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The "magic" is in the belief, Stevie. If I know your "magic" is voodoo, then it will have no effect on me. If I'm an atheist, then I need to find some other way to achieve "belief", and that's easier said than done.

On the other hand... peel away the deity and look at Judeochristian practices. People who can forgive live longer than people who can't let their anger go. Sustained anger and a desire for revenge eats you alive from the inside out. Hence the Christian - or human - practice of letting go and forgiving takes the monkey off your back and puts it on the back of the perpetrator.

Understand that you can still "forgive" and yet expect there to be "consequences" for inappropriate actions.

Philanthropy also has positive health benefits. So does creating social networks, getting a pet, and having people who depend on you. Get involved and you have purpose; have purpose and you live longer.

It's also worth studying what Darren Laur and others have to say about the importance of "belief systems" (prayer et al) in combat and self-defense. Those who are at peace with their mortality and destiny are ironically more likely to come home alive. Basically you don't want to freeze at the moment of truth because you fear death or have "unfinished business." Belief systems can help us put all that in order, and thus clear the mind for battle.

One of the more difficult things I had to deal with in my dad's final days was his fear of pain and death. Because of it, there were a few things I couldn't do for him (treatment wise) that might have given him a little more quality time on this earth. The more I was able to get him to come to grips with his mortality, the more we were able to face difficult health care decisions and make some better choices.

Being at peace with your mortality can be very empowering both when facing life and when facing death. At some point in that contemplation of life after death, one must contemplate and come to grips with the afterlife - or lack thereof.

- Bill

Actually Bill, I now and have been completely in agreement with you on this subject.. I'm not angry at NEB for his silly little faces... But what I said is the truth... He can get angry if he wants for me pointing out that Hyperventilation causes the same symtoms as he described, but it's to no avail... Because I know that if we had the opportunity to train together that all of his prayers and chi would go out the window the first time we hit shins, legs or arms...So trust me when I say, if he wants to live in slumber land, be my guest... Tomoyose Sensei once gifted a dear freind of mine the Shodo that reads "Secrets lie in successful training"... The Bible tells us "Not to cast our pearls upon Swine"... As for Stevie B, I'll just stick with the old Cleveland expression of "BITE ME!!!"
But as for you Bill, I have read what you said about the Goju style of breathing, and trust me, the Japanese Doctors tell the Okinawan Masters the same thing.. Miyazato Sensei, Chibana Sensei, Kuena Sensei, and Masaki Ikimiyagi Sensei (whom I was pretty close with on a social basis) all confirmed that the breathing is not good for them and that their Doctors warned them about the long term risks... It was just something that they were willing to give to the practice ...PS... NEB, I would have responded to the sarcasm a while back, but I was sort of busy and it really didn't mean very much to me.. The last face seemed to be of someone sleeping.. I will assume it was you, so I will only give the kind advice to WAKE YOURSELF UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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SILENCE!!! I Kill You!!!!

It's all about degrees. If you do weight training, you lengthen life. If you are a competitive power lifter, you may shorten your life. If you do karate for fun, you lengthen your life. If you're like Muhammed Ali and box past your prime, you get trauma-induced Parkinson's syndrome. If you make love to your significant other, you lengthen your life. If you make love to a busload of Thai prostitutes, you shorten your life.

Bottom line... there is a "sweet spot" to this Goju type of breathing. I'm fortunate in that the person who taught me Goju was retired from special forces, and devoted his life to his faith (Seventh Day Adventist) and chiropractic practice. Both of the latter are about living well and living long. Dr. King did not do "asthma style" Goju Sanchin or Tensho. When we finished, we were not exhausted. We were energized. I feel confident about the way I've evolved in this breathing because my dissertation touched on the subject.

In my opinion the problem with the "asthma style" Goju breathing lies in a misunderstanding of what it's for and how to do it. And again... this is where I can't get Scott to understand either. But the physiology is all there, and from a quantitative standpoint. The danger of "extreme" breathing is that the big swings of intrapleural pressure can lead to big swings in aortic pressure. That's not healthy. You'll break a few blood vessels doing it wrong. (I've seen it...) Over time this can lead to cardiovascular risks. Another problem lies in putting more resistance to the exhale than the inhale. Think about it... you're building up pressure and not allowing it to be released. But if the swings in intrapleural pressure are equally positive and negative - as I was taught and as I thoughtfully evolved to - then there is no NET effect on mean blood pressure. The aortic pressure waxes and wanes. I've seen that in the dog lab.

Another really good example in another body system is stress and bones. Put no stress on your bones and they demineralize. Hello osteoporosis and hip/femur fractures late in life. But too much stress on your bones and you get stress fractures. There is a right amount of stress which makes the dynamic tension between the osteoblasts and osteoclasts maintain perfect, healthy bones. Ideally we're stressing our bones the right amount in class when we pound. Too little is bad. Too much is bad. There is a right amount.

Here is a word of warning I give to all my karate students. By all means have a primary care physician and listen to them. However... athletes should not choose couch potatoes for doctors. The geek who never did a sport and has a waist the size of his hips in middle age should NEVER be the doctor of an athlete. Let them be doctors to people who want meds and surgery to manage their poor life choices. Sadly this is all which that breed of Western doctor understands. (Same would be true for the Japanese doctors.) I tell my students that they should choose either athletes or former athletes for doctors. They won't tell you "Don't do that!" They will understand what you're trying to do - because they've been there - and guide you to the correct way to live your karate lifestyle.

And if your karate lifestyle includes a stint as a mixed martial artist in the ring - and this is an extreme - well... they won't preach. They'll inform you along your journey, and hopefully help you make some wise decisions. It reminds me a bit of when I had a motorcycle as my only means of transportation. On questionnaires at the doctor's office, I'd have to answer the question "How often do you wear your seat belt?" It made me chuckle. I'd cross out the selections, and write "There are no seat belts on my motorcycle!" I knew the risks I was taking, and I survived. My doctor asked me if I had signed the donor agreement on the back of my driver's license, and that was the extent of the conversation there. We understood each other.

- Bill