Complete Breath

Complete Breath practice will expand lung capacity, which will slow unconscious breathing and makes it smoother and more regular. The Complete Breath maximizes oxygen intake and it cleans and invigorates the lungs.

In the beginning, the Complete Breath is best practiced while prone so maximum concentration may be placed on the exercise.  During breathing, the tongue is up, touching the top palate of the mouth just behind the front teeth, and air is expelled from the nose with a slightly audible hiss. The Complete Breath consists of four elements: inhalation, retention, exhalation, and suspension.

• Inhalation

Inhale through the nose, pushing lower abdomen outward and downward. Once the abdomen is extended, continue inhaling by expanding the chest and filling the upper lungs.  As you inhale, raise the collarbone and shouldersm, fill the throat and nose, and then stop.

• Retention

Hold your breath for a count of ten and concentrate on the fullness of the body. Feel the oxygen-rich blood circulating throughout the body.

• Exhalation

Exhale through the nose, contacting lower abdomen pushing inward and upward. Continue to exhale by squeezing air from the lungs and chest. Lower the collarbone and shoulders, blowing air from your throat and nose. When all the air is expelled, stop.

• Suspension

Hold your breath out for a count of ten and concentrate on the emptiness of the body. Feel your body as being an empty balloon waiting to be filled.

• Repeat

Repeat by calmly and smoothly inhaling, do not gasp for air.

Pattern Breathing

In-Out Breathing

In-out breathing is a pattern in which inhales are synchronized with blocks, and exhales are synchronized with attacks. As stated before, you have greater power when exhaling than when inhaling. Also, the body is hardened during exhales, so it may absorb a blow while closing range during an attack. Since blocks usually use deflections, less strength is required for blocks than for attacks. Also, inhaling expands and strengthens the chest for blocking techniques. Therefore, it is best to coordinate inhales to occur during blocks. Since an attack must destroy its target and many times must overcome a blocking technique, maximum power is needed for attacks. Therefore, you must exhales during attacks. Since inhales occur continuously during movements, it is not necessary to plan an inhale. Exhales may be controlled and used at the appropriate times.

The control phase is the period at the end of exhalation before the start of inhalation. Sometimes during intense concentration, such as figuring the next chess move, we realize we are not breathing. This point is always after an exhale. This is the point of our optimal performance. It is also when we are at our stillest. In precision-based events, such as archery or marksmanship, athletes learn to fire the weapon during the control phase.

When sudden surprised by something, we flinch, and make an instinctive quick inhale to prepare the body to operate anaerobically during any subsequent fight or flight. We freeze for a split second, similar to a “deer-in-the-headlights” as the brain processes what has just occurred. In combat, it is best best to attack immediately after the opponent is made to flinch, before the opponent can react.

Out Breathing

Out breathing involves exhaling on every technique, blocks and attacks. Multiple techniques are executed using one exhale that continues from the first techniques until the end of the last technique.  Out breathing allows you to quickly deliver multiple techniques and to exhale for power in all techniques. 

Continuous Disconnected Breathing

Continuous disconnected breathing is simply inhaling and exhaling at a steady rate with no regard to whether you are blocking or attacking. This type of breathing is useful while performing patterns since it requires less energy and is relaxing. During sparring, there is no obvious breathing pattern that will alert an opponent to an attack. A disadvantage with this pattern of breathing is that the body is not hardened against any techniques that may slip through your defenses during exhalations.

Ibuki Breathing

Ibuki breathing is a hoarse, heavy, noisy breathing pattern that involves contracting the muscles in an isometric fashion while breathing out strongly through the mouth. A noise is created by tightening the throat to provide resistance to the exhale. Many believe this resistance helps strengthen the abdominal muscles. It is used by karate stylists when they perform the Sanchin pattern. Some people perform ibuki breathing silently. For more information on the Sanchin pattern, go to http://www.uchinadi-kan.org/Kata%20List.htm