
Regular practice of Reverse Abdominal Breathing should help you begin to notice an increase in power levels when you coordinate it with your martial arts techniques. Some of us do this unconsciously but if you do it consciously it makes the technique even more effective. A good practice is to work on one singular technique like a reverse punch or a side kick and see if you can coordinate your breathing with it. This is done by exhaling and tensing the muscles of the abdomen at the moment the technique is focused and completed. Once you are able to do this you can begin to integrate it into all of your training with Nose Panting
Nose Panting
It should be becoming apparent that breathing through the nose is of the utmost importance when practicing breathing exercises. The nose has a number of defense mechanisms that prevent impurities and extremely cold air from entering the body. First, a screen of nose hairs traps dust and other particles that could injure the lungs if we breathe through the mouth. Next, there is a long passage lined with mucus membranes, where excessively cool air is warmed and very fine dust particles that escape the hair screen are caught. Finally, in the inner nose are glands that fight off any bacteria that may have slipped through the other defenses. The inner nose also contains the olfactory organ that gives us our sense of smell, which can detect poisonous fumes that could damage our health if we were to breathe them.
Nose Panting is a great exercise for charging yourself up with energy if you feel sleepy or for releasing stress any time during the day. Imagine that you are blowing a piece of dust out of your nose by sharply puffing out through the nostrils. This is immediately followed by an equally sharp intake of air through the nose. This in-and-out ventilation should be repeated in rapid succession ten times. As you become comfortable with the exercise, increase the number of repetitions. When beginning, just concentrate on the nose and upper chest when breathing. As you get comfortable with the exercise begin to engage the abdominal muscles as you breathe. Breathe in through the nose and then pull in with a quick clench of the abdominal muscles. This practice is similar to the Fire Breathing of yogic traditions but as you progress try to focus on the abdomen. You can also push out on the abdominal muscles, but that is a more advanced practice.
Abdominal Nose Panting consists of contracting the abdomen as you puff out. Reverse Abdominal Nose Panting expands the abdomen on the puff out. After completing a session of Nose Panting, always follow with a couple of deep slow breaths to calm the body down.
The Complete Breath
The Complete Breath is a deep meditative breathing exercise that is both simple and complex. Regular practice expands lung capacity, which, in turn, slows down unconscious breathing and makes it smoother and more regular. In addition, The Complete Breath maximizes oxygen intake and enables oxygen-rich blood to flow to the extremities. It also cleans and invigorates the lungs.
In the beginning, it is best if The Complete Breath is practiced from a lying-down posture so maximum concentration can be placed on the exercise itself, which consists of four separate aspects: inhalation, retention, exhalation, and suspension.
Inhalation
Inhale through the nose. Expand the lower abdomen, pushing out and down, just as if you were starting Abdominal Breathing. Once the abdomen is full, continue inhaling and expanding the chest, filling the upper lungs. Raise the collarbone and shoulders as you continue inhaling. Fill the throat and the nose. Stop.
Retention
Hold the breath in. Bring your attention to the fullness of the body. Feel the expansion circulating the oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. Continue to hold the breath in for a count of ten.
Exhalation
Exhale through the nose. Contract the lower abdomen pushing in and up. Continue to exhale by squeezing the air from the lungs and chest. Lower the collarbone and shoulders. Blow the air from your throat and nose. Empty it all out. Stop.
Suspension
Hold the breath out. Bring your attention to the emptiness of the body. Feel your body like an empty balloon waiting to be filled. Continue to suspend breathing for a count of ten.
Repeat
On the next inhalation don’t gasp for air. Calmly and smoothly inhale just as before. Feel the air reaching far beyond your abdomen, filling every corner of your body like an expanding balloon. Notice the sensation of your body as the new oxygen is brought in.
Do the complete set five or ten times each day.
The purpose of breathing exercises such as this is to enable you to bring awareness to your breathing. When you are aware of your breathing you can use it to maximum effectiveness. The change from unconscious to conscious breathing is accomplished by actually thinking about your breathing and becoming more aware of the effect it has on your own body. Most of our behavior is unconscious. We walk around in our bodies, rarely noticing how it feels unless there is pain. Seldom do we consciously think of the body as feeling good. Feeling good shouldn’t be an absence of pain. It should be an invigorated, energetic state where you are comfortable and happy in your body. Becoming aware of your breath is a way to reach that feeling. Expanding your breathing ability is a way of extending that feeling.
Try to become more aware of your breathing during training. Take deeper breaths. It should immediately begin to enhance your practice.
There is much more to breathing training for martial artists, but these are the basics.
Thank you for reading.
His teachings blend the concepts and techniques of both hard and soft style martial arts.
- Breathing Training for Martial Artists – Part 2 - December 4, 2023
- Breathing for Martial Artists – Part 1 - July 31, 2023
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